Intel Core i5-6600K vs Intel Core i7-8700

Processor comparisons   04-02-2023
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i5-6600K vs Intel Core i7-8700 tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, streaming, programming, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be 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 Blender, Gears 5, Furmark, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, PassMark, MATLAB, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, WPrime, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, SuperPi, Prime95.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700 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 i7-8700

53%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-8700 is 3% better than Core i5-6600K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6600K

52%

Core i7-8700

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. 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 summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, Control, Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.9	94.8
Valorant	105.5	107.7
Cyberpunk 2077	59.1	60.3
Apex Legends	99.2	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	79.1	80.8
Overwatch	85.5	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.8	74.3
DOOM Eternal	52.8	53.8
Warzone	82.3	84.0
Assassin's Creed	88.6	90.4
Valheim	87.6	89.4

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: FullHD, 2K 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 i5-6600K

51%

Core i7-8700

64%

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 i7-8700 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-6600K as it consumes less power: 91W vs. 65W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes 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 software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, 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 i7-8700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	166	203
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	600	1434
Cinbench 20 Single-core	395	481
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1572	3547
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1041	1146
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3965	7969

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

	Intel Core i5-6600K	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	2356	2706
Multi-Core	6286	13125

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

	Intel Core i5-6600K	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	1399	1260
Multi-Core	4766	6618

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain 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 i5-6600K	Intel Core i7-8700
Announcement date	September 26, 2015	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Skylake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	8
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	4	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	91 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	12 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 8% better than Core i7-8700 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-8700 has 2 more core than Core i5-6600K. 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: 3
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700 is better: 30
However, it should be realized that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-6600K and Intel Core i7-8700 before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

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 i7-8700 specs and review.