Core i7-7660U vs Pentium Gold G6400

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 i7-7660U vs Pentium Gold G6400 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 i7-7660U vs Pentium Gold G6400: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Core i7-7660U

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 58W, a 43W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Plus 640, while Pentium Gold G6400 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium Gold G6400 across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,059 vs 4,106).

Pentium Gold G6400

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.3% higher average FPS across 47 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌286.7% higher power demand at 58W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-7660U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G6400 better than Core i7-7660U?

Yes. Pentium Gold G6400 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.2% 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 G6400 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 9.3% more average FPS across 47 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G6400 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G6400 still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Gold G6400 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 9.3% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Pentium Gold G6400 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 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 i7-7660U vs Pentium Gold G6400 Technical Specifications

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

Core i7-7660U

The Core i7-7660U 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 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 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: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,059 points. Launch price was $415.

Pentium Gold G6400

The Pentium Gold G6400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 58 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 4,106 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-7660U and Pentium Gold G6400 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-7660U versus 4 GHz on the Pentium Gold G6400 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i7-7660U uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G6400 uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-7660U scores 4,059 against the Pentium Gold G6400's 4,106 — a 1.2% lead for the Pentium Gold G6400. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Core i7-7660U vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G6400.

Feature	Core i7-7660U	Pentium Gold G6400
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	4 GHz+60%
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)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	4,059	4,106+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	1,759	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,150	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,285	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-7660U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G6400 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-7660U	Pentium Gold G6400
Socket	BGA1356	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-7660U) / not specified (Pentium Gold G6400). The Core i7-7660U includes integrated graphics (Iris Plus 640), while the Pentium Gold G6400 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-7660U targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i7-7660U rivals Core i5-8250U.