CPU Comparison

The Intel Core i7-975 and Intel Pentium G4560 occupy opposite ends of the product stack, yet benchmark results show they land in the same performance class. The data reveals a surprising outcome: the Pentium G4560 wins all five head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, despite the Core i7-975 having double the cores and threads. This is not a close contest in the traditional sense, it is a clean sweep for the newer, lower-tier part.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench R15 multi-core test sets the tone. The Pentium G4560 scores 301, while the Core i7-975 scores 299. That is a 0.7% delta in favor of the Pentium. A two-core, four-thread processor from 2017 edging out a four-core, eight-thread Extreme Edition part from 2009 is a significant statement about architectural progress. The margin is narrow, but the direction is consistent.

Moving to Cinebench R20 multi-core, the pattern repeats. The Pentium G4560 posts 1258 against the Core i7-975’s 1249, again a 0.7% difference. The single-core R20 result shows the Pentium ahead by 1.1%, scoring 177 versus 175. That larger single-core gap hints at where the newer architecture pulls ahead, clock-for-clock efficiency and instructions per cycle matter more than raw core count in this matchup.

Cinebench R23 multi-core delivers the widest absolute gap in points. The Pentium G4560 scores 2996, and the Core i7-975 scores 2974, a 0.7% delta. The R23 single-core test rounds out the sweep: Pentium G4560 at 423, Core i7-975 at 419, a 0.9% difference. Across all five tests, the Pentium G4560 wins every time. The Core i7-975 never takes a single benchmark. The largest single margin is the R20 single-core run at 1.1%, which is still small in absolute terms but shows a clear trend.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this. The Pentium G4560 averages 1031, while the Core i7-975 averages 1023. Both sit at the 28th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they are in the same performance tier globally. The Pentium’s nearest rivals include the AMD A12-9800E (1033, 0.2% ahead) and the AMD A10-9700 (1034, 0.3% ahead). The Core i7-975’s nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U (1024, 0.0% delta) and the Intel Pentium Gold G5600 (1022, 0.1% behind). These rival lists confirm that both CPUs occupy a crowded mid-range space, but the Pentium G4560 has a slight edge in average score.

Architecture Differences

The Core i7-975 is built on Intel’s 45 nm Nehalem architecture, codenamed Bloomfield. It belongs to the Core i7 Extreme generation. The Pentium G4560 uses the 14 nm Kaby Lake architecture, also codenamed Kaby Lake, from the Pentium generation. The process node difference is stark: 45 nm versus 14 nm. That three-generation jump in manufacturing technology explains much of the performance parity despite the core count disadvantage.

Core counts differ significantly. The Core i7-975 has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Pentium G4560 has 2 cores and 4 threads. The Core i7-975 compensates with a larger cache layout: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3. The Pentium G4560 matches the per-core L1 and L2 sizes (64 KB and 256 KB) but has only 3 MB shared L3. Despite having half the cores and less than half the L3 cache, the Pentium still wins every benchmark.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The Core i7-975 has a base clock of 3.33 GHz and a boost clock of 3.60 GHz. The Pentium G4560 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and no boost clock at all, it runs at a fixed frequency. The Pentium’s base clock is higher than the Core i7-975’s boost clock by 0.10 GHz. That, combined with the vastly newer architecture, offsets the core and cache deficits.

Memory support diverges completely. The Core i7-975 uses DDR3 with a triple-channel memory bus, providing 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The Pentium G4560 uses DDR4 with a dual-channel bus, providing 38.4 GB/s. The Pentium delivers 50% more memory bandwidth from fewer channels, a direct result of newer memory technology. The Core i7-975 uses PCIe Gen 2, while the Pentium G4560 uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The Pentium also includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 610); the Core i7-975 has none.

The Core i7-975 has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable. The Pentium G4560 is locked. The Core i7-975 carries a 130 W TDP; the Pentium G4560 draws 51 W. The Core i7-975 uses Socket 1366, while the Pentium G4560 uses Socket 1151. The Core i7-975 is end-of-life; the Pentium G4560 is still active in production. The Core i7-975 launched with a $1059 MSRP; the Pentium G4560 has no listed launch MSRP.

Where Each One Wins

Benchmark results show the Pentium G4560 winning every single test, so the use-case split is one-sided. The Pentium G4560 wins in multi-threaded workloads like Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core runs. It wins by 0.7% in each of those multi-core tests. That means for rendering, video encoding, or any heavily threaded task, the Pentium G4560 is the better choice based on the data. The two-core part outperforms the four-core part because its newer architecture and higher base clock overcome the core deficit.

The Pentium G4560 also wins in single-threaded workloads. The R20 single-core test shows a 1.1% lead, and the R23 single-core test shows a 0.9% lead. For everyday responsiveness, web browsing, or lightly threaded applications, the Pentium G4560 is again the pick. The Core i7-975 has no benchmark wins to point to. There is no workload category in this data where the Core i7-975 comes out ahead.

The Core i7-975’s only advantages are qualitative. It has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, which could potentially narrow the gap, but the data does not include overclocked results. It also has a larger L3 cache (8 MB versus 3 MB), but that does not translate into any benchmark win. The Core i7-975 supports triple-channel memory, but the Pentium G4560’s dual-channel DDR4 still delivers more bandwidth. In every measured metric, the Pentium G4560 is the superior part.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Pentium G4560 wins all five head-to-head benchmarks, with deltas ranging from 0.7% to 1.1%. The average benchmark score favors the Pentium G4560 (1031 versus 1023). Both CPUs sit at the 28th percentile, but the Pentium is at the top of that tier while the Core i7-975 is near the bottom. If you are choosing strictly on performance, the Pentium G4560 is the correct choice.

The Core i7-975 has one practical argument: overclocking. Its unlocked multiplier allows manual tuning, and its 130 W TDP suggests headroom for higher clocks. But the benchmark data provided includes only stock results, and those results show a loss in every test. An overclocked Core i7-975 might close the gap, but you cannot confirm that from these numbers.

The Pentium G4560 is also the more modern platform choice. It uses DDR4 memory, PCIe Gen 3, and a 14 nm process node. It consumes 51 W instead of 130 W, which makes it far easier to cool and power. It includes integrated graphics, which the Core i7-975 lacks. For a new build, the Pentium G4560 is the obvious pick. For a retro or extreme-era enthusiast build, the Core i7-975 has curiosity value, but not performance value.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmarks, the Intel Core i7-975 or the Intel Pentium G4560?

A: The Intel Pentium G4560 wins all five head-to-head Cinebench tests. The Core i7-975 wins zero.

Q: What is the performance difference in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Pentium G4560 scores 2996, and the Core i7-975 scores 2974. The Pentium is ahead by 0.7%.

Q: Does the Core i7-975’s higher core count help it in any benchmark?

A: No. Despite having 4 cores and 8 threads versus the Pentium G4560’s 2 cores and 4 threads, the Core i7-975 loses every multi-core test by 0.7%.

Q: How much faster is the Pentium G4560 in single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Pentium G4560 scores 177 versus 175 for the Core i7-975, a 1.1% lead. In R23 single-core, the scores are 423 versus 419, a 0.9% lead.

Q: What are the average benchmark scores for each CPU?

A: The Pentium G4560 has an average benchmark score of 1031. The Core i7-975 has an average score of 1023. Both are at the 28th percentile.

Q: Does the Core i7-975 have any advantage over the Pentium G4560?

A: The Core i7-975 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, a larger 8 MB L3 cache, and triple-channel memory support. None of these advantages produce a benchmark win in the provided data.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-975 | Intel Pentium G4560 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 2 |

| Threads | 8 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.33 GHz | 3.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.60 GHz | None |

| TDP | 130 W | 51 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1366 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Nehalem | Kaby Lake |

| Process Node | 45 nm | 14 nm |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 3 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Triple-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 38.4 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 2 | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Intel HD 610 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Launch MSRP | $1059 | Not listed |