A8-9600
Popular choices:
Pentium Silver J5040
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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.
Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook
This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.
A8-9600
2017Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +15.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Pentium Silver J5040.
Trade-offs
- ❌550% higher power demand at 65W vs 10W.
Pentium Silver J5040
2019Why buy it
- ✅Draws 10W instead of 65W, a 55W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A8-9600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,180 vs 1,415).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A8-9600.
A8-9600
2017Pentium Silver J5040
2019Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +15.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Pentium Silver J5040.
Why buy it
- ✅Draws 10W instead of 65W, a 55W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌550% higher power demand at 65W vs 10W.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A8-9600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,180 vs 1,415).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A8-9600.
Quick Answers
So, is A8-9600 better than Pentium Silver J5040?
Which one is better for gaming?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Games Benchmarks
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.
Path of Exile 2
| Preset | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 71 FPS | 66 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 63 FPS | 67 FPS |
| medium | 56 FPS | 56 FPS |
| high | 44 FPS | 44 FPS |
| ultra | 34 FPS | 34 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 78 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 61 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 70 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 66 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 54 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 62 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 55 FPS |
| high | 74 FPS | 44 FPS |
| ultra | 53 FPS | 34 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| medium | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| high | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
| ultra | 82 FPS | 81 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of A8-9600 and Pentium Silver J5040
A8-9600
A8-9600
The A8-9600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,295 points. Launch price was $78.
Pentium Silver J5040
Pentium Silver J5040
The Pentium Silver J5040 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,252 points. Launch price was $161.
Processing Power
Both the A8-9600 and Pentium Silver J5040 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the A8-9600 versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium Silver J5040 — a 6.1% clock advantage for the A8-9600 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2 GHz). The A8-9600 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Pentium Silver J5040 uses Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A8-9600 scores 3,295 against the Pentium Silver J5040's 3,252 — a 1.3% lead for the A8-9600. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 607 vs 435, a 33% lead for the A8-9600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,415 vs 1,180 (18.1% advantage for the A8-9600). L3 cache: 0 kB on the A8-9600 vs 4 MB on the Pentium Silver J5040.
| Feature | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz+6% | 3.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz+55% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 4 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2048 kB | 4 MB (total)+100% |
| Process | 28 nm | 14 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) | Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) |
| PassMark | 3,295+1% | 3,252 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 1,640 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 607+40% | 435 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,415+20% | 1,180 |
Memory & Platform
The A8-9600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Silver J5040 uses FCBGA1090 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. The A8-9600 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (A8-9600) vs 6 (Pentium Silver J5040) — the A8-9600 offers 2 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370 (A8-9600) and Gemini Lake Refresh SoC (Pentium Silver J5040).
| Feature | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | FCBGA1090 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB+300% | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | No | No |
| PCIe Lanes | 8+33% | 6 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (A8-9600) vs VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Silver J5040). Both include integrated graphics — Radeon R7 Series (A8-9600) and Intel UHD Graphics 605 (Pentium Silver J5040) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A8-9600 targets Budget Desktop, Pentium Silver J5040 targets Mini-PC. Direct competitor: A8-9600 rivals Pentium G4560.
| Feature | A8-9600 | Pentium Silver J5040 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Radeon R7 Series | Intel UHD Graphics 605 |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | VT-x / VT-d / EPT |
| Target Use | Budget Desktop | Mini-PC |
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