Core i5-6600 vs Pentium Gold G7400E

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 i5-6600 vs Pentium Gold G7400E 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 i5-6600 vs Pentium Gold G7400E: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-6600

2015

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,058 vs 6,134).
❌Launch MSRP is still $224 MSRP, while Pentium Gold G7400E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌41.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 46W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Pentium Gold G7400E moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Gold G7400E can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Pentium Gold G7400E

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 46W instead of 65W, a 19W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 710, while Core i5-6600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G7400E better than Core i5-6600?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-6600 is ahead with a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G7400E pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G7400E is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G7400E is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Gold G7400E comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $224 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.3% better PassMark. Core i5-6600 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2015 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (27.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Pentium Gold G7400E makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2015), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Core i5-6600 vs Pentium Gold G7400E Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-6600

The Core i5-6600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 July 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,058 points. Launch price was $224.

Pentium Gold G7400E

The Pentium Gold G7400E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 46 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 6,134 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-6600 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Gold G7400E offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i5-6600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i5-6600 versus 3.6 GHz on the Pentium Gold G7400E — a 8% clock advantage for the Core i5-6600 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-6600 uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G7400E uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6600 scores 6,058 against the Pentium Gold G7400E's 6,134 — a 1.2% lead for the Pentium Gold G7400E. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-6600	Pentium Gold G7400E
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+8%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.6 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	6,058	6,134+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,814
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,960
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	4,131

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-6600 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G7400E uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-6600	Pentium Gold G7400E
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	20

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-6600) / VT-x, VT-d (Pentium Gold G7400E). The Pentium Gold G7400E includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 710), while the Core i5-6600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Gold G7400E targets Embedded.