Core i7-6650U vs Athlon II X4 651
Core i7-6650U
Athlon II X4 651
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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.
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 i7-6650U is positioned at rank 436 and the Athlon II X4 651 is on rank 505, so the Core i7-6650U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6650U
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 651
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-6650U | Athlon II X4 651 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($92) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-6650U | Athlon II X4 651 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($92) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6650U and Athlon II X4 651
Core i7-6650U
The Core i7-6650U 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 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: 3,557 points. Launch price was $415.
Athlon II X4 651
The Athlon II X4 651 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 100 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,584 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i7-6650U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X4 651 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 651 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-6650U versus 3 GHz on the Athlon II X4 651 — a 12.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-6650U (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-6650U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon II X4 651 uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6650U scores 3,557 against the Athlon II X4 651's 3,584 — a 0.8% lead for the Athlon II X4 651. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Core i7-6650U vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 651.
| Feature | Core i7-6650U | Athlon II X4 651 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz+13% | 3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz | 3 GHz+36% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 512 kB | 1 MB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Skylake (2015−2016) | Llano (2011−2012) |
| PassMark | 3,557 | 3,584 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-6650U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon II X4 651 uses FM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-6650U | Athlon II X4 651 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1356 | FM1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
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