Pentium Gold G5500T vs Phenom II X6 1045T

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Pentium Gold G5500T

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Phenom II X6 1045T

2010

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,244 vs 3,256).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Pentium Gold G5500T

2018

Phenom II X6 1045T

2010

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,244 vs 3,256).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Pentium Gold G5500T better than Phenom II X6 1045T?

Yes. Pentium Gold G5500T is the better overall CPU here. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, the two CPUs are effectively a wash in the available data.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Pentium Gold G5500T is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

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

Pentium Gold G5500T still looks like the safer overall buy. Pentium Gold G5500T is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.4% higher PassMark.

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

Pentium Gold G5500T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/6. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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 G5500T Benchmark Check

Phenom II X6 1045T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Pentium Gold G5500T	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	65 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	61 FPS
medium	55 FPS	55 FPS
high	42 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	33 FPS	34 FPS

Open Pentium Gold G5500T Open Phenom II X6 1045T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Pentium Gold G5500T	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	62 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	81 FPS
medium	64 FPS	81 FPS
high	45 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	30 FPS	72 FPS

Open Pentium Gold G5500T Open Phenom II X6 1045T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Pentium Gold G5500T	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS

Open Pentium Gold G5500T Open Phenom II X6 1045T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Pentium Gold G5500T	Phenom II X6 1045T
1080p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	81 FPS
medium	81 FPS	81 FPS
high	81 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	81 FPS

Open Pentium Gold G5500T Open Phenom II X6 1045T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Gold G5500T and Phenom II X6 1045T

Pentium Gold G5500T

The Pentium Gold G5500T 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 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,256 points. Launch price was $75.

Phenom II X6 1045T

The Phenom II X6 1045T is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Thuban (2010) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,244 points. Launch price was $175.

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Processing Power

The Pentium Gold G5500T packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Phenom II X6 1045T offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Phenom II X6 1045T has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5500T versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X6 1045T — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Pentium Gold G5500T uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X6 1045T uses Thuban (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Gold G5500T scores 3,256 against the Phenom II X6 1045T's 3,244 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium Gold G5500T. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G5500T vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X6 1045T.

Feature	Pentium Gold G5500T	Phenom II X6 1045T
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	6 / 6+200%
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+19%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Thuban (2010)
PassMark	3,256	3,244

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Memory & Platform

The Pentium Gold G5500T uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X6 1045T uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.