Athlon II P340 vs Core i5-560M

Athlon II P340 vs Core i5-560M Performance Spectrum

Athlon II P340

2 / 2

1,895

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i5-560M

2 / 4

1,894

0.0%

Celeron Dual-Core T1700

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.

Athlon II P340 vs Core i5-560M 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.

Athlon II P340 vs Core i5-560M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon II P340

2010

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 1W instead of 35W, a 34W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-560M can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-560M

2010

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel HD Graphics (Westmere), while Athlon II P340 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,894 vs 1,895).
❌Launch MSRP is still $225 MSRP, while Athlon II P340 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3400% higher power demand at 35W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon II P340 better than Core i5-560M?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-560M is ahead with a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II P340 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon II P340 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Athlon II P340 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Athlon II P340 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $225 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Core i5-560M only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (8.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA988.

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

Core i5-560M is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more room to grow and a better platform outlook.

Athlon II P340 vs Core i5-560M Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II P340

The Athlon II P340 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,895 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i5-560M

The Core i5-560M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 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: 1,894 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon II P340 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-560M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II P340 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-560M — a 37% clock advantage for the Core i5-560M. The Athlon II P340 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-560M uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II P340 scores 1,895 against the Core i5-560M's 1,894 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon II P340.

Feature	Athlon II P340	Core i5-560M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	3.2 GHz+45%
Base Clock	—	2.66 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB	256K (per core)+25500%
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Arrandale (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,895	1,894
Geekbench 6 Single	—	450
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	950

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II P340 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-560M uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to 1066 memory speed. Both support up to 8 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Athlon II P340) vs 16 (Core i5-560M) — the Core i5-560M offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: S1g4 (Athlon II P340) and HM55,HM57,PM55,QM57 (Core i5-560M).

Feature	Athlon II P340	Core i5-560M
Socket	S1g4	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1066	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	8 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Athlon II P340) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-560M). The Core i5-560M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Westmere)), while the Athlon II P340 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-560M targets Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II P340 rivals Pentium P6000; Core i5-560M rivals AMD Turion II Ultra M660.

Feature	Athlon II P340	Core i5-560M
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	Intel HD Graphics (Westmere)
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Laptop

💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Athlon II P340 was priced at $0, while the Core i5-560M came in at $225. On launch pricing ($0 vs $225), Athlon II P340 was $225 cheaper.

Feature	Athlon II P340	Core i5-560M
MSRP	$0-100%	$225
Performance per Dollar	—	8.4
Release Date	2010	2010

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