Pentium Gold G5420 vs Ryzen 3 3250U

Pentium Gold G5420 vs Ryzen 3 3250U Performance Spectrum

Pentium Gold G5420

2 / 4

3,700

0.0%

3,718

+0.5%

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.

Pentium Gold G5420 vs Ryzen 3 3250U 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 G5420 vs Ryzen 3 3250U: 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 G5420

2019

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 610, while Ryzen 3 3250U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 3 3250U.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,700 vs 3,718).
❌260% higher power demand at 54W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 3250U

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 54W, a 39W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Pentium Gold G5420 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Pentium Gold G5420.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 3250U better than Pentium Gold G5420?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Pentium Gold G5420 is ahead with a 2.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 3250U pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 3250U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 3250U still makes the most sense overall. Ryzen 3 3250U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 3 3250U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 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 G5420 vs Ryzen 3 3250U Technical Specifications

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

Pentium Gold G5420

The Pentium Gold G5420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,700 points. Launch price was $64.

Ryzen 3 3250U

The Ryzen 3 3250U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,718 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium Gold G5420 and Ryzen 3 3250U share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5420 versus 3.5 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3250U — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G5420 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Pentium Gold G5420 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 3250U uses Picasso (2019−2022) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Gold G5420 scores 3,700 against the Ryzen 3 3250U's 3,718 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 3 3250U. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Gold G5420 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3250U.

Feature	Pentium Gold G5420	Ryzen 3 3250U
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+9%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+46%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Picasso (2019−2022)
PassMark	3,700	3,718
Geekbench 6 Single	764	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,515	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Gold G5420 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 3250U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Pentium Gold G5420	Ryzen 3 3250U
Socket	LGA1151	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Pentium Gold G5420) / not specified (Ryzen 3 3250U). The Pentium Gold G5420 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 610), while the Ryzen 3 3250U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Gold G5420 targets Office.