Pentium Silver A1030
VS
A8-3500M

Pentium Silver A1030 vs A8-3500M

Intel

Pentium Silver A1030

2 Cores2 Thrd15 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2020
VS
AMD

A8-3500M

4 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2011

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 Silver A1030 is positioned at rank 1140 and the A8-3500M is on rank 821, so the A8-3500M 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 Silver A1030

#1128
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3825%
#1129
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
3769%
#1130
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3460%
#1131
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3445%
#1132
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3413%
#1134
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3296%
#1135
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3160%
#1136
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3155%
#1137
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3070%
#1140
Pentium Silver A1030
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#1141
Celeron 807
MSRP: $70|Avg: $10
100%
#1142
Pentium B950
MSRP: $134|Avg: $35
99%
#1143
Celeron 220
MSRP: $42|Avg: $42
99%
#1144
Pentium B960
MSRP: $134|Avg: $15
99%
#1146
Pentium 957
MSRP: $134|Avg: $10
99%
#1147
Core 2 Duo SL9400
MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A
98%
#1149
Pentium N3540
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
98%
#1150
Core i7-3555LE
MSRP: $300|Avg: $280
97%
#1151
Core i3-2377M
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
96%
#1152
Core 2 Duo E8435
MSRP: $150|Avg: $74
96%
#1153
Celeron M 723
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
96%
#1154
Core i7-3517UE
MSRP: $330|Avg: $35
94%
#1155
Core M-5Y51
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A8-3500M

#809
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1266%
#810
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1247%
#811
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1145%
#812
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1140%
#813
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1129%
#815
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1091%
#816
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1046%
#817
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1044%
#818
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1016%
#821
A8-3500M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#824
Celeron Dual-Core T3000
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
97%
#825
Pentium P6100
MSRP: $100|Avg: $16.39
97%
#827
Celeron M 575
MSRP: $86|Avg: $12
96%
#829
Core i7-10710U
MSRP: $415|Avg: N/A
96%
#835
FX-9830P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
95%
#836
Celeron M P4600
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium Silver A1030 (2020) utilizes 14 nm technology and upto-2400, providing a fundamental performance advantage.
InsightPentium Silver A1030A8-3500M
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Legacy / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The A8-3500M (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.
InsightPentium Silver A1030A8-3500M
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Silver A1030 and A8-3500M

Intel

Pentium Silver A1030

The Pentium Silver A1030 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: upto-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 1,380 points. Launch price was $69.

AMD

A8-3500M

The A8-3500M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 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: FS1. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,391 points. Launch price was $90.

Processing Power

The Pentium Silver A1030 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the A8-3500M offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the A8-3500M has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver A1030 versus 2.4 GHz on the A8-3500M — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Pentium Silver A1030 (base: 2 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The A8-3500M is built on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. In PassMark, the Pentium Silver A1030 scores 1,380 against the A8-3500M's 1,391 — a 0.8% lead for the A8-3500M. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver A1030 vs 0 kB on the A8-3500M.

FeaturePentium Silver A1030A8-3500M
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
2.7 GHz+13%
2.4 GHz
Base Clock
2 GHz+33%
1.5 GHz
L3 Cache
4 MB
0 kB
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)
Process
14 nm-56%
32 nm
Architecture
Llano (2011−2012)
PassMark
1,380
1,391
Geekbench 6 Single
231
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver A1030 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the A8-3500M uses FS1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium Silver A1030A8-3500M
Socket
FCBGA1090
FS1
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium Silver A1030) / AMD-V (A8-3500M). The A8-3500M includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6620G), while the Pentium Silver A1030 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A8-3500M targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A8-3500M rivals Core i3-2310M.

FeaturePentium Silver A1030A8-3500M
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon HD 6620G
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Budget Laptop