Intel Core i3-N305 vs Intel Core i7-6950X

Processor comparisons 29-09-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i3-N305 vs Intel Core i7-6950X tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like SuperPi, Furmark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, WPrime, Prime95, RealBench, Blender, 7zip, PassMark, Handbrake, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, MATLAB, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6950X or Intel Core i3-N305.

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-N305

55%

Core i7-6950X

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i3-N305

52%

Core i7-6950X

56%

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 run 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 little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.1	99.4
Valorant	105.8	113.0
Cyberpunk 2077	59.3	63.3
Apex Legends	99.5	106.2
Call of Duty Warzone	79.4	84.7
Overwatch	85.7	91.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.0	77.9
DOOM Eternal	52.9	56.5
Warzone	82.5	88.1
Assassin's Creed	88.9	94.9
Valheim	87.8	93.8

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 computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. Therefore, 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i3-N305

501%

Core i7-6950X

28%

To make a finishing choice 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-N305 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 7W vs. 140W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was 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, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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-N305	Intel Core i7-6950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	225	152
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1627	1819
Cinbench 20 Single-core	535	498
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3691	4827
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1250	1091
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12158	12713

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

	Intel Core i3-N305	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	2918	2377
Multi-Core	17887	17125

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

	Intel Core i3-N305	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	1054	1204
Multi-Core	5026	11187

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i3-N305	Intel Core i7-6950X
Announcement date	January 26, 2023	April 01, 2016
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1264	LGA2011-v3
Core name	Alder Lake-N	Broadwell E
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	13	6
Turbo Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.5 MHz
Frequency	1.8 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	8	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	7 W	140 W
Memory type	DDR4 3200 MT/s DDR5 4800 MT/s LPDDR5 4800 MT/s	DDR4 2400/2133
Max. Memory	16 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache	384KB
L2 cache	2MB
L3 cache	6 MB	25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-6950X is 40% better than Core i3-N305 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 2 more core than Core i3-N305. 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-N305 is better: 16
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6950X is better: 20
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i3-N305 and Intel Core i7-6950X before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i3-N305 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i3-N305 specs and review.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.