A8-9600 vs Pentium Gold G5500T

CPU

GPU

A8-9600

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2017

Popular choices:

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Pentium Gold G5500T

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

A8-9600

4 / 4

3,295

+1.2%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium Gold G5500T

2 / 4

3,256

0.0%

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.

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.

A8-9600

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.0% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon R7 Series, while Pentium Gold G5500T needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Pentium Gold G5500T.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Pentium Gold G5500T

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A8-9600 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,256 vs 3,295).
❌No integrated graphics, while A8-9600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A8-9600.

A8-9600

2017

Pentium Gold G5500T

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.0% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon R7 Series, while Pentium Gold G5500T needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Pentium Gold G5500T.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than A8-9600 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,256 vs 3,295).
❌No integrated graphics, while A8-9600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike A8-9600.

Quick Answers

So, is A8-9600 better than Pentium Gold G5500T?

Yes. A8-9600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.0% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, A8-9600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.0% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, A8-9600 is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

A8-9600 still looks like the safer overall buy. A8-9600 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.0% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

A8-9600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. 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.

A8-9600 Benchmark Check

Pentium Gold G5500T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	A8-9600	Pentium Gold G5500T
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	79 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	65 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	66 FPS
medium	56 FPS	55 FPS
high	44 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	33 FPS

Open A8-9600 Open Pentium Gold G5500T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	A8-9600	Pentium Gold G5500T
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	72 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	62 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	72 FPS
medium	82 FPS	64 FPS
high	74 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	53 FPS	30 FPS

Open A8-9600 Open Pentium Gold G5500T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	A8-9600	Pentium Gold G5500T
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS

Open A8-9600 Open Pentium Gold G5500T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	A8-9600	Pentium Gold G5500T
1080p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	81 FPS
medium	82 FPS	81 FPS
high	82 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	81 FPS

Open A8-9600 Open Pentium Gold G5500T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A8-9600 and Pentium Gold G5500T

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.

Pentium Gold G5500T

The Pentium Gold G5500T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,256 points. Launch price was $75.

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Processing Power

The A8-9600 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Gold G5500T offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A8-9600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the A8-9600 versus 3.2 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5500T — a 6.1% clock advantage for the A8-9600 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The A8-9600 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Pentium Gold G5500T uses Coffee Lake (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the A8-9600 scores 3,295 against the Pentium Gold G5500T's 3,256 — a 1.2% lead for the A8-9600. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A8-9600 vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G5500T.

Feature	A8-9600	Pentium Gold G5500T
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+6%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2048 kB+700%	256K (per core)
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
PassMark	3,295+1%	3,256
Geekbench 6 Single	607	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,415	—

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Memory & Platform

The A8-9600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G5500T uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	A8-9600	Pentium Gold G5500T
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (A8-9600) / not specified (Pentium Gold G5500T). The A8-9600 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R7 Series), while the Pentium Gold G5500T requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A8-9600 targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: A8-9600 rivals Pentium G4560.