Intel Core i7-6900K vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600U

Processor comparisons 25-03-2021

   For example you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-6900K vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600U and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming, rendering. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as Blender, RealBench, Prime95, Furmark, 7zip, MATLAB, Handbrake, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, AIDA64, Gears 5, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 5600U 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 5600U

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6900K

55%

Ryzen 5 5600U

53%

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 CPU comparisons were performed: Microsoft Flight Simulator, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Control, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.2	94.2
Valorant	110.4	107.1
Cyberpunk 2077	61.8	60.0
Apex Legends	103.8	100.7
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	80.3
Overwatch	89.4	86.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.2	73.9
DOOM Eternal	55.2	53.5
Warzone	86.1	83.5
Assassin's Creed	92.7	90.0
Valheim	91.6	88.9

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6900K

24%

Ryzen 5 5600U

281%

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 5600U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6900K as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 15W. 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses 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 program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can 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 i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	207	185
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1439	1446
Cinbench 20 Single-core	484	475
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3668	3194
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1151	1232
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11326	8533

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

	Intel Core i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Single-Core	2405	2535
Multi-Core	13871	14703

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

	Intel Core i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Single-Core	1016	1268
Multi-Core	8971	6116

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-6900K	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	January 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA2011-3	FP6
Core name	Broadwell E	Cezanne
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	6	3
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	2800 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4 - Up to 3200MHz
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	20 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000287

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-6900K is 28% better than Ryzen 5 5600U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6900K has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 5600U. 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: 22
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 5600U is better: 11
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6900K and AMD Ryzen 5 5600U before making a choice which of the processors 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 5600U - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 5 5600U specs and review.