A6-3420M vs Pentium Gold 6405U
A6-3420M
Pentium Gold 6405U
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 A6-3420M is positioned at rank 837 and the Pentium Gold 6405U is on rank 770, so the Pentium Gold 6405U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar A6-3420M
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Gold 6405U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | A6-3420M | Pentium Gold 6405U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Balanced gaming performance | Balanced gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | A6-3420M | Pentium Gold 6405U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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 A6-3420M and Pentium Gold 6405U
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.
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 | — |
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 | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
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.
| Feature | A6-3420M | Pentium Gold 6405U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Radeon HD 6520G | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget Laptop | — |
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