Athlon 240GE vs Pentium Gold G6605

AMD

Athlon 240GE

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2018
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Pentium Gold G6605

2 Cores4 Thrd58 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2021
Similar parts
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Athlon 240GE vs Pentium Gold G6605 Performance Spectrum

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.

Athlon 240GE vs Pentium Gold G6605 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.

Athlon 240GE vs Pentium Gold G6605: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon 240GE

2018

Why buy it

  • +1.6% higher PassMark.
  • Draws 35W instead of 58W, a 23W reduction.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 3, while Pentium Gold G6605 needs a discrete GPU.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Included), unlike Pentium Gold G6605.

Trade-offs

  • Launch MSRP is still $75 MSRP, while Pentium Gold G6605 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Pentium Gold G6605

2021

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • Lower PassMark (4,488 vs 4,561).
    • 65.7% higher power demand at 58W vs 35W.
    • No integrated graphics, while Athlon 240GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
    • No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon 240GE.

    Quick Answers

    So, is Athlon 240GE better than Pentium Gold G6605?
    It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Gold G6605 is ahead with a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 240GE pulls ahead with 1.6% better PassMark.
    Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
    For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon 240GE is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.
    Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
    Athlon 240GE is the better buy right now. Athlon 240GE comes in at an unclear MSRP at $75 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.6% better PassMark. The compromise is that Pentium Gold G6605 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (60.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Pentium Gold G6605 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.
    Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
    Pentium Gold G6605 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

    Athlon 240GE vs Pentium Gold G6605 Technical Specifications

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

    AMD

    Athlon 240GE

    The Athlon 240GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,561 points. Launch price was $75.

    Intel

    Pentium Gold G6605

    The Pentium Gold G6605 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-R (2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 58 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 4,488 points. Launch price was $86.

    Processing Power

    Both the Athlon 240GE and Pentium Gold G6605 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Athlon 240GE versus 4.3 GHz on the Pentium Gold G6605 — a 20.5% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G6605 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 4.3 GHz). The Athlon 240GE uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G6605 uses Comet Lake-R (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon 240GE scores 4,561 against the Pentium Gold G6605's 4,488 — a 1.6% lead for the Athlon 240GE. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

    FeatureAthlon 240GEPentium Gold G6605
    Cores / Threads
    2 / 4
    2 / 4
    Boost Clock
    3.5 GHz
    4.3 GHz+23%
    Base Clock
    3.5 GHz
    4.3 GHz+23%
    L3 Cache
    4 MB (total)
    4 MB (total)
    L2 Cache
    512K (per core)+100%
    256 kB (per core)
    Process
    14 nm
    14 nm
    Architecture
    Zen (2017−2020)
    Comet Lake-R (2021)
    PassMark
    4,561+2%
    4,488
    Geekbench 6 Single
    930
    Geekbench 6 Multi
    2,200
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    The Athlon 240GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G6605 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

    FeatureAthlon 240GEPentium Gold G6605
    Socket
    AM4
    LGA1200
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 3.0
    PCIe 3.0
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR4-2666
    Max RAM Capacity
    64 GB
    RAM Channels
    2
    ECC Support
    No
    PCIe Lanes
    8
    🔧

    Advanced Features

    Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon 240GE) / not specified (Pentium Gold G6605). The Athlon 240GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 3), while the Pentium Gold G6605 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon 240GE targets Budget Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon 240GE rivals Pentium Gold G5400.

    FeatureAthlon 240GEPentium Gold G6605
    Integrated GPU
    Yes
    IGPU Model
    Radeon Vega 3
    Unlocked
    Yes
    AVX-512
    No
    Virtualization
    AMD-V
    Target Use
    Budget Desktop