Intel Pentium G4560

Intel Pentium G4560

Intel Pentium G4560: Budget Processor of 2025 - Is It Worth It?

Key Characteristics: Architecture and Performance

The Intel Pentium G4560, released in 2017, belongs to the Kaby Lake generation (7th Core generation). Despite its age, it remains relevant in the budget segment due to its unique features.

Manufacturing Process: 14 nm - an outdated technology by 2025, but still provides low power consumption (TDP 54W).

Cores and Threads: 2 cores / 4 threads (Hyper-Threading) - a key advantage over dual-threaded Celeron processors.

Cache: 3 MB L3 - the minimum for basic tasks.

Graphics: Intel HD 610 - suitable for display output but not for gaming.

Performance: In the Geekbench 6 test (2025) - 706 (single-thread) and 1451 (multi-thread). This is sufficient for office applications, browsing, and 1080p video.

Key Features:

- Support for DDR4-2400 - fast memory for its time.

- Hyper-Threading - multi-threading for parallel tasks.

- Compatibility with Windows 10/11 and Linux - up-to-date operating systems.


Compatible Motherboards: Socket and Chipsets

Socket: LGA 1151 - an outdated socket, new motherboards for it are not being produced. In 2025, look for boards on the secondary market:

- H110: Budget option (starting from $40), but requires a BIOS update for Kaby Lake.

- B250: Optimal choice (used - $50-70) - supports USB 3.1, M.2 (SATA).

- H270/Z270: Premium segment (rare, $80+) but excessive for Pentium.

Important: When purchasing a new (unused) motherboard, check the BIOS version - some require an update to work with the G4560.


Supported Memory: DDR4 vs DDR5

The processor works only with DDR4-2400 and DDR3L-1600. DDR5 and modern standards are not supported.

Recommendations:

- 8 GB DDR4-2400 (new modules - $30) - the minimum for Windows 11.

- 16 GB DDR4-2400 ($55) - a buffer for a browser with 50+ tabs.

Limitations: On boards with DDR3L (like H110), use only low-voltage memory (1.35V).


Power Supply: Power Calculation

With a TDP of 54W, even a budget power supply will be sufficient:

- Without a graphics card: 300W (e.g., EVGA 300 BR, $40).

- With a graphics card: 400-500W (Be Quiet! System Power 10 450W, $55). Consider GPU power needs - for example, for a GTX 1650 (75W), 400W is sufficient.

Tip: Do not skimp on the power supply - cheap models can damage components. Look for an 80 Plus Bronze certification.


Pros and Cons of Pentium G4560

Pros:

- Price: New processors - $50-60 (2025).

- Energy Efficiency: Suitable for mini-PCs and HTPCs.

- Hyper-Threading: Better multitasking than dual-threaded CPUs.

Cons:

- 2 cores: Multi-threaded applications (Photoshop, Blender) can lag.

- Weak graphics: A discrete graphics card is required for gaming.

- Outdated platform: No upgrade path to new CPUs without replacing the motherboard.


Use Cases: Where the Potential Shines

1. Office and Study: Word, Excel, Zoom - the processor handles tasks without lag.

2. Home Media Center: 4K video through HDMI 1.4 (limited to 30Hz).

3. Light Gaming: CS:GO (60 FPS on low settings), Minecraft.

4. Servers: NAS or Linux-based router (low power consumption).

User Experiences:

- A build with GTX 1050 Ti ($150) and 8 GB DDR4 runs GTA V on medium settings (45-50 FPS).

- With an SSD, the system boots in 10-12 seconds.


Comparison with Competitors

1. AMD Athlon 3000G (2 cores / 4 threads, Vega 3):

- Pros: Better graphics, support for DDR4-2666.

- Cons: Lower single-thread performance (Geekbench 6 Single Core - ~650).

- Price: $60 (new).

2. Intel Celeron G5905 (2 cores / 2 threads, UHD 610):

- Pros: Newer (2020), higher clock speed.

- Cons: No Hyper-Threading - worse multitasking.

- Price: $45.

3. Ryzen 3 1200 (4 cores / 4 threads, no integrated graphics):

- Pros: 4 cores for multi-threaded tasks.

- Cons: Requires a graphics card, more expensive ($70).

Conclusion: The G4560 outperforms Celeron and Athlon in price-to-multithreading balance.


Practical Assembly Tips

1. Motherboard: ASRock B250M-HDV ($70 new) - 4 SATA slots, M.2.

2. Storage: 240 GB SSD (Kingston A400, $25) - speeds up the system.

3. Memory: 8 GB Patriot Signature DDR4-2400 ($30).

4. Case: Mini-Tower (Deepcool MATREXX 30, $35) for a compact build.

5. Cooling: Stock cooler is sufficient - noise level around 35 dB.

Life Hack: If you plan to upgrade, get a motherboard with PCIe 3.0 x16 for a future graphics card.


Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the Pentium G4560?

This processor is suitable for:

- Budget Users: Building a PC for $200-300.

- Office Workers: Reliability and adequate performance.

- Retro PC Enthusiasts: Creating systems on older chipsets.

Why in 2025? Despite its age, the G4560 remains one of the most affordable CPUs with Hyper-Threading. However, for gaming or video editing, it’s better to add $50-70 and opt for the Ryzen 3 4100 (4 cores / 8 threads).

Price/Quality: 8/10 - ideal for tasks where every $10 counts.

Basic

Label Name
Intel
Platform
Desktop
Launch Date
January 2017
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.
G4560
Code Name
Kaby Lake

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).
2
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
4
Basic Frequency
3.50 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.
No
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
L3 Cache
3 MB
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
FCLGA1151
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
54 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.
16
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.
Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

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.
DDR4-2133/2400 | DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max Memory Size
?
Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.
64 GB
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
2
Bus Speed
8 GT/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.
Yes

GPU Specifications

GPU Name
Intel® HD Graphics 610
Graphics Base Frequency
?
Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.
350 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.
1.05 GHz
Graphics Video Max Memory
64 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.
12
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.
4096x2304@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.
4096x2304@60Hz
Number of Displays Supported
3

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
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.
3 MB
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 Boot Guard
?
Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.
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 InTru 3D Technology
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.
4.4
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
706
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
1451
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
897
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
1969
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
2100
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
3526

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
829 +17.4%
764 +8.2%
658 -6.8%
624 -11.6%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
1742 +20.1%
1582 +9%
1270 -12.5%
1120 -22.8%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
931 +3.8%
917 +2.2%
880 -1.9%
869 -3.1%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
2274 +15.5%
2108 +7.1%
1844 -6.3%
1699 -13.7%
Passmark CPU Single Core
2150 +2.4%
2124 +1.1%
2076 -1.1%
2049 -2.4%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
3906 +10.8%
3702 +5%
3359 -4.7%
3200 -9.2%