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Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y

Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y: A Compact Processor for Mobility and Basic Tasks

Analysis of Capabilities, Use Cases, and Comparison with Competitors (April 2025)

Architecture and Process Technology: A Legacy of the 14 nm Era

The Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y processor, released under the codename Amber Lake Y, is based on the outdated 14-nanometer architecture. This dual-core chip supports Hyper-Threading (4 threads), allowing it to efficiently handle light multitasking scenarios. The base clock speed is 1.1 GHz, and in Turbo Boost mode, it can reach up to 3.4 GHz for a single core.

The integrated graphics Intel UHD Graphics 615 is a key component for multimedia tasks. It supports 4K video (via HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort), hardware decoding for HEVC and VP9, but is limited for gaming. The GPU architecture is based on Gen9.5 with 24 execution units (EUs), which is weaker than modern Iris Xe or Radeon Vega graphics.

Architecture Features:

- Optimized for low power consumption (TDP 5 W).

- No support for PCIe 4.0 — only PCIe 3.0.

- Maximum memory capacity — 16 GB LPDDR3-1866.

Power Consumption and TDP: Balancing Efficiency and Performance

With a TDP of 5 W, the Pentium Gold 6500Y is ideal for passively cooled devices: ultrabooks, tablets, and compact laptops. Unlike 15 W processors (e.g., Core i3-1115G4), there is no active fan here, which reduces noise but limits the duration of Turbo Boost.

Power-Saving Modes:

- Speed Shift technology for rapid frequency switching.

- Dynamic Tuning — real-time load adaptation.

- Support for C6/C8 states to minimize power consumption during idle time.

Performance: What Can You Do with the Pentium Gold 6500Y?

Geekbench 6 results (932 points single-threaded and 1535 multi-threaded) place this processor at the level of budget models from 2022–2023.

Office Work

- Microsoft Office, Google Workspace: Runs smoothly. Simultaneous work with 10-15 tabs in a browser + Word document.

- Video Conferencing: Zoom/Teams at 720p — stable, but possible stutter at 1080p.

Multimedia

- Video: Watching 4K@60 FPS (YouTube, local files) thanks to iGPU decoding.

- Editing: Only basic — trimming video in Shotcut, working with photos in Lightroom (no more than 20 MP).

Gaming

- CS:GO: 720p, low settings — 25–35 FPS.

- Minecraft (without shaders): 40–50 FPS.

- Indie games (Hollow Knight, Stardew Valley): Comfortable.

Turbo Boost: In single-threaded tasks, the frequency rises to 3.4 GHz, but under prolonged load (like PDF rendering), the processor throttles due to passive cooling.

Use Cases: Who is this CPU Suitable For?

1. Students — for studying, working with texts, and online courses.

2. Office Workers — email, spreadsheets, presentations.

3. Portable Device Users — lightweight laptops weighing up to 1 kg (e.g., ASUS ZenBook Flip).

4. Digital Nomads — long battery life (up to 12 hours on devices with a 50 Wh battery).

Not Suitable For:

- Video editing in DaVinci Resolve.

- Running modern AAA games.

- Working with virtualization (e.g., Docker).

Autonomy: How Does the Processor Affect Battery Life?

With a TDP of 5 W, laptops with the Pentium Gold 6500Y demonstrate outstanding battery life:

- Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (2025): 48 Wh battery ⇒ up to 14 hours of web surfing.

- Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5: 52 Wh ⇒ 11–12 hours under mixed load.

Power-Saving Technologies:

- Panel Self Refresh — reducing GPU load when displaying static images.

- Connected Standby — background data synchronization during sleep mode.

Comparison with Competitors: Against AMD, Apple, and Previous Generations

1. AMD Athlon Silver 7120U (Zen 2, 6 nm):

- Pros: 2 cores/2 threads, but higher IPC (+15% in single-threaded tasks).

- Cons: TDP 15 W ⇒ less autonomy. Price of laptops: from $450.

2. Apple M1 (2020):

- Pros: 8 cores, 18-hour battery life.

- Cons: macOS ecosystem, device prices start at $800.

3. Intel Core i3-10110Y (2019):

- Outdated architecture, but similar specs. The Pentium Gold 6500Y is 12% faster in multi-threading.

Pros and Cons of the Pentium Gold 6500Y

Strengths:

- Low power consumption.

- Sufficient performance for everyday tasks.

- Low laptop prices (from $400).

Weaknesses:

- Only 2 cores — multitasking is limited.

- 14 nm process technology ⇒ heating under Turbo Boost.

- Weak iGPU for modern gaming.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

1. Device Type: Ultrabook or convertible (e.g., HP Pavilion x360).

2. RAM: Minimum 8 GB (better 16 GB for Windows 11).

3. Storage: 256 GB NVMe SSD.

4. Display: IPS panel with a resolution of 1920×1080.

5. Ports: USB-C with Power Delivery support for fast charging.

Model Examples from 2025:

- Acer Swift 1: $429, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD.

- ASUS VivoBook S14: $499, 16 GB RAM, touchscreen.

Final Verdict: Who is the Processor Suitable For?

The Pentium Gold 6500Y is a choice for those who value mobility and battery life over raw performance. It is an ideal chip for:

- Users who need a lightweight laptop for work on the go.

- Budget devices priced up to $500.

- Scenarios without demanding graphics (e.g., connecting to an external monitor for office tasks).

Key Benefits:

- 10+ hours of battery life without plugging in.

- Silent operation and compactness.

- Affordable price.

If your needs do not extend beyond basic tasks, the Pentium Gold 6500Y remains a practical option even in 2025.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

January 2021

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

6500Y

Code Name

Amber Lake Y

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

1.10 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.40 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.40 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

2.0

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

5 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

1x4 | 2x2 | 1x2+2x1 and 4x1

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

16 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

4 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

33.3 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics 615

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

300 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

900 MHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

16 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

3840x2160@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

3840x2160@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

4 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

932

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1535

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

761

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1477

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i7-4710HQ

1034 +10.9%

Core i5-4670T

982 +5.4%

Pentium Gold 6500Y

932

Core i3-6100H

885 -5%

Core i7-6600U

826 -11.4%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-3570S

1857 +21%

Ryzen Embedded R2312

1706 +11.1%

Pentium Gold 6500Y

1535

Core i7-2630QM

1394 -9.2%

Core i3-3245

1228 -20%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E5-4655 v4

799 +5%

Core i5-10310U

781 +2.6%

Pentium Gold 6500Y

761

Core i5-3550S

742 -2.5%

Core i5-7442EQ

728 -4.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-7500U

1658 +12.3%

A10-7850K

1560 +5.6%

Pentium Gold 6500Y

1477

PRO A12-9800E

1408 -4.7%

Core i3-7020U

1349 -8.7%