Intel Atom C3958 vs Intel Core i5-6500

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Atom C3958 or Intel Atom C3958 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Atom C3958 features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2017 and belongs to the 5 generation of the Intel Atom series.
To use the Intel Atom C3958, you'll need a motherboard with a BGA 1310 socket.
The Intel Core i5-6500 features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 4 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Intel Core i5 series.
To use the Intel Core i5-6500, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151 socket.
Intel Atom C3000 Group Intel Core i 6000
5 Generation 6
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Atom C3958 Name Intel Core i5-6500
Intel Atom Family Intel Core i5
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Atom C3958 has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Atom C3958 is 2.0 GHz
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i5-6500 has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 4 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i5-6500 is 3.2 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.6 GHz.
16 Threads 4
normal Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading No
No Overclocking No
16x Cores 4x
16 CPU Cores 4
None None 3.6 GHz
2.0 GHz Frequency 3.2 GHz
None None 3.4 GHz
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Atom C3958 does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i5-6500 has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i5-6500 uses the Intel HD Graphics 530, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- Shaders 192
-- Release date Q3/2015
-- Technology 14 nm
-- Direct X 12
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 32.0 GB
-- Max. displays --
-- Execution units 24
-- GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
-- Generation 9
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.15 GHz
GPU name Intel HD Graphics 530
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- VP8 Decode / Encode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- AV1 No
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 256.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 38.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2400 Memory type DDR4-2133
Yes ECC No
256.0 GB Max. Memory 64.0 GB
2 Memory channels 2
38.4 GB/s Bandwidth 34.1 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 31 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 65 W watts.
31 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Atom C3958 is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i5-6500 is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 6.0 MB cache.
Q3/2017 Release date Q3/2015
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
14 nm Technology 14 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
449 $ Release price 250 $
Denverton Architecture Skylake S
0 bytes L3-Cache 6.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
BGA 1310 Socket LGA 1151
16.0 MB L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i5-6500
4C 4T @ 3.2 GHz
5642
5642
Intel Atom C3958
16C 16T @ 2.0 GHz
4281
4281

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Atom C3958
16C 16T @ 2.0 GHz
4134
4134
Intel Core i5-6500
4C 4T @ 3.2 GHz
2956
2956

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i5-6500
4C 4T @ 3.2 GHz
902
902
Intel Atom C3958
16C 16T @ 2.0 GHz
332
332