Athlon X4 950 vs Core i7-6650U

Athlon X4 950 vs Core i7-6650U Performance Spectrum

Athlon X4 950

4 / 4

3,576

+0.5%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core i7-6650U

2 / 4

3,557

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.

Athlon X4 950 vs Core i7-6650U 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 X4 950 vs Core i7-6650U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon X4 950

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core i7-6650U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $58 MSRP, while Core i7-6650U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Core i7-6650U

2015

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Athlon X4 950 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,557 vs 3,576).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon X4 950.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon X4 950 better than Core i7-6650U?

Yes. Athlon X4 950 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Athlon X4 950 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 9.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon X4 950 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Athlon X4 950 is the better buy right now. Athlon X4 950 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $58 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (61.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Athlon X4 950 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2015) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon X4 950 vs Core i7-6650U Technical Specifications

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

Athlon X4 950

The Athlon X4 950 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 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 3,576 points. Launch price was $60.

Core i7-6650U

The Core i7-6650U 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 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: 3,557 points. Launch price was $415.

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Processing Power

The Athlon X4 950 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-6650U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 950 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Athlon X4 950 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-6650U — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 950 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Athlon X4 950 uses the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i7-6650U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 950 scores 3,576 against the Core i7-6650U's 3,557 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X4 950. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon X4 950 vs 4 MB on the Core i7-6650U.

Feature	Athlon X4 950	Core i7-6650U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+12%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+59%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512 kB
Process	28 nm	14 nm-50%
Architecture	Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,576	3,557
Geekbench 6 Single	656	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,637	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon X4 950 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6650U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.