Intel Core i5-8260U vs Intel Core i7-6700K

Processor comparisons 03-04-2021

   For example there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-8260U vs Intel Core i7-6700K and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming, rendering. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, 7zip, Prime95, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Blender, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, RealBench, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, Handbrake, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), SuperPi, Furmark, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6700K or Intel Core i5-8260U.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8260U

52%

Core i7-6700K

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8260U

52%

Core i7-6700K

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Control, NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.3	93.6
Valorant	104.9	106.4
Cyberpunk 2077	58.7	59.6
Apex Legends	98.6	100.0
Call of Duty Warzone	78.7	79.8
Overwatch	85.0	86.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.4	73.4
DOOM Eternal	52.4	53.2
Warzone	81.8	83.0
Assassin's Creed	88.1	89.4
Valheim	87.1	88.3

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. Therefore, 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 i5-8260U

221%

Core i7-6700K

45%

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 i5-8260U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6700K as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 95W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve 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 are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i7-6700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	157	180
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	596	888
Cinbench 20 Single-core	409	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2046	2059
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1029	1124
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4033	5640

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	2385	2556
Multi-Core	7652	8984

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

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	997	1308
Multi-Core	4222	5516

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 newer the processor, 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-8260U	Intel Core i7-6700K
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 01, 2015
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1528	LGA1151
Core name	Coffee Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	8	6
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	1.6 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	4 GT/s OPI	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1900 millions	1750 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	37.5 GB/s	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	6 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	No	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 i7-6700K is 60% better than Core i5-8260U 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 i5-8260U is better: 5
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6700K is better: 26
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-8260U and Intel Core i7-6700K before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-8260U - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8260U specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-6700K specs and review.