Pentium Silver J5040 vs A8-9600
Pentium Silver J5040
A8-9600
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar A8-9600
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium Silver J5040 | A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium Silver J5040 | A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Silver J5040 and A8-9600
Pentium Silver J5040
The Pentium Silver J5040 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 November 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,252 points. Launch price was $161.
A8-9600
The A8-9600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,295 points. Launch price was $78.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium Silver J5040 and A8-9600 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Pentium Silver J5040 versus 3.4 GHz on the A8-9600 — a 6.1% clock advantage for the A8-9600 (base: 2 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Pentium Silver J5040 uses the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the A8-9600 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver J5040 scores 3,252 against the A8-9600's 3,295 — a 1.3% lead for the A8-9600. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 435 vs 607, a 33% lead for the A8-9600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,180 vs 1,415 (18.1% advantage for the A8-9600). L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver J5040 vs 0 kB on the A8-9600.
| Feature | Pentium Silver J5040 | A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.4 GHz+6% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | 3.1 GHz+55% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB (total)+100% | 2048 kB |
| Process | 14 nm-50% | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 3,252 | 3,295+1% |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 1,640 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 435 | 607+40% |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,180 | 1,415+20% |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium Silver J5040 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the A8-9600 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4-2400 memory speed. The A8-9600 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 6 (Pentium Silver J5040) vs 8 (A8-9600) — the A8-9600 offers 2 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Gemini Lake Refresh SoC (Pentium Silver J5040) and A320,B350,X370 (A8-9600).
| Feature | Pentium Silver J5040 | A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1090 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4-2400 | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 32 GB+300% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 6 | 8+33% |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Silver J5040) vs AMD-V (A8-9600). Both include integrated graphics — Intel UHD Graphics 605 (Pentium Silver J5040) and Radeon R7 Series (A8-9600) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Silver J5040 targets Mini-PC, A8-9600 targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: A8-9600 rivals Pentium G4560.
| Feature | Pentium Silver J5040 | A8-9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes |
| IGPU Model | Intel UHD Graphics 605 | Radeon R7 Series |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x / VT-d / EPT | AMD-V |
| Target Use | Mini-PC | Budget Desktop |
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