
Pentium M 740 vs A6-3500

Pentium M 740

A6-3500
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 M 740 is positioned at rank 719 and the A6-3500 is on rank 707, so the A6-3500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium M 740
Performance Per Dollar A6-3500
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium M 740 | A6-3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Dothan (2004−2005) / 90 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium M 740 | A6-3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 M 740 and A6-3500

Pentium M 740
The Pentium M 740 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Dothan (2004−2005) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 1.73 GHz, with boost up to 1.73 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 27 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,435 points. Launch price was $69.

A6-3500
The A6-3500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,439 points. Launch price was $70.
Processing Power
The Pentium M 740 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the A6-3500 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the A6-3500 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.73 GHz on the Pentium M 740 versus 2.4 GHz on the A6-3500 — a 32.4% clock advantage for the A6-3500 (base: 1.73 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Pentium M 740 uses the Dothan (2004−2005) architecture (90 nm), while the A6-3500 uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium M 740 scores 1,435 against the A6-3500's 1,439 — a 0.3% lead for the A6-3500. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.
| Feature | Pentium M 740 | A6-3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 1 / 1 | 3 / 3+200% |
| Boost Clock | 1.73 GHz | 2.4 GHz+39% |
| Base Clock | 1.73 GHz | 2.1 GHz+21% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB+100% | 1 MB (per core) |
| Process | 90 nm | 32 nm-64% |
| Architecture | Dothan (2004−2005) | Llano (2011−2012) |
| PassMark | 1,435 | 1,439 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 265 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium M 740 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the A6-3500 uses FM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium M 740 | A6-3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA478 | FM1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Pentium M 740) / AMD-V (A6-3500). The A6-3500 includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6530D), while the Pentium M 740 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A6-3500 targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: A6-3500 rivals Pentium G620.
| Feature | Pentium M 740 | A6-3500 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon HD 6530D |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget Desktop |
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