A8-9600 vs Core i7-6500U
A8-9600
Core i7-6500U
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 A8-9600 is positioned at rank 387 and the Core i7-6500U is on rank 302, so the Core i7-6500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar A8-9600
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6500U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | A8-9600 | Core i7-6500U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | A8-9600 | Core i7-6500U |
|---|---|---|
| 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 A8-9600 and Core i7-6500U
A8-9600
The A8-9600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,295 points. Launch price was $78.
Core i7-6500U
The Core i7-6500U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,271 points. Launch price was $393.
Processing Power
The A8-9600 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-6500U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A8-9600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the A8-9600 versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-6500U — a 9.2% clock advantage for the A8-9600 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The A8-9600 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i7-6500U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A8-9600 scores 3,295 against the Core i7-6500U's 3,271 — a 0.7% lead for the A8-9600. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A8-9600 vs 4 MB on the Core i7-6500U.
| Feature | A8-9600 | Core i7-6500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz+10% | 3.1 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz+24% | 2.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 4 MB |
| L2 Cache | 2048 kB+300% | 512 kB |
| Process | 28 nm | 14 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 3,295 | 3,271 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 607 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,415 | — |
Memory & Platform
The A8-9600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6500U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | A8-9600 | Core i7-6500U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM4 | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (A8-9600) / not specified (Core i7-6500U). The A8-9600 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R7 Series), while the Core i7-6500U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A8-9600 targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: A8-9600 rivals Pentium G4560.
| Feature | A8-9600 | Core i7-6500U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Radeon R7 Series | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Budget Desktop | — |
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