Intel Core i3-10100 vs Intel Core i7-6700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i3-10100 vs Intel Core i7-6700 tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing. Here you can find all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like Furmark, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, Gears 5, PCMark 10, Blender, 7zip, RealBench, SuperPi, AIDA64, PassMark, 3DMark, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, VeraCrypt, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Apex Legends
Rainbow Six Siege
Halo Infinite
Red Dead Redemption 2
Watch Dogs Legion
Borderlands 3
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Last Man Standing
Cyberpunk 2077
Overwatch
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
DOOM: Eternal
Fortnite
Grand Theft Auto V
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Death Stranding
Valorant
Valheim

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6700 or Intel Core i3-10100.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i3-10100

52%

Core i7-6700

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-10100

52%

Core i7-6700

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Hitman 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.8	92.4
Valorant	105.5	105.0
Cyberpunk 2077	59.1	58.8
Apex Legends	99.1	98.7
Call of Duty Warzone	79.1	78.8
Overwatch	85.4	85.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.8	72.5
DOOM Eternal	52.7	52.5
Warzone	82.3	81.9
Assassin's Creed	88.6	88.2
Valheim	87.5	87.2

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-10100

58%

Core i7-6700

56%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-10100 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6700 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	191	171
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1001	816
Cinbench 20 Single-core	448	406
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	1774
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1144	1071
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4442	4921

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700
Single-Core	2617	2325
Multi-Core	8889	8025

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700
Single-Core	1147	1095
Multi-Core	4722	4353

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	LGA 1151
Core name	Comet Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	6
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2600 millions	2800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i3-10100 is 5% better than Core i7-6700 in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i3-10100 is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6700 is better: 3
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-10100 and Intel Core i7-6700 before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i3-10100 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-6700 specs and review.