Pentium B940 vs Core i5-680

Pentium B940

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2 GHz2011

Core i5-680

2 Cores4 Thrd73 WWMax: 3.86 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium B940

2 / 2

2,610

0.0%

2,620

+0.4%

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 i5-680 is on rank 1014, so the Pentium B940 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 i5-680

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

34985%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

33057%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

24002%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

7231%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5728%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

5011%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2870%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2832%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2579%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2579%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2550%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2481%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2446%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2436%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2414%

#1014

Core i5-680

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

100%

#1015

Core 2 Duo E4300

MSRP: $113|Avg: $5

100%

#1017

Core 2 Duo E4500

MSRP: $133|Avg: $10

98%

#1019

Core 2 Duo E7600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $50

97%

#1020

Core i7-3970X

MSRP: $990|Avg: $60

97%

#1021

Core 2 Duo E8700

MSRP: $256|Avg: $30

97%

#1022

Core 2 Duo E6550

MSRP: $163|Avg: $20

96%

#1023

Phenom X3 8450

MSRP: $145|Avg: $147

95%

#1024

Core i7-3960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $60

94%

#1025

Celeron 2.70

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

93%

#1027

A10 PRO-7850B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $140

91%

#1028

Core 2 Quad Q8200

MSRP: $224|Avg: $36

91%

#1029

A12-9800E

MSRP: $426|Avg: $150

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i5-680 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium B940 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium B940	Core i5-680
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($11)	✅ More affordable ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Clarkdale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i5-680 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 9% cheaper ($10 vs $11) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium B940	Core i5-680
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+10%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($11)	✅ More affordable ($10)

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 i5-680 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium B940 and Core i5-680

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 i5-680

The Core i5-680 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 April 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.86 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,620 points. Launch price was $272.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium B940 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-680's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 versus 3.86 GHz on the Core i5-680 — a 63.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-680 (base: 2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Pentium B940 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-680 uses Clarkdale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B940 scores 2,610 against the Core i5-680's 2,620 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i5-680. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940 vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i5-680.

Feature	Pentium B940	Core i5-680
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2 GHz	3.86 GHz+93%
Base Clock	2 GHz	3.6 GHz+80%
L3 Cache	2 MB (total)	4 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
PassMark	2,610	2,620

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium B940 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-680 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium B940	Core i5-680
Socket	PGA988	LGA1156
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium B940) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-680). The Core i5-680 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics), while the Pentium B940 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-680 targets Desktop.

Feature	Pentium B940	Core i5-680
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium B940 launched at $134 MSRP, while the Core i5-680 debuted at $294. At current prices ($11 vs $10), the Core i5-680 is $1 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium B940 delivers 237.3 pts/$ vs 262.0 pts/$ for the Core i5-680 — making the Core i5-680 the 9.9% better value option.