Intel Core i7-3770K vs Intel Core i7-2600

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-3770K vs Intel Core i7-2600 and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Furmark, WPrime, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, Blender, SuperPi, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Blender.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-2600 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 i7-2600

51%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-3770K

52%

Core i7-2600

51%

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 run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches 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 final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Control, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.1	91.3
Valorant	104.7	103.7
Cyberpunk 2077	58.6	58.1
Apex Legends	98.4	97.5
Call of Duty Warzone	78.5	77.8
Overwatch	84.8	84.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.2	71.6
DOOM Eternal	52.4	51.9
Warzone	81.7	80.9
Assassin's Creed	88.0	87.1
Valheim	86.9	86.1

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD 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 i7-3770K

42%

Core i7-2600

29%

To make a finishing decision 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 i7-3770K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-2600 since it has less power consumption: 77W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 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 i7-3770K	Intel Core i7-2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	137	124
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	672	568
Cinbench 20 Single-core	286	257
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1391	1824
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1016	759
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3503	3647

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

	Intel Core i7-3770K	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	2049	1751
Multi-Core	6445	5341

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

	Intel Core i7-3770K	Intel Core i7-2600
Single-Core	979	844
Multi-Core	4061	3227

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 i7-3770K	Intel Core i7-2600
Announcement date	April 01, 2012	October 01, 2010
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1155
Core name	Ivy Bridge	Sandy Bridge
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	3
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	3.8 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	77 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR3 1333/1600	DDR3 1066/1333
Max. Memory	32 Gb	32 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	21 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	8 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 2% better than Core i7-2600 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: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-2600 is better: 2
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-3770K and Intel Core i7-2600 before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-3770K specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-2600 specs and review.