Pentium Gold 6405U vs Ryzen 5 5600

Intel

Pentium Gold 6405U

2 Cores4 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2019
Similar parts
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VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Pentium Gold 6405U vs Ryzen 5 5600 Performance Spectrum

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.

Pentium Gold 6405U vs Ryzen 5 5600 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.

Pentium Gold 6405U vs Ryzen 5 5600: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Pentium Gold 6405U

2019

Why buy it

  • Draws 1W instead of 65W, a 64W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (1,320 vs 21,550).
  • Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 32 MB).
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +587.0% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +1500% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 2 MB).
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Pentium Gold 6405U.

Trade-offs

  • Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 6405U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 6400% higher power demand at 65W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Pentium Gold 6405U?
Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 587.0% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1532.6% 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, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 587.0% more average FPS across 46 shared CPU game tests.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1532.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 1500% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 2 MB).
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 5 5600 is the better buy right now. Ryzen 5 5600 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 587.0% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019), 1500% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 2 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Pentium Gold 6405U vs Ryzen 5 5600 Technical Specifications

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

Intel

Pentium Gold 6405U

The Pentium Gold 6405U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,320 points. Launch price was $161.

AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Pentium Gold 6405U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 6405U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 58.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Pentium Gold 6405U uses the Comet Lake-U (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Gold 6405U scores 1,320 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 176.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 2 MB on the Pentium Gold 6405U vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

FeaturePentium Gold 6405URyzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
6 / 12+200%
Boost Clock
2.4 GHz
4.4 GHz+83%
Base Clock
2.4 GHz
3.5 GHz+46%
L3 Cache
2 MB
32 MB (total)+1500%
L2 Cache
1 MB
512K (per core)+51100%
Process
14 nm
7 nm-50%
Architecture
Comet Lake-U (2019−2020)
Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark
1,320
21,550+1533%
Cinebench R23 Multi
11,077
Geekbench 6 Single
2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi
8,600
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Memory & Platform

The Pentium Gold 6405U uses the FCBGA1528 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium Gold 6405URyzen 5 5600
Socket
FCBGA1528
AM4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
Yes
PCIe Lanes
24
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium Gold 6405U) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

FeaturePentium Gold 6405URyzen 5 5600
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop