AMD Phenom X4 9850 (125W)

The AMD Phenom X4 9850 (125W) is a desktop processor from the Phenom X4 (Agena) generation, built on the K10 architecture. It provides 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and no boost clock listed. The chip targets the AMD Socket AM2+ platform and is manufactured on a 65 nm process with 450 million transistors on a 285 mm² die. The database entry lists a 125W TDP, dual-channel memory bus, ECC memory as unsupported, PCIe Gen 2, and integrated graphics as a chipset feature on certain motherboards. It was released on 2008-06-30 and is marked end-of-life. The entry has an empty benchmarks array, an average benchmark score of 0, and a 50th-percentile rank among all CPUs.

Platform and Compatibility

The platform anchor is AMD Socket AM2+. The K10 architecture and Agena codename define the processor as part of the Phenom X4 (Agena) generation. The chip has 4 cores and 4 threads, so the operating system sees a 2.50 GHz quad-core part without a listed boost state. The 65 nm process places it in the manufacturing generation of its release. The die contains 450 million transistors and measures 285 mm². This version is specifically identified by the part number HD9850XAJ4BGH.

Memory is attached through a dual-channel bus. The database entry lists ECC memory support as false, so error-correcting memory is not a feature of this chip. The database does not list a memory support type or a memory bandwidth figure, so the only memory specifications present are the dual-channel bus and the non-ECC flag. PCIe support is Gen 2. The integrated graphics field is “On certain motherboards (Chipset feature),” meaning graphics processing is not integrated into the CPU itself but depends on a chipset capability of the chosen motherboard.

Production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2008-06-30. The market segment is Desktop. The entry does not list a series designation. Upgrade potential is tied to the AM2+ socket and to support for a 125W quad-core processor in the specific motherboard. The FACT PACK names no other compatible processors, so the upgrade path beyond this socket generation cannot be detailed from the available data.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals array in the entry is empty, so there are no named competitor entries to compare against. There is therefore no basis for a per-rival paragraph. The only relative metric present is percentileVsAllCpus: 50. That places the processor at the median of all CPUs in the database. A median placement suggests a middle-of-distribution position, not a top-ranked or bottom-ranked result.

The average benchmark score is 0, which functions as a missing-data marker rather than a measured performance score. Without rival scores, no percentage lead or deficit can be computed. The absence of rivals means the processor cannot be positioned as faster or slower than a specific named SKU. A 50th-percentile rank is a useful tier indicator, but it does not describe the size of the gap to neighboring CPUs. Any claim that this chip beats or loses to another product would require comparison data that is not present in this FACT PACK.

Power and Thermals

The TDP is 125W, which is the thermal design figure that any cooling solution must handle under sustained load. The base clock is 2.50 GHz, and no boost clock is listed, so the 125W envelope is associated with a fixed frequency rather than a variable boost profile. The chip is built on a 65 nm process with 450 million transistors and a 285 mm² die, and those physical characteristics are relevant to heat density and thermal planning.

The 125W TDP class implies a capable air cooler is a reasonable fit for this desktop quad-core part, although the FACT PACK does not specify cooler dimensions, fan requirements, or liquid cooling options. The multiplier-unlocked field is false, so an unlocked-frequency adjustment path is not supported by the database entry. ECC memory is also unsupported, which can matter for long-running compute systems but is separate from thermal behavior. For system planning, the 125W TDP is the only power-class metric provided in the entry.

Who Should Consider It

This desktop part targets the AM2+ platform. Users with a motherboard that supports the AMD Socket AM2+ and the 125W Phenom X4 class are the natural audience. Workloads that can use four threads will engage all four cores at 2.50 GHz. Creation and productivity applications that scale across cores can use the 4-core/4-thread configuration, with 128 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 2 MB shared L3.

General office workloads can take advantage of four concurrent threads, and the lack of a boost clock means frequency behavior is predictable. Gaming performance cannot be grounded in benchmark results because the benchmarks array is empty. The integrated graphics field lists graphics as a chipset feature on certain motherboards, so a separate graphics solution would normally be required for gaming. Because production status is end-of-life, this processor is better suited to maintaining or reviving an existing AM2+ system than to a new flagship build. The 50th-percentile rank points to a mainstream legacy desktop part rather than an exceptional one. Users who require ECC memory should not choose this chip, as the entry lists ECC memory support as false.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark section of the entry contains no measured scores. The benchmarks array is empty, and the average benchmark score is exactly 0. Because the nearestRivals array is also empty, there are no rival scores available and no exact percentage deltas to calculate. The only quantitative position is percentileVsAllCpus: 50. That value places this processor at the median of the database’s CPU distribution.

A median position is meaningful for tiering: the chip sits between the top and bottom of the database population. However, the distance to other CPUs cannot be measured. The zero average benchmark score should be read as an unavailable-data marker, not as a performance result of zero. The architectural specifications — 4 cores, 4 threads, 2.50 GHz base clock, 128 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 2 MB shared L3 — provide a structural basis for performance expectations, but they are not benchmark measurements. This page therefore cannot state a numeric performance advantage or disadvantage against any named rival.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The processor presents 4 cores and 4 threads, meaning a maximum of four hardware threads is available to the operating system. Single-thread workloads rely on one core running at 2.50 GHz. That core has its own 128 KB L1 and 512 KB L2. No boost clock is listed, so there is no higher single-thread frequency in the database entry.

Multi-thread workloads can use all four cores simultaneously. Each core keeps its private L1 and L2, while the 2 MB L3 is shared across the entire chip. This layout gives single-thread tasks direct access to per-core cache and gives multi-thread tasks a shared pool for core-to-core data exchange. With 4 threads and no additional thread count, scaling is limited to four concurrent streams. ECC memory is not supported, so threads that require memory error checking are not covered by this platform feature. Because no boost clock is present, both single-thread and multi-thread analysis should use 2.50 GHz as the reference frequency. The difference between single-thread and multi-thread behavior comes mainly from core count and cache sharing rather than from a frequency change.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the AMD Phenom X4 9850 (125W) use?

A: It uses AMD Socket AM2+.

Q: How many cores and threads are listed?

A: It has 4 cores and 4 threads.

Q: What is the base clock and TDP?

A: The base clock is 2.50 GHz and the TDP is 125W.

Q: Does it support ECC memory?

A: No; the database entry lists ECC memory support as false.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No; the multiplier unlocked field is false.

Q: What is the production status and release date?

A: The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2008-06-30.