Pentium Gold G5500 vs Pentium Gold G6405

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 G5500 vs Pentium Gold G6405 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 G5500 vs Pentium Gold G6405: 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 G5500

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌260% higher power demand at 54W vs 15W.

Pentium Gold G6405

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 54W, a 39W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Pentium Gold G5500 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,817 vs 3,846).

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G5500 better than Pentium Gold G6405?

Yes. Pentium Gold G5500 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 5.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.8% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Pentium Gold G5500 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 5.6% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G5500 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G5500 still makes the most sense overall. Pentium Gold G5500 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 5.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Pentium Gold G6405 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Pentium Gold G6405 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Pentium Gold G5500 vs Pentium Gold G6405 Technical Specifications

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

Pentium Gold G5500

The Pentium Gold G5500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 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 (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,846 points. Launch price was $75.

Pentium Gold G6405

The Pentium Gold G6405 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-R (2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 3,817 points. Launch price was $64.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium Gold G5500 and Pentium Gold G6405 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5500 versus 4.1 GHz on the Pentium Gold G6405 — a 7.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G6405 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 4.1 GHz). The Pentium Gold G5500 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold G6405 uses Comet Lake-R (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Gold G5500 scores 3,846 against the Pentium Gold G6405's 3,817 — a 0.8% lead for the Pentium Gold G5500. Both processors carry 4 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Pentium Gold G5500	Pentium Gold G6405
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	4.1 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.8 GHz	4.1 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Comet Lake-R (2021)
PassMark	3,846	3,817

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Gold G5500 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold G6405 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.