
A8-5500 vs Pentium B940

A8-5500

Pentium B940
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The A8-5500 is positioned at rank 472 and the Pentium B940 is on rank 895, so the A8-5500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar A8-5500
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B940
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | A8-5500 | Pentium B940 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($11) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | A8-5500 | Pentium B940 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($11) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of A8-5500 and Pentium B940

A8-5500
The A8-5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,615 points. Launch price was $90.

Pentium B940
The Pentium B940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,610 points. Launch price was $134.
Processing Power
The A8-5500 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium B940 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the A8-5500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the A8-5500 versus 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 — a 59.6% clock advantage for the A8-5500 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The A8-5500 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium B940 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A8-5500 scores 2,615 against the Pentium B940's 2,610 — a 0.2% lead for the A8-5500. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A8-5500 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940.
| Feature | A8-5500 | Pentium B940 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.7 GHz+85% | 2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz+60% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core)+300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Trinity (2012−2013) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 2,615 | 2,610 |
Memory & Platform
The A8-5500 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium B940 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | A8-5500 | Pentium B940 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | PGA988 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | 1866 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (A8-5500) / not specified (Pentium B940). The A8-5500 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 7560D), while the Pentium B940 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A8-5500 rivals Pentium G2120.
| Feature | A8-5500 | Pentium B940 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Radeon HD 7560D | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
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