Pentium B940 vs Athlon X4 970
Pentium B940
Athlon X4 970
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 Athlon X4 970 is on rank 582, so the Athlon X4 970 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 Athlon X4 970
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium B940 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($11) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium B940 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+663%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($11) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
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 Athlon X4 970
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.
Athlon X4 970
The Athlon X4 970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,644 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Pentium B940 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon X4 970 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 970 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 — a 66.7% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 2 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Pentium B940 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X4 970 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B940 scores 2,610 against the Athlon X4 970's 2,644 — a 1.3% lead for the Athlon X4 970. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940 vs 0 kB on the Athlon X4 970.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 4 GHz+100% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | 3.8 GHz+90% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 2,610 | 2,644+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium B940 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 970 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA988 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Value Analysis
The Pentium B940 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 970 debuted at $85. At current prices ($11 vs $85), the Pentium B940 is $74 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B940 delivers 237.3 pts/$ vs 31.1 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 970 — making the Pentium B940 the 153.6% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $134 | $85-37% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $11-87% | $85 |
| Performance per Dollar | 237.3+663% | 31.1 |
| Release Date | 2011 | 2017 |
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