Core i7-4940MX vs Ryzen 5 3500U

Core i7-4940MX

4 Cores8 Thrd57 WWMax: 4 GHz2014

Ryzen 5 3500U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-4940MX

4 / 8

6,783

0.0%

6,836

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

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 Core i7-4940MX is positioned at rank 1184 and the Ryzen 5 3500U is on rank 614, so the Ryzen 5 3500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4940MX

#1172

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4740%

#1173

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4670%

#1174

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4288%

#1175

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4268%

#1176

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4229%

#1178

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4084%

#1179

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3916%

#1180

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3910%

#1181

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3805%

#1184

Core i7-4940MX

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1185

Athlon Neo X2 L325

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

99%

#1186

Core i3-2370M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

98%

#1187

Core i3-3217UE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

98%

#1188

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

97%

#1189

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

97%

#1190

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

95%

#1193

Celeron 900

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

91%

#1194

Pentium T3400

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

91%

#1195

Core 2 Solo SU3500

MSRP: $262|Avg: $15

90%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

88%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

86%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 3500U

#602

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

811%

#603

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

799%

#604

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

734%

#605

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

730%

#606

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

724%

#608

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

699%

#609

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

670%

#610

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

669%

#611

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

651%

#614

Ryzen 5 3500U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#622

Athlon II P320

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

98%

#625

Core 3 N355

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

97%

#628

Core i5-1335UE

MSRP: $312|Avg: $312

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Ryzen 5 3500U (2019) utilizes 12 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i7-4940MX	Ryzen 5 3500U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	✨ Modern (Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) / 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4940MX (2014) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i7-4940MX	Ryzen 5 3500U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Core i7-4940MX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3500U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-4940MX and Ryzen 5 3500U

Core i7-4940MX

The Core i7-4940MX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 January 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 57 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,783 points. Launch price was $1,096.

Ryzen 5 3500U

The Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,836 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4940MX and Ryzen 5 3500U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-4940MX versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500U — a 7.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-4940MX (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-4940MX uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4940MX scores 6,783 against the Ryzen 5 3500U's 6,836 — a 0.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 3500U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4940MX vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U.

Feature	Core i7-4940MX	Ryzen 5 3500U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4 GHz+8%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+48%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	22 nm	12 nm-45%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)
PassMark	6,783	6,836
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,545
Geekbench 6 Single	—	876
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4940MX uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-4940MX	Ryzen 5 3500U
Socket	PGA946	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-4940MX) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U). The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i7-4940MX requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U.