Phenom II X3 P840 vs Core i7-2820QM

CPU

GPU

Phenom II X3 P840

3 Cores3 Thrd1.5 WWMax: 1.9 GHz2010

Core i7-2820QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Phenom II X3 P840

3 / 3

4,425

+1.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i7-2820QM

4 / 8

4,379

0.0%

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 Phenom II X3 P840 is positioned at rank 45 and the Core i7-2820QM is on rank 1138, so the Phenom II X3 P840 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 Phenom II X3 P840

#10

Ryzen 7 260

MSRP: $199|Avg: $70

97%

#33

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

199%

#34

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

196%

#35

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

180%

#36

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

179%

#37

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

177%

#39

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

171%

#40

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

164%

#41

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

164%

#42

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

160%

#45

Phenom II X3 P840

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#51

Celeron N2807

MSRP: $107|Avg: $60

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-2820QM

#1126

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3805%

#1127

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3750%

#1128

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3442%

#1129

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3427%

#1130

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3395%

#1132

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3279%

#1133

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3144%

#1134

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3139%

#1135

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3054%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

100%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

100%

#1141

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

99%

#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

98%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

98%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

97%

#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

95%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i7-2820QM leads in gaming performance. However, the Phenom II X3 P840 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Phenom II X3 P840	Core i7-2820QM
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($568)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Phenom II X3 P840	Core i7-2820QM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($568)

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.

Phenom II X3 P840 Benchmark Check

Core i7-2820QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Phenom II X3 P840 and Core i7-2820QM

Phenom II X3 P840

The Phenom II X3 P840 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 1.9 GHz. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1.5 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,425 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-2820QM

The Core i7-2820QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,379 points. Launch price was $568.

⚡

Processing Power

The Phenom II X3 P840 packs 3 cores / 3 threads, while the Core i7-2820QM offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-2820QM has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Phenom II X3 P840 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-2820QM — a 56.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-2820QM. The Phenom II X3 P840 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-2820QM uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X3 P840 scores 4,425 against the Core i7-2820QM's 4,379 — a 1% lead for the Phenom II X3 P840.

Feature	Phenom II X3 P840	Core i7-2820QM
Cores / Threads	3 / 3	4 / 8+33%
Boost Clock	1.9 GHz	3.4 GHz+79%
Base Clock	—	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	—	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1.5 MB+500%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	4,425+1%	4,379
Geekbench 6 Single	—	554
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,763

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X3 P840 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-2820QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Phenom II X3 P840	Core i7-2820QM
Socket	S1	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Phenom II X3 P840) / true (Core i7-2820QM). The Core i7-2820QM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Phenom II X3 P840 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-2820QM rivals AMD A8-3510MX.