Athlon X4 840 vs Core i7-6560U

Athlon X4 840 vs Core i7-6560U Performance Spectrum

Athlon X4 840

4 / 4

3,331

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i7-6560U

2 / 4

3,347

+0.5%

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 X4 840 vs Core i7-6560U 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 X4 840 vs Core i7-6560U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon X4 840

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,331 vs 3,347).
❌Launch MSRP is still $102 MSRP, while Core i7-6560U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Core i7-6560U

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 840 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-6560U better than Athlon X4 840?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Athlon X4 840 is ahead with a 9.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6560U pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6560U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Core i7-6560U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core i7-6560U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $102 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark. Athlon X4 840 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2014 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (32.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on FM2+.

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

Core i7-6560U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon X4 840 vs Core i7-6560U Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X4 840

The Athlon X4 840 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,331 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-6560U

The Core i7-6560U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,347 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon X4 840 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-6560U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 840 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 840 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-6560U — a 17.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 840 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Athlon X4 840 uses the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i7-6560U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 840 scores 3,331 against the Core i7-6560U's 3,347 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-6560U.

Feature	Athlon X4 840	Core i7-6560U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+19%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+41%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	—	4 MB
L2 Cache	4 MB+700%	512 kB
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Kaveri (2014−2015)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,331	3,347

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 840 uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6560U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.