Athlon Silver 7120U vs Core i7-940

Athlon Silver 7120U vs Core i7-940 Performance Spectrum

Athlon Silver 7120U

2 / 2

3,012

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Ryzen AI Max 390

Ryzen 9 9955HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i7-940

4 / 8

3,029

+0.6%

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 Silver 7120U vs Core i7-940 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 Silver 7120U vs Core i7-940: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon Silver 7120U

2022

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1366 and older memory support.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 610M, while Core i7-940 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-940 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,012 vs 3,029).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 8 MB).
❌1400% higher power demand at 15W vs 1W.

Core i7-940

2008

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 2 MB).
✅Draws 1W instead of 15W, a 14W reduction.
✅800% more PCIe lanes (36 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $562 MSRP, while Athlon Silver 7120U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1366, while Athlon Silver 7120U moves to FT6 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Silver 7120U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-940 better than Athlon Silver 7120U?

Yes. Core i7-940 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.6% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-940 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 9.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-940 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 2 MB).

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

Core i7-940 is the better buy right now. Core i7-940 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $562 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (5.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Athlon Silver 7120U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2008) and a healthier platform with FT6 and DDR5 instead of LGA1366. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Athlon Silver 7120U vs Core i7-940 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon Silver 7120U

The Athlon Silver 7120U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,012 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-940

The Core i7-940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Novembro 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,029 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Silver 7120U packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Core i7-940 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-940 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-940 — a 9% clock advantage for the Athlon Silver 7120U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.93 GHz). The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture (6 nm), while the Core i7-940 uses Bloomfield (2008−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver 7120U scores 3,012 against the Core i7-940's 3,029 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-940. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 7120U vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-940.

Feature	Athlon Silver 7120U	Core i7-940
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+9%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.93 GHz+22%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	6 nm-87%	45 nm
Architecture	Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023)	Bloomfield (2008−2010)
PassMark	3,012	3,029

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver 7120U uses the FT6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-940 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5-5500 on the Athlon Silver 7120U versus DDR3-1066 on the Core i7-940 — the Athlon Silver 7120U supports 415.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-940 supports up to 24 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 50% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Athlon Silver 7120U) vs 3 (Core i7-940). PCIe lanes: 4 (Athlon Silver 7120U) vs 36 (Core i7-940) — the Core i7-940 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Athlon Silver 7120U	Core i7-940
Socket	FT6	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+100%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5-5500+416%	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	24 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	3+50%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	4	36+800%

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Silver 7120U) / VT-x (Core i7-940). The Athlon Silver 7120U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 610M), while the Core i7-940 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-940 targets Desktop.