Phenom II X4 P960 vs Core i3-2340UE

CPU

GPU

Phenom II X4 P960

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2010

Core i3-2340UE

2 Cores4 Thrd17 WWMax: 1.3 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Phenom II X4 P960

4 / 4

1,542

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i3-2340UE

2 / 4

1,545

+0.2%

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 P960 is positioned at rank 431 and the Core i3-2340UE is on rank 1137, so the Phenom II X4 P960 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 P960

#419

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

571%

#420

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

562%

#421

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

516%

#422

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

514%

#423

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

509%

#425

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

492%

#426

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

472%

#427

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

471%

#428

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

458%

#431

Phenom II X4 P960

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-2340UE

#1125

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3796%

#1126

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3740%

#1127

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3433%

#1128

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3418%

#1129

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3387%

#1131

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3270%

#1132

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3136%

#1133

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3131%

#1134

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3047%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

100%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

100%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#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

98%

#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%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Phenom II X4 P960 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i3-2340UE is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Phenom II X4 P960	Core i3-2340UE
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Phenom II X4 P960	Core i3-2340UE
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)

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 X4 P960 Benchmark Check

Core i3-2340UE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Phenom II X4 P960 and Core i3-2340UE

Phenom II X4 P960

The Phenom II X4 P960 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.8 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,542 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i3-2340UE

The Core i3-2340UE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,545 points. Launch price was $250.

⚡

Processing Power

The Phenom II X4 P960 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i3-2340UE offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 P960 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Phenom II X4 P960 versus 1.3 GHz on the Core i3-2340UE — a 32.3% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 P960. The Phenom II X4 P960 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-2340UE uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X4 P960 scores 1,542 against the Core i3-2340UE's 1,545 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i3-2340UE.

Feature	Phenom II X4 P960	Core i3-2340UE
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz+38%	1.3 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,542	1,545
Geekbench 6 Single	—	230

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X4 P960 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-2340UE uses BGA1023 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Phenom II X4 P960	Core i3-2340UE
Socket	S1g4	BGA1023
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Phenom II X4 P960) / VT-x, EPT (Core i3-2340UE). The Core i3-2340UE includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Phenom II X4 P960 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-2340UE targets Embedded. Direct competitor: Core i3-2340UE rivals Embedded G-Series.