Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500X

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as MATLAB, SuperPi, Prime95, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, 7zip, Blender, AIDA64, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, 3DMark, Furmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3500X or Intel Core i7-6950X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6950X

55%

Ryzen 5 3500X

54%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-6950X is 1% better than Ryzen 5 3500X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Ryzen 5 3500X

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small 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: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Control, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	94.1
Valorant	113.0	106.9
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	59.9
Apex Legends	106.2	100.5
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	80.2
Overwatch	91.5	86.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	73.8
DOOM Eternal	56.5	53.5
Warzone	88.1	83.4
Assassin's Creed	94.9	89.8
Valheim	93.8	88.7

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. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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 i7-6950X

28%

Ryzen 5 3500X

65%

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 Ryzen 5 3500X is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 140W 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, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes 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 you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 run, 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 i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1129
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	464
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	2652
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1126
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	7797

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Single-Core	2377	2562
Multi-Core	17125	13476

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Single-Core	1204	1272
Multi-Core	11187	5963

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	September 24, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	AM4
Core name	Broadwell E	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	6	3
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	6
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count		4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	25 MB	32MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000158 100-100000158CBX 100-100000158MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3500X is 16% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 more core than Ryzen 5 3500X. 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 i7-6950X is better: 21
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3500X is better: 15
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and AMD Ryzen 5 3500X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500X specs and review.