Pentium G4600 vs Athlon X4 880K
Pentium G4600
Athlon X4 880K
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 Pentium G4600 is positioned at rank 466 and the Athlon X4 880K is on rank 511, so the Pentium G4600 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium G4600
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 880K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium G4600 | Athlon X4 880K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($116) | ✅ More affordable ($25) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Godaveri (2014−2016) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium G4600 | Athlon X4 880K |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+367%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($116) | ✅ More affordable ($25) |
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 Pentium G4600 and Athlon X4 880K
Pentium G4600
The Pentium G4600 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 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 3,629 points. Launch price was $87.
Athlon X4 880K
The Athlon X4 880K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Godaveri (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,649 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Pentium G4600 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon X4 880K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 880K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Pentium G4600 versus 4.2 GHz on the Athlon X4 880K — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 880K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Pentium G4600 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Athlon X4 880K uses Godaveri (2014−2016) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium G4600 scores 3,629 against the Athlon X4 880K's 3,649 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X4 880K.
| Feature | Pentium G4600 | Athlon X4 880K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 GHz | 4.2 GHz+17% |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz | 4 GHz+11% |
| L3 Cache | 3 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 4 MB+1500% |
| Process | 14 nm-50% | 28 nm |
| Architecture | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) | Godaveri (2014−2016) |
| PassMark | 3,629 | 3,649 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium G4600 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Athlon X4 880K uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium G4600 | Athlon X4 880K |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Value Analysis
The Pentium G4600 launched at $82 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 880K debuted at $95. At current prices ($116 vs $25), the Athlon X4 880K is $91 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium G4600 delivers 31.3 pts/$ vs 146.0 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 880K — making the Athlon X4 880K the 129.4% better value option.
| Feature | Pentium G4600 | Athlon X4 880K |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $82-14% | $95 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $116 | $25-78% |
| Performance per Dollar | 31.3 | 146.0+366% |
| Release Date | 2017 | 2015 |
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