Intel Pentium Gold G6505 vs Intel Xeon W3580 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a consistent and decisive pattern across all five Cinebench tests: the Intel Pentium Gold G6505 wins every single matchup against the Intel Xeon W3580. This is not a close contest. The smallest margin is 20.1 percent, and the largest reaches 20.3 percent. No test in the database shows the Xeon W3580 ahead, and the Pentium Gold G6505 claims a clean sweep with five wins and zero losses.

Starting with multi-core workloads, the Cinebench R15 multicore test places the Pentium Gold G6505 at 374 points against 311 points for the Xeon W3580. That is a 20.3 percent advantage, the largest delta recorded between the two processors in any benchmark. The Cinebench R20 multicore test tells a similar story: the Pentium Gold G6505 scores 1560, while the Xeon W3580 manages 1298, a 20.2 percent gap. Moving to Cinebench R23 multicore, the Pentium Gold G6505 delivers 3715 points, and the Xeon W3580 trails at 3092, which translates to a 20.1 percent difference. Across these three multi-threaded tests, the advantage for the Pentium Gold G6505 remains remarkably stable, hovering just above the 20 percent mark in each case.

The single-core results follow the same trajectory. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Pentium Gold G6505 scores 220 against 183 for the Xeon W3580, a 20.2 percent lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Pentium Gold G6505 posts 524 points, while the Xeon W3580 reaches 436, again a 20.2 percent difference. The consistency of these margins across both single-core and multi-core workloads suggests that the performance gap is fundamental to the architecture and clock speeds, not specific to any particular test type.

What makes this outcome notable is the core and thread configuration. The Xeon W3580 has 4 cores and 8 threads, double the core count and double the thread count of the Pentium Gold G6505, which has 2 cores and 4 threads. Despite having half the cores, the Pentium Gold G6505 still wins every multi-core test by roughly 20 percent. This indicates that the per-core efficiency and higher base clock of the Pentium Gold G6505 more than compensate for the Xeon W3580's additional hardware threads. The Pentium Gold G6505 runs at 4.20 GHz base clock, while the Xeon W3580 has a 3.33 GHz base clock and a 3.60 GHz boost clock. Even when the Xeon W3580 boosts to its maximum, it does not reach the Pentium Gold G6505's base frequency.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce this hierarchy. The Pentium Gold G6505 has an average benchmark score of 1074, while the Xeon W3580 sits at 1064. The difference is small in absolute terms, only 10 points, but it places the Pentium Gold G6505 at the 30th percentile among all CPUs, one point above the Xeon W3580's 29th percentile. The nearest rivals for the Pentium Gold G6505 include the Intel Core i5-2310 with an average score of 1073 and a 0.1 percent delta, the Intel Core i3-4170T at 1072 with a 0.2 percent delta, and the Intel Core i5-5287U also at 1072 with a 0.2 percent delta. The AMD Athlon X4 880K rounds out the group at 1071 with a 0.2 percent delta. For the Xeon W3580, the closest competitor is the Intel Core i3-9100HL at 1065 with a negative 0.1 percent delta, followed by the Intel Core i5-2380P at 1063 with a 0.1 percent delta, the Intel Core i5-4570TE at 1062 with a 0.2 percent delta, and the AMD Opteron 4376 HE at 1061 with a 0.3 percent delta.

The head-to-head deltas in the database are all positive for the Pentium Gold G6505, and they cluster tightly between 20.1 and 20.3 percent. This narrow range indicates that the performance relationship between these two CPUs is stable across different Cinebench versions and workload types. The Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 suites each stress the processor differently, yet the relative outcome does not shift. The Pentium Gold G6505 leads by the same margin whether the test is single-core or multi-core, which points to a uniform advantage in both instruction throughput and thread scaling.

One might expect the Xeon W3580's additional cores to narrow the gap in heavily threaded tests, but the data does not support that hypothesis. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the gap is 20.3 percent, and in Cinebench R23 multicore, it is 20.1 percent. The Xeon W3580 gains almost no ground in the newer, more demanding multi-core workload. This suggests that the Pentium Gold G6505's superior clock speed and modern architecture deliver better per-core performance, and that the Xeon W3580's older Nehalem design cannot exploit its extra cores effectively enough to overcome that deficit.

The Cinebench R15 single-core test is not recorded for the Xeon W3580 in the database, so no direct comparison is available for that specific metric. However, the single-core results that do exist for both CPUs show the same 20.2 percent margin in both R20 and R23, which strongly implies a consistent single-threaded advantage for the Pentium Gold G6505.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmarks in the head-to-head comparison?

A: The Intel Pentium Gold G6505 wins all five recorded benchmarks. It takes Cinebench R15 multicore with 374 points, Cinebench R20 multicore with 1560 points, Cinebench R20 single-core with 220 points, Cinebench R23 multicore with 3715 points, and Cinebench R23 single-core with 524 points. The Intel Xeon W3580 wins zero tests.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two CPUs?

A: The largest recorded gap is in Cinebench R15 multicore, where the Pentium Gold G6505 leads by 20.3 percent. The Pentium Gold G6505 scores 374, and the Xeon W3580 scores 311.

Q: How does the core count difference affect the results?

A: The Xeon W3580 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Pentium Gold G6505 has 2 cores and 4 threads. Despite having half the cores, the Pentium Gold G6505 still wins every multi-core test by approximately 20 percent. The higher base clock of 4.20 GHz on the Pentium Gold G6505, compared to 3.33 GHz on the Xeon W3580, appears to be the decisive factor.

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

A: The Pentium Gold G6505 has an average benchmark score of 1074, and the Xeon W3580 has an average benchmark score of 1064. This places the Pentium Gold G6505 at the 30th percentile among all CPUs and the Xeon W3580 at the 29th percentile.

Q: Does the Xeon W3580 have any single-core advantage?

A: No. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Pentium Gold G6505 scores 220 versus 183 for the Xeon W3580, a 20.2 percent lead. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Pentium Gold G6505 scores 524 versus 436, also a 20.2 percent lead. The Xeon W3580 does not win any single-core test.

Q: Which processor has a higher percentile ranking?

A: The Pentium Gold G6505 ranks at the 30th percentile, while the Xeon W3580 ranks at the 29th percentile. The difference is one percentage point.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous. The Intel Pentium Gold G6505 is the superior processor in every benchmark recorded. It wins all five head-to-head tests with margins between 20.1 and 20.3 percent. The Xeon W3580, despite having double the cores and double the threads, cannot match the Pentium Gold G6505's performance in any workload.

For users prioritizing single-threaded performance, the Pentium Gold G6505 is the clear choice. It leads by 20.2 percent in both Cinebench R20 and R23 single-core tests. For multi-threaded workloads, the same conclusion applies. The Pentium Gold G6505 wins Cinebench R15 multicore by 20.3 percent, Cinebench R20 multicore by 20.2 percent, and Cinebench R23 multicore by 20.1 percent. The Xeon W3580's extra cores do not translate into any advantage.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this verdict. The Pentium Gold G6505 sits at 1074, and the Xeon W3580 sits at 1064. The percentile rankings place the Pentium Gold G6505 at 30 and the Xeon W3580 at 29. These metrics confirm that the Pentium Gold G6505 is the stronger overall performer.

The Xeon W3580 does have attributes that may appeal to specific use cases. It supports ECC memory, which the Pentium Gold G6505 does not. It also targets the server and workstation market segment, whereas the Pentium Gold G6505 is aimed at desktop users. However, from a pure benchmark performance standpoint, the Pentium Gold G6505 wins every test.

The production status also favors the Pentium Gold G6505. It is listed as active, while the Xeon W3580 is end-of-life. The release dates differ substantially, with the Pentium Gold G6505 launched in March 2021 and the Xeon W3580 in August 2009. For anyone choosing between these two based on the recorded data, the Pentium Gold G6505 is the definitive pick.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The core count is a clear distinction: the Pentium Gold G6505 has 2 cores, while the Xeon W3580 has 4 cores. Thread counts follow the same pattern, with 4 threads on the Pentium Gold G6505 and 8 threads on the Xeon W3580.

Base clock speeds differ significantly. The Pentium Gold G6505 runs at 4.20 GHz, while the Xeon W3580 runs at 3.33 GHz. The Xeon W3580 does have a boost clock of 3.60 GHz, but the Pentium Gold G6505 has no boost clock listed, meaning its 4.20 GHz is the fixed operating frequency.

Thermal design power (TDP) shows a substantial gap. The Pentium Gold G6505 has a TDP of 58 watts, while the Xeon W3580 has a TDP of 130 watts. This means the Xeon W3580 draws more than twice the power of the Pentium Gold G6505.

The sockets are incompatible. The Pentium Gold G6505 uses Intel Socket 1200, and the Xeon W3580 uses Intel Socket 1366. Memory support also differs: the Pentium Gold G6505 supports DDR4 with a dual-channel memory bus, while the Xeon W3580 supports DDR3 with a triple-channel memory bus. The memory bandwidth for the Pentium Gold G6505 is listed at 42.7 GB/s, while the Xeon W3580 has no recorded memory bandwidth figure.

ECC memory support is exclusive to the Xeon W3580. The Pentium Gold G6505 does not support ECC. PCIe generations differ as well, with the Pentium Gold G6505 featuring Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only) and the Xeon W3580 featuring Gen 2.

Integrated graphics are present only on the Pentium Gold G6505, which includes UHD Graphics 630. The Xeon W3580 has no integrated graphics. The market segments differ, with the Pentium Gold G6505 classified as desktop and the Xeon W3580 as server/workstation. Production status also diverges, with the Pentium Gold G6505 active and the Xeon W3580 end-of-life.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is stark. The Pentium Gold G6505 is built on the Comet Lake architecture, specifically the Comet Lake-R codename, and belongs to the Pentium Gold generation. The Xeon W3580 uses the Nehalem architecture with the Bloomfield codename and is part of the Xeon generation.

The process nodes are generations apart. The Pentium Gold G6505 is manufactured on a 14 nm process, while the Xeon W3580 uses a 45 nm process. The foundry for both is Intel, but the transistor counts and die sizes are only recorded for the Xeon W3580, which has 731 million transistors and a die size of 263 mm². No transistor count or die size is listed for the Pentium Gold G6505.

Cache configurations show both similarities and differences. The L1 cache is identical at 64 KB per core for both processors. The L2 cache is also the same at 256 KB per core. The L3 cache, however, differs: the Pentium Gold G6505 has 4 MB shared, while the Xeon W3580 has 8 MB shared. The Xeon W3580 has double the L3 cache, which is consistent with its higher core count.

The integrated graphics difference is architectural as well. The Pentium Gold G6505 includes UHD Graphics 630, a feature completely absent from the Xeon W3580. This reflects the different design priorities: the Pentium Gold G6505 targets desktop systems where integrated graphics are expected, while the Xeon W3580 targets server and workstation environments where discrete graphics are assumed.

Memory architecture also differs. The Pentium Gold G6505 supports DDR4 with a dual-channel memory bus and has a recorded memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The Xeon W3580 supports DDR3 with a triple-channel memory bus and has no recorded memory bandwidth. The triple-channel configuration on the Xeon W3580 is a legacy design choice, while the dual-channel DDR4 setup on the Pentium Gold G6505 represents a more modern memory path.

The PCIe implementation differs by generation and lane count. The Pentium Gold G6505 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the Xeon W3580 supports PCIe Gen 2 with no lane count specified. This represents a full generation of PCIe bandwidth improvement on the Pentium Gold G6505.

The release timeline shows the generational gap. The Pentium Gold G6505 launched on March 15, 2021, while the Xeon W3580 launched on August 8, 2009. That is nearly 12 years between releases, which explains the architectural differences in process node, memory support, and integrated features. The Pentium Gold G6505 also has a launch MSRP of $75, while the Xeon W3580 has no recorded launch MSRP.

The part numbers differ as well, with the Pentium Gold G6505 listed as SRH3V and the Xeon W3580 as SLBET. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not an option for either.

In summary, the Pentium Gold G6505 represents a modern, efficient, high-clock design with integrated graphics and active production status. The Xeon W3580 represents an older, higher-power, server-oriented design with ECC support and a triple-channel memory bus. The benchmark data shows that the modern architecture wins decisively.