Intel Core i3-10100 vs Intel Core i7-6700K

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

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6700K 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 i7-6700K

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-10100

52%

Core i7-6700K

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.8	93.6
Valorant	105.5	106.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.1	59.6
Apex Legends	99.1	100.0
Call of Duty Warzone	79.1	79.8
Overwatch	85.4	86.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.8	73.4
DOOM Eternal	52.7	53.2
Warzone	82.3	83.0
Assassin's Creed	88.6	89.4
Valheim	87.5	88.3

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 i7-6700K

45%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i3-10100 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6700K since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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 video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	191	180
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1001	888
Cinbench 20 Single-core	448	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	2059
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1144	1124
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4442	5640

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

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	2617	2556
Multi-Core	8889	8984

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

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	1147	1308
Multi-Core	4722	5516

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i3-10100	Intel Core i7-6700K
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	LGA1151
Core name	Comet Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	6
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	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	1750 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 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 i7-6700K is 9% better than Core i3-10100 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: 13
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6700K is better: 17
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i3-10100 and Intel Core i7-6700K before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i3-10100 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-6700K specs and review.