A6-3420M vs Pentium Gold 6405U

A6-3420M vs Pentium Gold 6405U Performance Spectrum

A6-3420M

4 / 4

1,310

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium Gold 6405U

2 / 4

1,320

+0.8%

Celeron N3010

Pentium D 940

Core 2 Duo E6750

Celeron Dual-Core T3100

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.

A6-3420M vs Pentium Gold 6405U 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.

A6-3420M vs Pentium Gold 6405U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

A6-3420M

2011

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon HD 6520G, while Pentium Gold 6405U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,310 vs 1,320).
❌3400% higher power demand at 35W vs 1W.

Pentium Gold 6405U

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 1W instead of 35W, a 34W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while A6-3420M can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold 6405U better than A6-3420M?

Yes. Pentium Gold 6405U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.8% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, this matchup is basically a tie in the data we have.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold 6405U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold 6405U still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Gold 6405U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Pentium Gold 6405U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

A6-3420M vs Pentium Gold 6405U Technical Specifications

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

A6-3420M

The A6-3420M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FS1. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,310 points. Launch price was $70.

Pentium Gold 6405U

The Pentium Gold 6405U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,320 points. Launch price was $161.

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Processing Power

The A6-3420M packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Gold 6405U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A6-3420M has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the A6-3420M versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 6405U — identical boost frequencies (base: 1.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The A6-3420M uses the Llano (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium Gold 6405U uses Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A6-3420M scores 1,310 against the Pentium Gold 6405U's 1,320 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium Gold 6405U. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A6-3420M vs 2 MB on the Pentium Gold 6405U.

Feature	A6-3420M	Pentium Gold 6405U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	1.5 GHz	2.4 GHz+60%
L3 Cache	0 kB	2 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Llano (2011−2012)	Comet Lake-U (2019−2020)
PassMark	1,310	1,320
Geekbench 6 Single	234	—

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Memory & Platform

The A6-3420M uses the FS1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Gold 6405U uses FCBGA1528 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	A6-3420M	Pentium Gold 6405U
Socket	FS1	FCBGA1528
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (A6-3420M) / not specified (Pentium Gold 6405U). The A6-3420M includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6520G), while the Pentium Gold 6405U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A6-3420M targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A6-3420M rivals Core i3-2330M.