Core i5-4400E vs Pentium Silver J5040

Intel

Core i5-4400E

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Pentium Silver J5040

4 Cores4 Thrd10 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2019

Core i5-4400E vs Pentium Silver J5040 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.

Core i5-4400E vs Pentium Silver J5040 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.

Core i5-4400E vs Pentium Silver J5040: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-4400E

2013

Why buy it

  • βœ…166.7% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 6) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark (3,251 vs 3,252).
  • ❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).
  • ❌Launch MSRP is still $266 MSRP, while Pentium Silver J5040 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • ❌5020% higher power demand at 512W vs 10W.

Pentium Silver J5040

2019

Why buy it

  • βœ…+0% higher PassMark.
  • βœ…+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
  • βœ…Draws 10W instead of 512W, a 502W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Silver J5040 better than Core i5-4400E?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-4400E is ahead with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver J5040 pulls ahead with 0% better PassMark. Pentium Silver J5040 also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver J5040 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Pentium Silver J5040 is the easy recommendation for a fresh desktop build. Pentium Silver J5040 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $266 MSRP, and it still gives you 0% better PassMark. Core i5-4400E only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop chip, not because it is a real desktop gaming recommendation. It simply does not keep up in modern games, especially when the gap is already 0.9% in the shared gaming data.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Pentium Silver J5040 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2013), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-4400E vs Pentium Silver J5040 Technical Specifications

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

Intel

Core i5-4400E

The Core i5-4400E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013βˆ’2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kBΒ +Β 3 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,251 points. Launch price was $266.

Intel

Pentium Silver J5040

The Pentium Silver J5040 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,252 points. Launch price was $161.

⚑

Processing Power

The Core i5-4400E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Silver J5040 offers 4 cores / 4 threads β€” the Pentium Silver J5040 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-4400E versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium Silver J5040 β€” a 3.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-4400E (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-4400E uses the Haswell (2013βˆ’2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Pentium Silver J5040 uses Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4400E scores 3,251 against the Pentium Silver J5040's 3,252 β€” a 0% lead for the Pentium Silver J5040. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-4400E vs 4 MB on the Pentium Silver J5040.

FeatureCore i5-4400EPentium Silver J5040
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
3.3 GHz+3%
3.2 GHz
Base Clock
2.7 GHz+35%
2 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB
4 MB+33%
L2 Cache
512 kB
4 MB (total)+700%
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Haswell (2013βˆ’2015)
Gemini Lake Refresh (2019)
PassMark
3,251
3,252
Cinebench R23 Multi
β€”
1,640
Geekbench 6 Single
β€”
435
Geekbench 6 Multi
β€”
1,180
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-4400E uses the BGA1364 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Silver J5040 uses FCBGA1090 (PCIe 3.0) β€” making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3L-1600 on the Core i5-4400E versus DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4-2400 on the Pentium Silver J5040 β€” the Pentium Silver J5040 supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-4400E supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB β€” 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-4400E) vs 6 (Pentium Silver J5040) β€” the Core i5-4400E offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

FeatureCore i5-4400EPentium Silver J5040
Socket
BGA1364
FCBGA1090
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3L-1600
DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4-2400+50%
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB+100%
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
Yes
No
PCIe Lanes
16+167%
6
πŸ”§

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-4400E) vs VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Silver J5040). Both include integrated graphics β€” HD Graphics 4600 (Core i5-4400E) and Intel UHD Graphics 605 (Pentium Silver J5040) β€” useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4400E targets Embedded, Pentium Silver J5040 targets Mini-PC.

FeatureCore i5-4400EPentium Silver J5040
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 4600
Intel UHD Graphics 605
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
VT-x / VT-d / EPT
Target Use
Embedded
Mini-PC