Intel Core i5-1230U vs Intel Core i7-6950X

Processor comparisons   10-01-2022
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-1230U vs Intel Core i7-6950X and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, rendering, programming, video editing, streaming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like 7zip, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, UserBenchmark, PassMark, Blender, Blender, PCMark 10, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, Handbrake, AIDA64, SuperPi, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6950X or Intel Core i5-1230U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-1230U

55%

Core i7-6950X

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-1230U

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.7	99.4
Valorant	107.6	113.0
Cyberpunk 2077	60.2	63.3
Apex Legends	101.1	106.2
Call of Duty Warzone	80.7	84.7
Overwatch	87.1	91.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.2	77.9
DOOM Eternal	53.8	56.5
Warzone	83.9	88.1
Assassin's Creed	90.4	94.9
Valheim	89.3	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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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 i5-1230U

435%

Core i7-6950X

28%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i5-1230U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 9W vs. 140W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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 i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	216	152
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1591	1819
Cinbench 20 Single-core	522	498
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3613	4827
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1221	1091
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11909	12713

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

	Intel Core i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	2856	2377
Multi-Core	16672	17125

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

	Intel Core i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	1177	1204
Multi-Core	6538	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 in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-1230U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Announcement date	January 07, 2022	April 01, 2016
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1744	LGA2011-v3
Core name	Alder Lake-U	Broadwell E
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	12	6
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	3.5 MHz
Frequency	1 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	10	10
Threads	12	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	9 W	140 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 4800 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s Up to LPDDR5 5200 MT/s Up to LPDDR4x 4267 MT/s	DDR4 2400/2133
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	24 MB	25 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i7-6950X is 66% better than Core i5-1230U 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 i5-1230U is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6950X is better: 21
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-1230U and Intel Core i7-6950X before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-1230U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-1230U 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.