Core i5-6200U vs Pentium Gold 6500Y

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.

Core i5-6200U vs Pentium Gold 6500Y 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.

Core i5-6200U vs Pentium Gold 6500Y: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-6200U

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 512W, a 497W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 520, while Pentium Gold 6500Y needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (3 MB vs 4 MB).

Pentium Gold 6500Y

2021

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,966 vs 2,990).
❌3313.3% higher power demand at 512W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-6200U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-6200U better than Pentium Gold 6500Y?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Gold 6500Y is ahead with a 2.1% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-6200U pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Pentium Gold 6500Y also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-6200U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Core i5-6200U still makes the most sense overall. Core i5-6200U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark.

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

Pentium Gold 6500Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2015) and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 3 MB). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Core i5-6200U vs Pentium Gold 6500Y Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-6200U

The Core i5-6200U 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 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 3 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: 2,990 points. Launch price was $281.

Pentium Gold 6500Y

The Pentium Gold 6500Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1515. Thermal design power (TDP): 5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,966 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-6200U and Pentium Gold 6500Y share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Core i5-6200U versus 3.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 6500Y — a 19.4% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold 6500Y (base: 2.3 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i5-6200U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold 6500Y uses Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6200U scores 2,990 against the Pentium Gold 6500Y's 2,966 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i5-6200U. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-6200U vs 4 MB on the Pentium Gold 6500Y.

Feature	Core i5-6200U	Pentium Gold 6500Y
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	3.4 GHz+21%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz+109%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	4 MB+33%
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021)
PassMark	2,990	2,966
Geekbench 6 Single	946	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-6200U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 6500Y uses FCBGA1515 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-6200U	Pentium Gold 6500Y
Socket	BGA1356	FCBGA1515
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-6200U) / not specified (Pentium Gold 6500Y). The Core i5-6200U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 520), while the Pentium Gold 6500Y requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6200U targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6200U rivals A12-9700P.