Intel Core i7-2600 vs Intel Core i5-6500

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   If you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-2600 vs Intel Core i5-6500 and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as UserBenchmark, 7zip, Gears 5, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, Blender, RealBench, AIDA64, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, MATLAB, Blender, Furmark, WPrime, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-6500 or Intel Core i7-2600.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-2600

51%

Core i5-6500

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-2600

51%

Core i5-6500

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.3	91.4
Valorant	103.7	103.9
Cyberpunk 2077	58.1	58.2
Apex Legends	97.5	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	77.8	77.9
Overwatch	84.0	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.6	71.7
DOOM Eternal	51.9	51.9
Warzone	80.9	81.0
Assassin's Creed	87.1	87.3
Valheim	86.1	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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-2600

29%

Core i5-6500

51%

To make a finishing choice 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 i5-6500 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor turns on 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 check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports 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 i7-2600	Intel Core i5-6500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	124	153
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	568	565
Cinbench 20 Single-core	257	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1824	1299
Cinbench 23 Single-core	759	842
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3647	2928

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

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	1751	2149
Multi-Core	5341	5644

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

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	844	1004
Multi-Core	3227	3346

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-2600	Intel Core i5-6500
Announcement date	October 01, 2010	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA1155	LGA 1151
Core name	Sandy Bridge	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation		6
Turbo Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	4
Bus rate	5 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1760 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR3 1066/1333	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	32 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	6 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 5% better than Core i5-6500 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 i7-2600 is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-6500 is better: 24
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-2600 and Intel Core i5-6500 before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-6500 specs and review.