FX-8100 vs Pentium Gold G6400

FX-8100 vs Pentium Gold G6400 Performance Spectrum

FX-8100

8 / 8

4,095

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Pentium Gold G6400

2 / 4

4,106

+0.3%

Core m5-6Y54

Celeron Dual-Core T1400

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.

FX-8100 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.

FX-8100 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.

FX-8100

2011

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,095 vs 4,106).
❌Launch MSRP is still $300 MSRP, while Pentium Gold G6400 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌63.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 58W.

Pentium Gold G6400

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 58W instead of 95W, a 37W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than FX-8100 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G6400 better than FX-8100?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, FX-8100 is ahead with a 6.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G6400 pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark. FX-8100 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

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 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G6400 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Pentium Gold G6400 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $300 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.3% better PassMark. FX-8100 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2011 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (13.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on AM3+.

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 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 8/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

FX-8100 vs Pentium Gold G6400 Technical Specifications

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

FX-8100

The FX-8100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,095 points. Launch price was $69.

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.

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Processing Power

The FX-8100 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Pentium Gold G6400 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the FX-8100 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the FX-8100 versus 4 GHz on the Pentium Gold G6400 — a 7.8% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G6400 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 4 GHz). The FX-8100 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium Gold G6400 uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the FX-8100 scores 4,095 against the Pentium Gold G6400's 4,106 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium Gold G6400. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-8100 vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G6400.

Feature	FX-8100	Pentium Gold G6400
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+300%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4 GHz+8%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	4 GHz+43%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	8 MB	256K (per core)+3100%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Zambezi (2011−2012)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	4,095	4,106
Geekbench 6 Single	455	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,621	—

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Memory & Platform

The FX-8100 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Gold G6400 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.