Pentium B940 vs Core i3-6100U

Pentium B940

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2 GHz2011

Core i3-6100U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B940

2 / 2

2,610

0.0%

2,631

+0.8%

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 Core i3-6100U is on rank 772, so the Core i3-6100U 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 Pentium B940

#883

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1506%

#884

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1484%

#885

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1362%

#886

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1356%

#887

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1344%

#889

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1298%

#890

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1244%

#891

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1242%

#892

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1209%

#895

Pentium B940

MSRP: $134|Avg: $11

100%

#896

Core i5-8305G

MSRP: $350|Avg: $350

100%

#897

Celeron 6305

MSRP: $107|Avg: $80

100%

#900

Core i7-8705G

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

98%

#902

Pentium Dual Core T2410

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

97%

#903

FX-8800P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

97%

#905

Core i7-8809G

MSRP: $450|Avg: $450

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-6100U

#760

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1115%

#761

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1099%

#762

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1009%

#763

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1004%

#764

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

995%

#766

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

961%

#767

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

921%

#768

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

920%

#769

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

895%

#772

Core i3-6100U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#773

Core i7-9750HF

MSRP: $395|Avg: $395

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-6100U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium B940 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B940	Core i3-6100U
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 (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium B940	Core i3-6100U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($11)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Pentium B940 Benchmark Check

Core i3-6100U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B940 and Core i3-6100U

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.

Core i3-6100U

The Core i3-6100U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,631 points. Launch price was $281.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium B940 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-6100U's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 versus 2.3 GHz on the Core i3-6100U — a 14% clock advantage for the Core i3-6100U (base: 2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Pentium B940 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-6100U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B940 scores 2,610 against the Core i3-6100U's 2,631 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i3-6100U. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940 vs 3 MB on the Core i3-6100U.

Feature	Pentium B940	Core i3-6100U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2 GHz	2.3 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.3 GHz+15%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	3 MB+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	2,610	2,631

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B940 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-6100U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.