Intel Core i5-6300U vs Intel Core i7-2600

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-6300U vs Intel Core i7-2600 and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, programming, rendering, machine learning. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PassMark, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, UserBenchmark, Prime95, MATLAB, 3DMark, PCMark 10, Blender, 7zip, SuperPi, RealBench, Blender, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-2600 or Intel Core i5-6300U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-6300U

50%

Core i7-2600

51%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-2600 is 1% better than Core i5-6300U. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6300U

51%

Core i7-2600

51%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low 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	89.9	91.3
Valorant	102.1	103.7
Cyberpunk 2077	57.2	58.1
Apex Legends	96.0	97.5
Call of Duty Warzone	76.6	77.8
Overwatch	82.7	84.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	70.5	71.6
DOOM Eternal	51.1	51.9
Warzone	79.6	80.9
Assassin's Creed	85.8	87.1
Valheim	84.7	86.1

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-6300U

175%

Core i7-2600

29%

To make a final resolution 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 i5-6300U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 since it has less power consumption: 15W 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 calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is 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 editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn 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 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 i5-6300U	Intel Core i7-2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	127	124
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	281	568
Cinbench 20 Single-core	299	257
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	739	1824
Cinbench 23 Single-core	777	759
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	1834	3647

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

	Intel Core i5-6300U	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	1728	1751
Multi-Core	3275	5341

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

	Intel Core i5-6300U	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	790	844
Multi-Core	1817	3227

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 i5-6300U	Intel Core i7-2600
Announcement date	April 01, 2015	October 01, 2010
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1356	LGA1155
Core name	Skylake	Sandy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6
Turbo Frequency	3 MHz	3.8 MHz
Frequency	2.4 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	2	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	2400 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600	DDR3 1066/1333
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	3 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 i7-2600 is 29% better than Core i5-6300U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-2600 has 2 more core than Core i5-6300U. 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 i5-6300U is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-2600 is better: 25
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-6300U and Intel Core i7-2600 before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-6300U specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.