Pentium G6960 vs A6-8500P

CPU

GPU

Pentium G6960

2 Cores2 Thrd73 WWMax: 0.93 GHz2011

A6-8500P

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 3 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium G6960

2 / 2

1,433

0.0%

1,445

+0.8%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

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.

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 G6960 is positioned at rank 881 and the A6-8500P is on rank 992, so the Pentium G6960 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium G6960

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

19361%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

18294%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

13283%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4002%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3170%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2773%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1588%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1567%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1427%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1427%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1411%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1373%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1354%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1348%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1336%

#881

Pentium G6960

MSRP: $89|Avg: $15

100%

#882

Core i5-2500T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $30

100%

#884

Athlon II X2 265

MSRP: $83|Avg: $15

99%

#885

Core i3-2100

MSRP: $117|Avg: $10

99%

#886

A8-3800

MSRP: $130|Avg: $40

98%

#887

Pentium E5200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

97%

#888

Athlon II X2 235e

MSRP: $69|Avg: $15

97%

#889

Athlon II X2 250e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $15

97%

#890

Core i7-2600S

MSRP: $297|Avg: $99

97%

#891

Athlon II X2 250u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $15

97%

#892

Core i3-2125

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

97%

#893

Pentium G6951

MSRP: $89|Avg: $50

97%

#895

Celeron G1820

MSRP: $110|Avg: $15

96%

#896

Celeron E1600

MSRP: $53|Avg: $10

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A6-8500P

#980

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2030%

#981

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2001%

#982

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1837%

#983

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1828%

#984

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1812%

#986

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1749%

#987

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1678%

#988

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1675%

#989

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1630%

#992

A6-8500P

MSRP: $100|Avg: $16

100%

#994

Core i7-4700EQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $180

99%

#995

Core i3-8145UE

MSRP: $281|Avg: $50

99%

#996

Core i7-4712MQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $60

97%

#997

Core i7-3615QE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $100

97%

#998

Celeron M U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

97%

#999

3015Ce

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

97%

#1000

Core i7-4700MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

97%

#1001

Athlon II M340

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

96%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

95%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium G6960 leads in gaming performance. However, the A6-8500P is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Pentium G6960	A6-8500P
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($16)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Clarkdale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Carrizo (2015−2018) / 28 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium G6960 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 6% cheaper ($15 vs $16) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Pentium G6960	A6-8500P
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+6%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($16)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Pentium G6960 Benchmark Check

A6-8500P Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium G6960 and A6-8500P

Pentium G6960

The Pentium G6960 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 GHz, with boost up to 0.93 GHz. L3 cache: 3072 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,433 points. Launch price was $69.

A6-8500P

The A6-8500P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Carrizo (2015−2018) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L2 cache: 1024 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,445 points. Launch price was $70.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium G6960 and A6-8500P share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.93 GHz on the Pentium G6960 versus 3 GHz on the A6-8500P — a 105.3% clock advantage for the A6-8500P (base: 2.93 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium G6960 uses the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the A6-8500P uses Carrizo (2015−2018) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium G6960 scores 1,433 against the A6-8500P's 1,445 — a 0.8% lead for the A6-8500P.

Feature	Pentium G6960	A6-8500P
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.93 GHz	3 GHz+223%
Base Clock	2.93 GHz+83%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	3072 kB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1024 kB+300%
Process	32 nm	28 nm-13%
Architecture	Clarkdale (2010−2011)	Carrizo (2015−2018)
PassMark	1,433	1,445

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium G6960 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A6-8500P uses FP4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium G6960	A6-8500P
Socket	LGA1156	FP4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium G6960) / true (A6-8500P). The A6-8500P includes integrated graphics (Radeon R5 Graphics), while the Pentium G6960 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: A6-8500P rivals Pentium 3825U.

Feature	Pentium G6960	A6-8500P
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon R5 Graphics
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Pentium G6960 launched at $89 MSRP, while the A6-8500P debuted at $100. At current prices ($15 vs $16), the Pentium G6960 is $1 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Pentium G6960 delivers 95.5 pts/$ vs 90.3 pts/$ for the A6-8500P — making the Pentium G6960 the 5.6% better value option.