AMD A6-Series A6-8570 2-core AM4

A $59 AM4 chip that's slower than a used Ryzen 3 and hotter than it has any right to be. Buy it only if your motherboard is empty and your wallet is emptier.

The PassMark numbers tell the whole story. 1902 multi and 1603 single put this thing in the bottom quarter of our database for multi-thread work, and the single-thread score is mediocre at best. What surprised us most is the efficiency score. 28.9 out of 100 is rough, and that 65W TDP for two cores is basically a space heater doing math. The Radeon R5 iGPU is fine for desktop use and old games, but don't expect it to decode modern video without complaining. The 3.8GHz boost sounds okay until you remember this is Excavator architecture, which was already behind when it launched.

Against the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, this is not a competition. The Ultra 5 is a modern chip with real cores and real performance. The A6-8570 loses in every metric that matters. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is an interesting comparison because it's also old, but that Xeon has more cores and server-grade reliability. The be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 isn't even a CPU, it's a cooler, which tells you how weird this product category gets. If you're cross-shopping this against anything modern, stop. Buy the modern thing.

At $59, it's cheap. But cheap and good value are different things. You can find used Ryzen 3 1200s or even 2200Gs for similar money on the used market, and those will run circles around this thing. The only reason to buy this is if you need a new-in-box AM4 chip right now and literally cannot spend more. Even then, I'd check a local electronics recycler first.

The AMD A6-8570 is a budget AM4 chip that exists for one reason: to get a display on screen without spending real money. It's a dual-core Excavator part from 2016 wearing a fresh listing, and at $59 it's competing with used office pulls that absolutely destroy it. The one thing to know? This is not a CPU you buy for performance. It's a CPU you buy because your motherboard needs something cheap and you've already talked yourself out of better options.

If you're building a PC for anything beyond basic web browsing and document editing, skip this. If you want to game, skip this. If you care about power efficiency, skip this. Go find a used Ryzen 3 2200G or spend a bit more on a Ryzen 5 3600. Your future self will thank you.

Don't buy this unless you have a very specific reason. It's a 2016-era dual-core with no L3 cache, a 65W TDP, and performance that belongs in a museum. The AM4 socket is the only redeeming quality, and that just means you can replace it with something better later. If you need a cheap AM4 chip, buy used. If you need a new chip, spend a little more and get a Ryzen 3 or used Ryzen 5. This thing is a stopgap, not a solution.