Athlon X4 840 vs PRO A8-9600
Athlon X4 840
PRO A8-9600
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 X4 840 is positioned at rank 563 and the PRO A8-9600 is on rank 319, so the PRO A8-9600 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 840
Performance Per Dollar PRO A8-9600
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 840 | PRO A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 840 | PRO A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 X4 840 and PRO A8-9600
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.
PRO A8-9600
The PRO A8-9600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 October 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,318 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon X4 840 and PRO A8-9600 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 840 versus 3.4 GHz on the PRO A8-9600 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 840 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Athlon X4 840 uses the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture (28 nm), while the PRO A8-9600 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 840 scores 3,331 against the PRO A8-9600's 3,318 — a 0.4% lead for the Athlon X4 840.
| Feature | Athlon X4 840 | PRO A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.8 GHz+12% | 3.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz | 3.1 GHz |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+100% | 2048 kB |
| Process | 28 nm | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Kaveri (2014−2015) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 3,331 | 3,318 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 840 uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the PRO A8-9600 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 840 | PRO A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2+ | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-2133 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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