i5-655K vs Pentium G3420

Primary details

Comparing Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	2305	2278
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.05	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	2.14	1.65
Architecture codename	Haswell (2013−2015)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
Release date	1 September 2013 (11 years ago)	30 May 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$252	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	2 (Dual-core)	2 (Dual-core)
Threads	2	4
Base clock speed	3.2 GHz	3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.2 GHz	3.46 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	2.5 GT/s
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	3 MB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	177 mm2	81 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	73 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,400 million	382 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1150	FCLGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)	53 Watt	73 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2	Intel® SSE4.2
AES-NI	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	-	1.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	-
Demand Based Switching	no data	-
PAE	no data	36 Bit
FDI	no data	+

Security technologies

Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K are enumerated here.

VT-d	-	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	16.38 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	21 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel® HD Graphics for 4th Generation Intel® Processors	Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors
Max video memory	1.7 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	-	+
Graphics max frequency	1.15 GHz	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	2
eDP	+	no data
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
DVI	+	no data
VGA	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	1920x1080@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	2560x1600@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	2560x1600@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over VGA	1920x1200@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	11.1/12	no data
OpenGL	4.3	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K.

PCIe version	Up to 3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	1.27	1.32
Recency	1 September 2013	30 May 2010
Threads	2	4
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	53 Watt	73 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Pentium G3420 and Core i5-655K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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