Core i5-7360U vs Pentium Gold G5600

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 i5-7360U vs Pentium Gold G5600 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 i5-7360U vs Pentium Gold G5600: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i5-7360U

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 54W, a 39W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium Gold G5600 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,823 vs 3,844).

Pentium Gold G5600

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌260% higher power demand at 54W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G5600 better than Core i5-7360U?

Yes. Pentium Gold G5600 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 11.9% 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, Pentium Gold G5600 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 11.9% 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, Pentium Gold G5600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G5600 still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Gold G5600 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 11.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Pentium Gold G5600 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 2 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 i5-7360U vs Pentium Gold G5600 Technical Specifications

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

Core i5-7360U

The Core i5-7360U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 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: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,823 points. Launch price was $304.

Pentium Gold G5600

The Pentium Gold G5600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,844 points. Launch price was $93.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-7360U and Pentium Gold G5600 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-7360U versus 3.9 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5600 — a 8% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G5600 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Core i5-7360U uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G5600 uses Coffee Lake (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-7360U scores 3,823 against the Pentium Gold G5600's 3,844 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium Gold G5600. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,112 vs 837, a 28.2% lead for the Core i5-7360U that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Core i5-7360U vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G5600.

Feature	Core i5-7360U	Pentium Gold G5600
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	3.9 GHz+8%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	3.9 GHz+70%
L3 Cache	4 MB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
PassMark	3,823	3,844
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	2,200
Geekbench 6 Single	1,112+33%	837
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,096	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-7360U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G5600 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the Core i5-7360U versus DDR4 2400 MHz on the Pentium Gold G5600 — the Pentium Gold G5600 supports 12.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Pentium Gold G5600 supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Core i5-7360U) vs 16 (Pentium Gold G5600) — the Pentium Gold G5600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Sunrise Point-LP (Core i5-7360U) and Intel H310,Intel B360,Intel H370,Intel Z370,Intel Z390 (Pentium Gold G5600).

Feature	Core i5-7360U	Pentium Gold G5600
Socket	BGA1356	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	DDR4 2400 MHz+13%
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	64 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	12	16+33%

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-7360U) vs true (Pentium Gold G5600). Both include integrated graphics — Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 (Core i5-7360U) and Intel UHD Graphics 630 (Pentium Gold G5600) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7360U targets Ultrabook, Pentium Gold G5600 targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i5-7360U	Pentium Gold G5600
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640	Intel UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Ultrabook	Desktop