A8-6500 vs Pentium B940

A8-6500 vs Pentium B940 Performance Spectrum

A8-6500

4 / 4

2,598

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium B940

2 / 2

2,610

+0.5%

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.

A8-6500 vs Pentium B940 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

A8-6500 vs Pentium B940: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

A8-6500

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon HD 8570D, while Pentium B940 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (true), unlike Pentium B940.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,598 vs 2,610).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Pentium B940

2011

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A8-6500 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $134 MSRP, while A8-6500 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No integrated graphics, while A8-6500 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A8-6500.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium B940 better than A8-6500?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, A8-6500 is ahead with a 7.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium B940 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium B940 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Pentium B940 is the better buy right now. Pentium B940 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $134 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. The compromise is that A8-6500 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (19.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

A8-6500 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2011). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

A8-6500 vs Pentium B940 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

A8-6500

The A8-6500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Richland (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 2,598 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.

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Processing Power

The A8-6500 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium B940 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the A8-6500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the A8-6500 versus 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 — a 68.9% clock advantage for the A8-6500 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The A8-6500 uses the Richland (2013−2014) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium B940 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the A8-6500 scores 2,598 against the Pentium B940's 2,610 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium B940. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A8-6500 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940.

Feature	A8-6500	Pentium B940
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+105%	2 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+75%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	4096 kB+1500%	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Richland (2013−2014)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	2,598	2,610

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Memory & Platform

The A8-6500 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium B940 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	A8-6500	Pentium B940
Socket	FM2	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1866	—
Max RAM Capacity	64	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (A8-6500) / not specified (Pentium B940). The A8-6500 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 8570D), while the Pentium B940 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A8-6500 rivals Core i3-4130.