AMD Athlon AD785ZWCGHBOX 2-core Socket AM2+
The 2.8GHz dual-core Athlon X2 7850 includes a boxed cooler and fits legacy Socket AM2+ boards, making it a direct drop-in upgrade for aging systems. Its 95W TDP and basic 2MB L3 cache reflect its era, but the bundled cooler simplifies installation for basic desktop revival. This processor is best for users maintaining vintage PCs for light office tasks or retro computing, not modern workloads.
Snapshot
The 30-Second Version
A 2009 dual-core chip that still costs real money in 2025. Unless you're rescuing a vintage AM2+ build, save your cash for literally anything else.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Dirt cheap if you find it at the right price 75th
- Boxed cooler included, so no extra purchase needed
- Drops into old AM2+ boards without a BIOS update
- 5-star reviews from the two people still using one
Cons
- 95W TDP for dual-core performance is absurd
- Single-thread score in the bottom 15% of all CPUs
- Socket AM2+ is a dead platform with zero upgrade path
- Pricing is all over the map, from $83 USD to $219 CAD
What owners think
The Word on the Street
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 2 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
The PassMark scores tell the whole story. 1439 multi-thread and 749 single-thread put this chip in the bottom quarter of everything we track. That single-thread score lands at the 15th percentile, which means even basic web browsing will feel sluggish compared to any modern budget chip. The 95W TDP is the real kicker though. You're burning nearly 100 watts for performance that a 15W laptop chip from five years ago would embarrass. The boxed cooler is a nice touch, but it's cooling a chip that belongs in a museum.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Processor
| Brand | AMD |
| Series | Athlon |
| Model | X2 |
| Class | desktop |
Cores & Clocks
| Cores | 2 |
| Threads | 2 |
| Base Clock | 2800 |
Cache
| L2 Cache | 2 |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB |
Performance
| PassMark Multi | 1439 |
| PassMark Single | 749 |
Platform & Power
| Socket | Socket AM2+ |
| TDP | 95 |
vs Competition
Stacked against anything modern, this chip gets flattened. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF is in a completely different universe, and even the ancient Xeon E5-2637 V2 offers more threads and better efficiency for similar money on the used market. The be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 isn't even a CPU, it's a cooler, which tells you how thin the competition is at this tier. If you need cheap, a used Xeon or an old Ryzen 3 will give you way more life for your dollar.
| Spec | AMD Athlon AD785ZWCGHBOX | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K | G.Skill Trident Z Neo | MICRO CENTER 265KFPRO890WIFI | Empowered PC Ryzen 7 5700X | PC Server and Parts E5-2697 v2-cr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cores | 2 | 24 | 6 | - | - | - |
| Threads | 2 | 24 | 12 | - | - | - |
| Boost Clock Mhz | - | 5700 | 4200 | - | - | - |
| L3 Cache Mb | 2 | 36 | 32 | - | - | - |
| Tdp W | 95 | 125 | 65 | - | - | - |
| Socket | Socket AM2+ | LGA 1851 | AMD Socket AM4 | - | - | - |
| Integrated Graphics | - | Intel Graphics | - | - | - | - |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | AI | Feature | Platform | Efficiency | Multi Thread | Social Proof | Affordability | Single Thread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Athlon AD785ZWCGHBOX | 18.3 | 42.3 | 17.4 | 23.9 | 22.2 | 54.7 | 75.2 | 14.7 |
| Intel Core Ultra 9 285K Compare | 96.2 | 99.9 | 96 | 97.2 | 96.4 | 90.3 | 18.2 | 99.9 |
| G.Skill Trident Z Neo Compare | 72.3 | 87.4 | 79 | 84.2 | 72 | 0 | 20.3 | 72.4 |
| MICRO CENTER 265KFPRO890WIFI Compare | 82.4 | 20.6 | 17.4 | 61 | 94.6 | 0 | 15.8 | 99.1 |
| Empowered PC Ryzen 7 5700X Compare | 63.7 | 20.6 | 17.4 | 39.6 | 81.9 | 0 | 39.8 | 85.7 |
| PC Server and Parts E5-2697 v2-cr Compare | 50 | 20.6 | 17.4 | 29.2 | 67.8 | 0 | 87.3 | 45 |
Price
Value & Pricing
At $83 USD this is a terrible deal. At the $40 the original reviewer suggested back in 2012, it's still a tough sell in 2025. You're paying for compatibility, not performance. If your AM2+ board is the only thing keeping this chip relevant, you're better off putting that money toward a used office PC that'll run circles around it.
Amazon 1 offer From CA$197
Price History
Read more
Overview
The AMD Athlon X2 7850 is a fossil from 2009 that somehow still has a pulse on Amazon. It's a dual-core AM2+ chip running at 2.8GHz with a 95W TDP, which was mid-range when Obama was in his first term. Today it's a nostalgia piece or a desperate fix for an ancient motherboard, nothing more. The one thing to know: this is not a performance upgrade, it's a compatibility patch for a dying platform.
Common Questions
Q: Will this work in my AM2+ motherboard?
Yes, that's the whole point. It's a drop-in for Socket AM2+ boards, but check your board's CPU support list first. Some older boards need a BIOS update to recognize the 7850.
Q: Can I game on this?
Not really. The single-thread score is in the bottom 15% of all CPUs we track. You might run games from 2010 or older, but anything modern will choke. This is a web browsing and office work chip at best.
Q: Is the included cooler any good?
It's a stock AMD cooler from 2009. It'll keep the chip from melting, but it's loud and not great. For a 95W TDP chip, it does the bare minimum. Don't expect quiet operation.
Who Should Skip This
If you're looking for a cheap upgrade to make your PC faster, this isn't it. Go buy a used Ryzen 3 or even an old Intel i5 system instead. You'll spend similar money and get dramatically better performance. This chip is only for people nursing a specific AM2+ board that can't be replaced.
Verdict
Don't buy this unless you have a specific AM2+ motherboard that needs a drop-in replacement and you've exhausted every other option. Even then, you should seriously consider whether that motherboard is worth saving. The Athlon X2 7850 was fine in 2009. It's not fine now.
Usage Scores
- Overall22.2
- AI/LLM16
- Budget41.8
- Gaming18.8
- Server16.5
- Efficiency21.7
- Productivity21.9
