Core i7-4610M vs Core i7-6500U

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i7-4610M is positioned at rank 659 and the Core i7-6500U is on rank 302, so the Core i7-6500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4610M

#647

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

902%

#648

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

889%

#649

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

816%

#650

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

813%

#651

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

805%

#653

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

778%

#654

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

746%

#655

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

744%

#656

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

724%

#659

Core i7-4610M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#662

Athlon II P360

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

100%

#665

Athlon X2 QL-64

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

99%

#666

Core 3 N350

MSRP: $225|Avg: $220

99%

#668

FX-7500

MSRP: $100|Avg: $25

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6500U

#290

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

448%

#291

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

442%

#292

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

406%

#293

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

404%

#294

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

400%

#296

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

386%

#297

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

371%

#298

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

370%

#299

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

360%

#302

Core i7-6500U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i7-4610M leads in gaming performance. However, the Core i7-6500U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.6% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core i7-4610M	Core i7-6500U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-4610M	Core i7-6500U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-4610M Benchmark Check

Core i7-6500U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-4610M and Core i7-6500U

Core i7-4610M

The Core i7-4610M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,251 points. Launch price was $346.

Core i7-6500U

The Core i7-6500U 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 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 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: 3,271 points. Launch price was $393.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4610M and Core i7-6500U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-4610M versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-6500U — a 17.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-4610M (base: 3 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-4610M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-6500U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4610M scores 3,251 against the Core i7-6500U's 3,271 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-6500U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-4610M vs 4 MB on the Core i7-6500U.

Feature	Core i7-4610M	Core i7-6500U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+19%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+20%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,251	3,271

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4610M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6500U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.