Intel Core i7-6700 vs Intel Core i7-8700

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-6700 vs Intel Core i7-8700 and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Gears 5, VeraCrypt, Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, WPrime, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Blender, 3DMark, RealBench, PassMark, Blender.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700 or Intel Core i7-6700.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6700

52%

Core i7-8700

53%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-8700 is 1% better than Core i7-6700. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6700

52%

Core i7-8700

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	92.4	94.8
Valorant	105.0	107.7
Cyberpunk 2077	58.8	60.3
Apex Legends	98.7	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	78.8	80.8
Overwatch	85.1	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.5	74.3
DOOM Eternal	52.5	53.8
Warzone	81.9	84.0
Assassin's Creed	88.2	90.4
Valheim	87.2	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 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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So 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 i7-6700

56%

Core i7-8700

64%

To make a finishing choice 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 i7-8700 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6700 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly 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 video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes 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 find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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 i7-6700	Intel Core i7-8700
Cinbench 15 Single-core	171	203
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	816	1434
Cinbench 20 Single-core	406	481
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1774	3547
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1071	1146
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	4921	7969

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

	Intel Core i7-6700	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	2325	2706
Multi-Core	8025	13125

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

	Intel Core i7-6700	Intel Core i7-8700
Single-Core	1095	1260
Multi-Core	4353	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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6700	Intel Core i7-8700
Announcement date	April 01, 2015	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA 1151	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Skylake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	8
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2800 millions	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 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	8 MB	12 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 i7-6700 is 5% better than Core i7-8700 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-8700 has 2 more core than Core i7-6700. 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 i7-6700 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700 is better: 29
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6700 and Intel Core i7-8700 before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-6700 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700 specs and review.