Athlon Silver 7120U vs Core i7-940
Athlon Silver 7120U
Core i7-940
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 Athlon Silver 7120U is positioned at rank 976 and the Core i7-940 is on rank 1071, so the Athlon Silver 7120U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-940
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon Silver 7120U | Core i7-940 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($90) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) / 6 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon Silver 7120U | Core i7-940 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($90) |
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 Athlon Silver 7120U and Core i7-940
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.
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 |
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 50% 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 — 40% 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+67% | DDR3-1066 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | 24 GB+50% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 3+50% |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 4 | 36+800% |
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.
| Feature | Athlon Silver 7120U | Core i7-940 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | No |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon 610M | — |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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