Intel Core i5-1240U vs Intel Core i7-6950X

Processor comparisons   10-01-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-1240U vs Intel Core i7-6950X and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, programming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as Prime95, MATLAB, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, Blender, Handbrake, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, PassMark, Gears 5, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, AIDA64, 7zip, Blender, UserBenchmark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6950X or Intel Core i5-1240U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-1240U

55%

Core i7-6950X

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-1240U

53%

Core i7-6950X

56%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.7	99.4
Valorant	107.7	113.0
Cyberpunk 2077	60.3	63.3
Apex Legends	101.2	106.2
Call of Duty Warzone	80.7	84.7
Overwatch	87.2	91.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.3	77.9
DOOM Eternal	53.8	56.5
Warzone	84.0	88.1
Assassin's Creed	90.4	94.9
Valheim	89.4	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 i5-1240U

440%

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 i5-1240U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 9W vs. 140W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn 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. 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 i5-1240U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	218	152
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1607	1819
Cinbench 20 Single-core	527	498
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3649	4827
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1233	1091
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12029	12713

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

	Intel Core i5-1240U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	2885	2377
Multi-Core	16840	17125

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

	Intel Core i5-1240U	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	1189	1204
Multi-Core	6604	11187

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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 the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-1240U	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 i5-1240U 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 i5-1240U is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6950X is better: 21
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-1240U and Intel Core i7-6950X before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-1240U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-1240U 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.