Pentium Gold 8500 vs Xeon X5660

CPU

GPU

Pentium Gold 8500

5 Cores6 Thrd29 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Xeon X5660

6 Cores12 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Pentium Gold 8500

5 / 6

5,949

0.0%

5,979

+0.5%

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 Gold 8500 is positioned at rank 527 and the Xeon X5660 is on rank 990, so the Pentium Gold 8500 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 Gold 8500

#167

Core Ultra 7 258V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $400

99%

#169

Core i7-1280P

MSRP: $482|Avg: $482

98%

#515

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

691%

#516

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

680%

#517

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

625%

#518

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

622%

#519

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

616%

#521

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

595%

#522

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

570%

#523

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

570%

#524

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

554%

#527

Pentium Gold 8500

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5660

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

42413%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

8008%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

7115%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

5496%

#537

Xeon Platinum 8180

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363

78%

#538

Xeon Platinum 8280M

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223

77%

#990

Xeon X5660

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $10

100%

#991

Xeon E5-2667

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $31

98%

#992

Xeon E5-2690

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $150

97%

#993

Xeon E3-1565L v5

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $120

96%

#994

Xeon L5640

MSRP: $996|Avg: N/A

96%

#995

Xeon L5335

MSRP: $380|Avg: $18

93%

#996

Xeon E5-4627 v2

MSRP: $2061|Avg: $70

93%

#997

Xeon E-2144G

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

92%

#998

Xeon X5675

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $22

91%

#999

Xeon Phi 7210

MSRP: $1881|Avg: $150

79%

#1000

Xeon D-1567

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

79%

#1001

Xeon E-2126G

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

79%

#1004

Xeon D-1531

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $250

76%

#1005

Xeon 5130

MSRP: $316|Avg: $10

76%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium Gold 8500 (2022) utilizes Intel 7 nm technology and LPDDR5-5200, LPDDR4x-4267, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium Gold 8500	Xeon X5660
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Legacy / Intel 7 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon X5660 (2010) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium Gold 8500	Xeon X5660
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)

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 Gold 8500 Benchmark Check

Xeon X5660 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Gold 8500 and Xeon X5660

Pentium Gold 8500

The Pentium Gold 8500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It features 5 cores and 6 threads. Max frequency: 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1781. Thermal design power (TDP): 29 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5-5200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 5,949 points. Launch price was $69.

Xeon X5660

The Xeon X5660 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,979 points. Launch price was $33.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium Gold 8500 packs 5 cores / 6 threads, while the Xeon X5660 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon X5660 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 8500 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon X5660 — a 31.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold 8500. The Xeon X5660 is built on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the Pentium Gold 8500 scores 5,949 against the Xeon X5660's 5,979 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon X5660. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Pentium Gold 8500 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon X5660.

Feature	Pentium Gold 8500	Xeon X5660
Cores / Threads	5 / 6	6 / 12+20%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+38%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	—	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache	12 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	—	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-78%	32 nm
Architecture	—	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)
PassMark	5,949	5,979

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Gold 8500 uses the FCBGA1781 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon X5660 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium Gold 8500	Xeon X5660
Socket	FCBGA1781	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+100%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
RAM Channels	—	3
ECC Support	—	✅

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Pentium Gold 8500) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X5660). Primary use case: Xeon X5660 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5660 rivals Core i7-980X.