Core i5-660 vs Pentium Silver N5000

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 i5-660 vs Pentium Silver N5000 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 i5-660 vs Pentium Silver N5000: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-660

2010

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,439 vs 2,442).
❌Launch MSRP is still $196 MSRP, while Pentium Silver N5000 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1116.7% higher power demand at 73W vs 6W.

Pentium Silver N5000

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 6W instead of 73W, a 67W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Silver N5000 better than Core i5-660?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-660 is ahead with a 0.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver N5000 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Silver N5000 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Silver N5000 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Silver N5000 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $196 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Core i5-660 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (12.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1156.

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

Pentium Silver N5000 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2010) 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.

Core i5-660 vs Pentium Silver N5000 Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-660

The Core i5-660 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,439 points. Launch price was $70.

Pentium Silver N5000

The Pentium Silver N5000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2017 (7 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,442 points. Launch price was $161.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-660 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Silver N5000 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium Silver N5000 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-660 versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5000 — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-660 (base: 3.33 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Core i5-660 uses the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium Silver N5000 uses Goldmont Plus (2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-660 scores 2,439 against the Pentium Silver N5000's 2,442 — a 0.1% lead for the Pentium Silver N5000. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i5-660 vs 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5000.

Feature	Core i5-660	Pentium Silver N5000
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+33%	2.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.33 GHz+203%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	4 MB (total)+1500%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Clarkdale (2010−2011)	Goldmont Plus (2017)
PassMark	2,439	2,442

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-660 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Silver N5000 uses FCBGA1090 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.