Intel Core i5-6600K vs Intel Core i5-7400

Processor comparisons   04-02-2023
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-6600K vs Intel Core i5-7400 and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, Gears 5, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, Prime95, WPrime, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, RealBench, VeraCrypt, Blender, Blender, 3DMark, MATLAB, AIDA64, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-7400 or Intel Core i5-6600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-6600K

51%

Core i5-7400

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6600K

52%

Core i5-7400

51%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.9	91.4
Valorant	105.5	103.9
Cyberpunk 2077	59.1	58.2
Apex Legends	99.2	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	79.1	77.9
Overwatch	85.5	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.8	71.7
DOOM Eternal	52.8	51.9
Warzone	82.3	81.0
Assassin's Creed	88.6	87.3
Valheim	87.6	86.2

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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. 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 i5-6600K

51%

Core i5-7400

49%

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 i5-6600K is more energy efficient than the Core i5-7400 as it consumes less power: 91W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor includes 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 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 advantages 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 i5-6600K	Intel Core i5-7400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	166	149
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	600	564
Cinbench 20 Single-core	395	345
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1572	1266
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1041	820
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3965	2853

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

	Intel Core i5-6600K	Intel Core i5-7400
Single-Core	2356	2131
Multi-Core	6286	5499

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

	Intel Core i5-6600K	Intel Core i5-7400
Single-Core	1399	959
Multi-Core	4766	3349

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 you. 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-6600K	Intel Core i5-7400
Announcement date	September 26, 2015	January 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1151
Core name	Skylake	Kaby Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	7
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.5 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	4
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	91 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	6 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
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 i5-6600K is 14% better than Core i5-7400 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 i5-6600K is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-7400 is better: 4
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-6600K and Intel Core i5-7400 before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i5-6600K - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-6600K specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-7400 specs and review.