Pentium Silver N5000 vs Phenom II X4 840

Pentium Silver N5000 vs Phenom II X4 840 Performance Spectrum

Pentium Silver N5000

4 / 4

2,442

0.0%

2,449

+0.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Pentium Silver N5000 vs Phenom II X4 840 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Pentium Silver N5000 vs Phenom II X4 840: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Pentium Silver N5000

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 6W instead of 95W, a 89W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Phenom II X4 840 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (2,442 vs 2,449).

Phenom II X4 840

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌1483.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 6W.

Quick Answers

So, is Phenom II X4 840 better than Pentium Silver N5000?

Yes. Phenom II X4 840 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.3% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Phenom II X4 840 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 3.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Phenom II X4 840 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Phenom II X4 840 still makes the most sense overall. Phenom II X4 840 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Pentium Silver N5000 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2011). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Pentium Silver N5000 vs Phenom II X4 840 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Pentium Silver N5000

The Pentium Silver N5000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2017 (7 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,442 points. Launch price was $161.

Phenom II X4 840

The Phenom II X4 840 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,449 points. Launch price was $90.

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Processing Power

Both the Pentium Silver N5000 and Phenom II X4 840 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5000 versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 840 — a 16.9% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 840 (base: 1.1 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Pentium Silver N5000 uses the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X4 840 uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver N5000 scores 2,442 against the Phenom II X4 840's 2,449 — a 0.3% lead for the Phenom II X4 840. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5000 vs 0 kB on the Phenom II X4 840.

Feature	Pentium Silver N5000	Phenom II X4 840
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3.2 GHz+19%
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+191%
L3 Cache	4 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	4 MB (total)+700%	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Goldmont Plus (2017)	Propus (2009−2011)
PassMark	2,442	2,449

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver N5000 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X4 840 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.