Phenom II X4 840
VS
Core i5-5250U

Phenom II X4 840 vs Core i5-5250U

AMD

Phenom II X4 840

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2011
VS
Intel

Core i5-5250U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2015

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 Phenom II X4 840 is positioned at rank 250 and the Core i5-5250U is on rank 685, so the Phenom II X4 840 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 X4 840

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
3819%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
3608%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
2620%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
789%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
625%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
547%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
313%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
309%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
281%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
281%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
278%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
271%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
267%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
266%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
264%
#239
Core i5-9600T
MSRP: $213|Avg: $118
100%
#240
Core i5-12400T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $192
99%
#241
Core i9-14900F
MSRP: $524|Avg: $579
99%
#242
Celeron G6900E
MSRP: $53|Avg: $53
99%
#243
Core i3-12300T
MSRP: $209|Avg: $164
98%
#244
Core i9-12900
MSRP: $519|Avg: $420
98%
#245
Ryzen 3 8300G
MSRP: $176|Avg: $176
98%
#246
Core i7-11700KF
MSRP: $374|Avg: $299
98%
#247
Core i5-10600K
MSRP: $262|Avg: $179
98%
#248
Core i3-10325
MSRP: $154|Avg: $130
97%
#249
Ryzen Embedded V2718
MSRP: $250|Avg: $200
97%
#250
Phenom II X4 840
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#250
Core i7-8086K
MSRP: $425|Avg: $178
97%
#251
Phenom II X4 850
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $28
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-5250U

#673
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
958%
#674
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
944%
#675
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
866%
#676
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
863%
#677
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
855%
#679
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
825%
#680
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
791%
#681
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
790%
#682
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
769%
#685
Core i5-5250U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#695
Processor N95
MSRP: $160|Avg: $80
98%
#699
Athlon Silver 3050e
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Phenom II X4 840 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i5-5250U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightPhenom II X4 840Core i5-5250U
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPhenom II X4 840Core i5-5250U
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 Phenom II X4 840 and Core i5-5250U

AMD

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.

Intel

Core i5-5250U

The Core i5-5250U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,450 points. Launch price was $315.

Processing Power

The Phenom II X4 840 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-5250U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 840 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 840 versus 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-5250U — a 16.9% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 840 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Phenom II X4 840 uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-5250U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X4 840 scores 2,449 against the Core i5-5250U's 2,450 — a 0% lead for the Core i5-5250U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Phenom II X4 840 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-5250U.

FeaturePhenom II X4 840Core i5-5250U
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
3.2 GHz+19%
2.7 GHz
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+100%
1.6 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)+100%
256K (per core)
Process
45 nm
14 nm-69%
Architecture
Propus (2009−2011)
Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark
2,449
2,450
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X4 840 uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-5250U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePhenom II X4 840Core i5-5250U
Socket
AM3
FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
1866
Max RAM Capacity
16
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
12
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Phenom II X4 840) / true (Core i5-5250U). The Core i5-5250U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 6000), while the Phenom II X4 840 requires a dedicated GPU.

FeaturePhenom II X4 840Core i5-5250U
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics 6000
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
true