Intel Core i7-6850K vs Intel Core i5-8600K

Processor comparisons   19-02-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-6850K vs Intel Core i5-8600K and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering, programming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, WPrime, MATLAB, PassMark, SuperPi, Prime95, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, Blender, Handbrake, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-8600K or Intel Core i7-6850K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6850K

53%

Core i5-8600K

53%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6850K

54%

Core i5-8600K

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.3	93.9
Valorant	108.2	106.7
Cyberpunk 2077	60.6	59.7
Apex Legends	101.7	100.3
Call of Duty Warzone	81.2	80.0
Overwatch	87.7	86.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.7	73.6
DOOM Eternal	54.1	53.3
Warzone	84.4	83.2
Assassin's Creed	90.9	89.6
Valheim	89.8	88.5

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6850K

28%

Core i5-8600K

41%

To make a final decision 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 i5-8600K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6850K as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 95W. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program 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 work, and all the benefit 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 i7-6850K	Intel Core i5-8600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	182	183
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1169	1040
Cinbench 20 Single-core	436	406
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2625	2181
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1101	1318
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	6838	7339

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

	Intel Core i7-6850K	Intel Core i5-8600K
Single-Core	2437	2600
Multi-Core	11192	10237

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

	Intel Core i7-6850K	Intel Core i5-8600K
Single-Core	1200	1191
Multi-Core	7113	5753

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest 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 i7-6850K	Intel Core i5-8600K
Announcement date	June 13, 2016	October 12, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2011-3	FCLGA1151
Core name	Broadwell E	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	8
Turbo Frequency	3.8 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	6
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2800 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	15 MB	9 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. 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 i7-6850K is better: 19
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-8600K is better: 11
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6850K and Intel Core i5-8600K before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-6850K - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-6850K specs and review.

Intel Core i5-8600K - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-8600K specs and review.