Intel Core i5-5300U vs Intel Pentium G4600T Comparison

The Intel Pentium G4600T and Intel Core i5-5300U are two very different processors that happen to land at the same average benchmark score. Both achieve an average of 895, placing them at the 24th percentile among all CPUs, and their head-to-head comparison shows a 0% delta in overall average. Yet the data reveals a clear split: the Pentium G4600T wins all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, while the i5-5300U counters with a broader benchmark portfolio including Geekbench results. This analysis breaks down where each chip excels, what architectural choices drive those differences, and who should choose which based strictly on the numbers.

Where Each One Wins

The Pentium G4600T is the outright winner in every shared Cinebench workload. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 262 against the i5-5300U’s 230, a 13.9% advantage. That pattern holds across R20 multicore (1092 vs 960, 13.8% ahead), R20 singlecore (154 vs 135, 14.1% ahead), R23 multicore (2602 vs 2287, 13.8% ahead), and R23 singlecore (367 vs 322, 14% ahead). The consistency is striking: every delta falls between 13.8% and 14.1%, suggesting a uniform clock-speed advantage rather than workload-specific scaling.

The i5-5300U, by contrast, has no wins in the head-to-head table, but it does offer something the Pentium lacks: Geekbench scores. Its Geekbench multicore result is 1540 and singlecore is 791. These numbers are not directly comparable to the Cinebench results, but they indicate the i5-5300U has been tested across a wider range of applications. The Pentium has no Geekbench entries in the data, so any assessment of its performance in those workloads is absent.

For pure compute throughput as measured by Cinebench, the Pentium G4600T is the clear winner. For users who need a chip that has demonstrated performance in both Cinebench and Geekbench, the i5-5300U provides that data. The Pentium’s advantage is narrow but absolute in the shared tests, while the i5-5300U’s edge is purely in benchmark coverage, not in score superiority.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and target different segments. The Pentium G4600T is a Kaby Lake desktop part, built on a 14 nm process, while the i5-5300U is a Broadwell-U mobile chip, also on 14 nm. Both use the same Intel foundry, but the i5-5300U has published transistor and die size figures: 1,300 million transistors on an 82 mm² die. The Pentium lists no transistor count or die size in the data.

Core and thread counts are identical: both have 2 cores and 4 threads. Cache hierarchies match as well, with 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 3 MB shared L3. The fundamental compute resources are the same, so the performance gap must come from other factors.

Clock speeds differ substantially. The Pentium G4600T runs at a fixed 3.00 GHz base clock with no boost clock listed. The i5-5300U has a 2.30 GHz base clock and a 2.90 GHz boost clock. The Pentium’s sustained 3.00 GHz is higher than the i5-5300U’s maximum boost of 2.90 GHz, which explains the consistent 14% lead in Cinebench. The i5-5300U’s boost clock is only 0.10 GHz below the Pentium’s base, but that small deficit compounds across all workloads.

Memory support diverges: the Pentium uses DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, while the i5-5300U uses DDR3 with dual-channel and 25.6 GB/s. That 12.8 GB/s difference in memory bandwidth could influence memory-sensitive workloads, though the Cinebench results show the Pentium ahead regardless. PCIe also differs: the Pentium offers Gen 3 with 16 lanes, while the i5-5300U offers Gen 2 with 12 lanes. Integrated graphics are Intel HD 630 on the Pentium versus Intel HD 5500 on the i5-5300U.

Thermal design power (TDP) is a major differentiator. The Pentium is rated at 35 W, while the i5-5300U is rated at 15 W. That 20 W gap reflects the mobile vs desktop positioning. The i5-5300U is also end-of-life, while the Pentium is active. Release dates confirm the generational split: the i5-5300U launched on 2015-02-28, and the Pentium on 2017-01-02.

The Verdict

From the data, the Pentium G4600T is the better performer in every measured Cinebench test. It leads by roughly 14% across all five shared benchmarks, with wins in both single-core and multi-core workloads. Its higher base clock (3.00 GHz vs 2.30 GHz) and faster memory bandwidth (38.4 GB/s vs 25.6 GB/s) support that result. For any user prioritizing raw CPU compute as measured by Cinebench, the Pentium is the clear choice.

The i5-5300U, however, is not without merit. Its 15 W TDP is less than half the Pentium’s 35 W, making it far more suitable for power-constrained or mobile environments. It also has Geekbench scores (1540 multicore, 791 singlecore) that the Pentium lacks, providing evidence of performance in a different benchmark suite. Its boost clock of 2.90 GHz is close to the Pentium’s base, but the lower base clock drags down sustained performance.

The choice depends on the use case. For desktop builds where power consumption is not a concern, the Pentium G4600T wins outright. For mobile platforms or systems where the 20 W TDP difference matters, the i5-5300U is the only viable option of the two, despite its lower Cinebench scores. The i5-5300U also has a launch MSRP of $315, which is the only price data available. Neither chip is unlocked for overclocking, and both lack ECC memory support.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: Both have the same average benchmark score of 895, and both sit at the 24th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: How much faster is the Pentium G4600T in Cinebench R23 multicore?

A: The Pentium scores 2602 versus the i5-5300U’s 2287, a 13.8% lead.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two chips?

A: The Pentium G4600T has a TDP of 35 W, while the i5-5300U has a TDP of 15 W.

Q: Does the i5-5300U have any benchmark wins over the Pentium?

A: No. In the head-to-head table, the Pentium wins all 5 tests, and the i5-5300U has 0 wins.

Q: What memory types do these processors support?

A: The Pentium G4600T supports DDR4, while the i5-5300U supports DDR3. Both use dual-channel memory buses.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The Pentium has no boost clock listed, only a 3.00 GHz base. The i5-5300U has a 2.30 GHz base and a 2.90 GHz boost.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The largest single win for the Pentium G4600T comes in Cinebench R20 singlecore, where it scores 154 against 135, a 14.1% delta. That is the highest percentage lead in any test. The smallest win is in Cinebench R15 multicore, with a 13.9% delta (262 vs 230). The remaining tests cluster tightly: R20 multicore at 13.8% (1092 vs 960), R23 multicore at 13.8% (2602 vs 2287), and R23 singlecore at 14% (367 vs 322).

The consistency of these deltas is notable. Every test shows the Pentium ahead by roughly 14%, regardless of whether the workload is single-core or multi-core. This suggests a clock-speed advantage that scales uniformly across all thread counts. The Pentium’s 3.00 GHz base clock exceeds the i5-5300U’s 2.90 GHz boost, and the i5-5300U cannot sustain its boost indefinitely given its 15 W TDP.

The i5-5300U has no wins to analyze, but its Geekbench results provide context. A Geekbench multicore score of 1540 and singlecore of 791 are reasonable figures for a 2-core/4-thread mobile chip, but they are not comparable to the Cinebench numbers. The absence of Geekbench data for the Pentium means the i5-5300U has a more complete benchmark profile, even though it loses every shared test.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. Base clock: the Pentium runs at 3.00 GHz, the i5-5300U at 2.30 GHz. Boost clock: the Pentium has none listed, the i5-5300U boosts to 2.90 GHz. TDP: 35 W for the Pentium, 15 W for the i5-5300U. Socket: the Pentium uses Intel Socket 1151, the i5-5300U uses Intel BGA 1168. Architecture: Kaby Lake for the Pentium, Broadwell for the i5-5300U. Process node is identical at 14 nm for both.

Memory support differs: the Pentium uses DDR4 with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, the i5-5300U uses DDR3 with 25.6 GB/s. PCIe also varies: Gen 3 with 16 lanes for the Pentium, Gen 2 with 12 lanes for the i5-5300U. Integrated graphics: Intel HD 630 on the Pentium, Intel HD 5500 on the i5-5300U. Market segment: Desktop for the Pentium, Mobile for the i5-5300U. Production status: Active for the Pentium, End-of-life for the i5-5300U. Release dates: 2017-01-02 for the Pentium, 2015-02-28 for the i5-5300U. The i5-5300U also has a launch MSRP of $315, while the Pentium has no listed MSRP. Transistor count and die size are listed only for the i5-5300U at 1,300 million and 82 mm², respectively.