Core i7-6500U vs Phenom II X6 1045T

Core i7-6500U vs Phenom II X6 1045T Performance Spectrum

Core i7-6500U

2 / 4

3,271

+0.8%

3,244

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

About PassMark

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 i7-6500U vs Phenom II X6 1045T 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 i7-6500U vs Phenom II X6 1045T: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-6500U

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Phenom II X6 1045T

2010

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,244 vs 3,271).
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-6500U better than Phenom II X6 1045T?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Phenom II X6 1045T is ahead with a 1.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6500U pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Phenom II X6 1045T also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6500U 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 i7-6500U still makes the most sense overall. Core i7-6500U 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?

Core i7-6500U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/6. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-6500U vs Phenom II X6 1045T Technical Specifications

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

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.

Phenom II X6 1045T

The Phenom II X6 1045T is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Thuban (2010) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,244 points. Launch price was $175.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-6500U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X6 1045T offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Phenom II X6 1045T has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-6500U versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X6 1045T — a 3.2% clock advantage for the Phenom II X6 1045T (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i7-6500U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X6 1045T uses Thuban (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6500U scores 3,271 against the Phenom II X6 1045T's 3,244 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-6500U. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Core i7-6500U vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X6 1045T.

Feature	Core i7-6500U	Phenom II X6 1045T
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	6 / 6+200%
Boost Clock	3.1 GHz	3.2 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.7 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	4 MB	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Thuban (2010)
PassMark	3,271	3,244

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6500U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X6 1045T uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.