Intel Core i7-6900K vs AMD Ryzen 5 1600

Processor comparisons 25-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-6900K vs AMD Ryzen 5 1600 and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here you can find useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, 3DMark, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, Blender, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, SuperPi, RealBench, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, WPrime, 7zip.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i7-6900K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6900K

54%

Ryzen 5 1600

53%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-6900K is 1% better than Ryzen 5 1600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6900K

55%

Ryzen 5 1600

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.2	93.8
Valorant	110.4	106.6
Cyberpunk 2077	61.8	59.7
Apex Legends	103.8	100.2
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	79.9
Overwatch	89.4	86.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.2	73.6
DOOM Eternal	55.2	53.3
Warzone	86.1	83.1
Assassin's Creed	92.7	89.5
Valheim	91.6	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 computers participating in the comparing 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. 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 i7-6900K

24%

Ryzen 5 1600

47%

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 Ryzen 5 1600 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6900K since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, 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 achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in 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 i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	207	147
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1439	1094
Cinbench 20 Single-core	484	357
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3668	2501
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1151	900
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11326	6230

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

	Intel Core i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Single-Core	2405	2063
Multi-Core	13871	12340

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

	Intel Core i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Single-Core	1016	932
Multi-Core	8971	5690

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	April 11, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2011-3	AM4
Core name	Broadwell E	Summit Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	6	2
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2800 millions	2800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2667
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	20 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD1600BBM6IAE YD1600BBAEBOX YD1600BBAEMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Core i7-6900K has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 1600. 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 i7-6900K is better: 27
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 1600 is better: 6
However, it should be understood that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-6900K and AMD Ryzen 5 1600 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-6900K - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-6900K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 1600 specs and review.