Athlon X2 340 vs Pentium 3560M

AMD

Athlon X2 340

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2012
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Pentium 3560M

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2014
Similar parts
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Athlon X2 340 vs Pentium 3560M Performance Spectrum

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 X2 340 vs Pentium 3560M 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 X2 340 vs Pentium 3560M: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon X2 340

2012

Why buy it

  • Draws 65W instead of 512W, a 447W reduction.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (AMD Stock), unlike Pentium 3560M.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (1,333 vs 1,345).
  • Launch MSRP is still $30 MSRP, while Pentium 3560M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Pentium 3560M

2014

Why buy it

  • +0.9% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

  • 687.7% higher power demand at 512W vs 65W.
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon X2 340.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon X2 340 better than Pentium 3560M?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon X2 340 is ahead with a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3560M pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium 3560M is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Athlon X2 340 is the better buy right now. Athlon X2 340 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $30 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The compromise is that Pentium 3560M is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.9% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (44.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Pentium 3560M makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 2/2. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon X2 340 vs Pentium 3560M Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Athlon X2 340

The Athlon X2 340 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,333 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Pentium 3560M

The Pentium 3560M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,345 points. Launch price was $134.

Processing Power

Both the Athlon X2 340 and Pentium 3560M share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Athlon X2 340 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium 3560M — a 40% clock advantage for the Athlon X2 340 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Athlon X2 340 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium 3560M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X2 340 scores 1,333 against the Pentium 3560M's 1,345 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium 3560M.

FeatureAthlon X2 340Pentium 3560M
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
3.6 GHz+50%
2.4 GHz
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+33%
2.4 GHz
L3 Cache
2 MB
L2 Cache
1 MB (total)+100%
512 kB
Process
32 nm
22 nm-31%
Architecture
Trinity (2012−2013)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
1,333
1,345
Geekbench 6 Single
397
Geekbench 6 Multi
549
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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X2 340 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium 3560M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon X2 340Pentium 3560M
Socket
FM2
PGA946
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
No
PCIe Lanes
16
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon X2 340) / not specified (Pentium 3560M). Primary use case: Athlon X2 340 targets Desktop.

FeatureAthlon X2 340Pentium 3560M
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop