Pentium Silver J5040 vs Phenom II X6 1045T

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Pentium Silver J5040

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 10W instead of 95W, a 85W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (6 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 605, while Phenom II X6 1045T needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Phenom II X6 1045T

2010

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,244 vs 3,252).
❌850% higher power demand at 95W vs 10W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Silver J5040 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Pentium Silver J5040

2019

Phenom II X6 1045T

2010

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 10W instead of 95W, a 85W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (6 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 605, while Phenom II X6 1045T needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,244 vs 3,252).
❌850% higher power demand at 95W vs 10W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Silver J5040 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Silver J5040 better than Phenom II X6 1045T?

Yes. Pentium Silver J5040 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, the two CPUs are effectively a wash in the available data.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver J5040 is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Silver J5040 still looks like the safer overall buy. Pentium Silver J5040 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.2% higher PassMark.

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

Pentium Silver J5040 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/6. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Pentium Silver J5040 Benchmark Check

Phenom II X6 1045T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Pentium Silver J5040	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	61 FPS
medium	56 FPS	55 FPS
high	44 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	34 FPS

Open Pentium Silver J5040 Open Phenom II X6 1045T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Pentium Silver J5040	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	78 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	61 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	70 FPS	81 FPS
high	66 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	54 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	62 FPS	81 FPS
medium	55 FPS	81 FPS
high	44 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	72 FPS

Open Pentium Silver J5040 Open Phenom II X6 1045T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Pentium Silver J5040	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS

Open Pentium Silver J5040 Open Phenom II X6 1045T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Pentium Silver J5040	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS

Open Pentium Silver J5040 Open Phenom II X6 1045T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Silver J5040 and Phenom II X6 1045T

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.

Phenom II X6 1045T

The Phenom II X6 1045T is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Thuban (2010) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). 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: 3,244 points. Launch price was $175.

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Processing Power

The Pentium Silver J5040 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X6 1045T offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Phenom II X6 1045T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Pentium Silver J5040 versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X6 1045T — identical boost frequencies (base: 2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium Silver J5040 uses the Gemini Lake Refresh (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X6 1045T uses Thuban (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver J5040 scores 3,252 against the Phenom II X6 1045T's 3,244 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium Silver J5040. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver J5040 vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X6 1045T.

Feature	Pentium Silver J5040	Phenom II X6 1045T
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	6 / 6+50%
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.7 GHz+35%
L3 Cache	4 MB	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB (total)+700%	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Gemini Lake Refresh (2019)	Thuban (2010)
PassMark	3,252	3,244
Cinebench R23 Multi	1,640	—
Geekbench 6 Single	435	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,180	—

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver J5040 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X6 1045T uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium Silver J5040	Phenom II X6 1045T
Socket	FCBGA1090	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400 / LPDDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	6	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Silver J5040) / not specified (Phenom II X6 1045T). The Pentium Silver J5040 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 605), while the Phenom II X6 1045T requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Silver J5040 targets Mini-PC.