Intel Core i7-3770K vs Intel Core i5-6500

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-3770K vs Intel Core i5-6500 and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, programming, streaming, video editing. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like RealBench, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, UserBenchmark, 7zip, AIDA64, PassMark, Prime95, Gears 5, Furmark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, Handbrake, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Blender, Blender.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-6500 or Intel Core i7-3770K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-3770K

51%

Core i5-6500

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-3770K

52%

Core i5-6500

51%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low 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: Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.1	91.4
Valorant	104.7	103.9
Cyberpunk 2077	58.6	58.2
Apex Legends	98.4	97.6
Call of Duty Warzone	78.5	77.9
Overwatch	84.8	84.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.2	71.7
DOOM Eternal	52.4	51.9
Warzone	81.7	81.0
Assassin's Creed	88.0	87.3
Valheim	86.9	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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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. 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 i7-3770K

42%

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 i7-3770K as it consumes less power: 77W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software 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 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 i7-3770K	Intel Core i5-6500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	137	153
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	672	565
Cinbench 20 Single-core	286	354
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1391	1299
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1016	842
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3503	2928

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

	Intel Core i7-3770K	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	2049	2149
Multi-Core	6445	5644

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

	Intel Core i7-3770K	Intel Core i5-6500
Single-Core	979	1004
Multi-Core	4061	3346

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-3770K	Intel Core i5-6500
Announcement date	April 01, 2012	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA1155	LGA 1151
Core name	Ivy Bridge	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	3	6
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	4
Bus rate	5 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	1760 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	77 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR3 1333/1600	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	32 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	25.6 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 i7-3770K is 8% 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 i7-3770K is better: 22
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-6500 is better: 11
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-3770K and Intel Core i5-6500 before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-3770K specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-6500 specs and review.