Core i7-940 vs Athlon Silver 7120U
Core i7-940
Athlon Silver 7120U
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 Core i7-940 is positioned at rank 1071 and the Athlon Silver 7120U is on rank 976, so the Athlon Silver 7120U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-940
Performance Per Dollar Athlon Silver 7120U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-940 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($90) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm) | ✨ Modern (Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) / 6 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-940 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($90) | ✅ 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 Core i7-940 and Athlon Silver 7120U
Core i7-940
The Core i7-940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Novembro 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,029 points. Launch price was $299.
Athlon Silver 7120U
The Athlon Silver 7120U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,012 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i7-940 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Athlon Silver 7120U offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core i7-940 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-940 versus 3.5 GHz on the Athlon Silver 7120U — a 9% clock advantage for the Athlon Silver 7120U (base: 2.93 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-940 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-940 scores 3,029 against the Athlon Silver 7120U's 3,012 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-940. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-940 vs 2 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 7120U.
| Feature | Core i7-940 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.5 GHz+9% |
| Base Clock | 2.93 GHz+22% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+300% | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 6 nm-87% |
| Architecture | Bloomfield (2008−2010) | Mendocino (Zen 2) (2022−2023) |
| PassMark | 3,029 | 3,012 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-940 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon Silver 7120U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Core i7-940 versus LPDDR5-5500 on the Athlon Silver 7120U — the Athlon Silver 7120U supports 50% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-940 supports up to 24 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 3 (Core i7-940) vs 2 (Athlon Silver 7120U). PCIe lanes: 36 (Core i7-940) vs 4 (Athlon Silver 7120U) — the Core i7-940 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | Core i7-940 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FT6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0+100% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | LPDDR5-5500+67% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 24 GB+50% | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | 3+50% | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 36+800% | 4 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Core i7-940) / not specified (Athlon Silver 7120U). The Athlon Silver 7120U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 610M), while the Core i7-940 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-940 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Core i7-940 | Athlon Silver 7120U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | AMD Radeon 610M |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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