Pentium B940 vs A8-5500
Pentium B940
A8-5500
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 Pentium B940 is positioned at rank 895 and the A8-5500 is on rank 472, so the A8-5500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B940
Performance Per Dollar A8-5500
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium B940 | A8-5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($11) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium B940 | A8-5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($11) | ✅ 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 Pentium B940 and A8-5500
Pentium B940
The Pentium B940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,610 points. Launch price was $134.
A8-5500
The A8-5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,615 points. Launch price was $90.
Processing Power
The Pentium B940 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the A8-5500 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the A8-5500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 versus 3.7 GHz on the A8-5500 — a 59.6% clock advantage for the A8-5500 (base: 2 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Pentium B940 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the A8-5500 uses Trinity (2012−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B940 scores 2,610 against the A8-5500's 2,615 — a 0.2% lead for the A8-5500. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940 vs 0 kB on the A8-5500.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | A8-5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 3.7 GHz+85% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | 3.2 GHz+60% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB (per core)+300% |
| Process | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Trinity (2012−2013) |
| PassMark | 2,610 | 2,615 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium B940 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A8-5500 uses FM2 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | A8-5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA988 | FM2 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B940) / true (A8-5500). The A8-5500 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 7560D), while the Pentium B940 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A8-5500 rivals Pentium G2120.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | A8-5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon HD 7560D |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
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