Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600 tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, streaming, machine learning, programming, rendering. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, 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 joint testing in software tests like DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, SuperPi, PassMark, RealBench, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, VeraCrypt, Blender, Furmark, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Ryzen 5 3600

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	94.7
Valorant	113.0	107.6
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	60.3
Apex Legends	106.2	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	80.7
Overwatch	91.5	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	74.3
DOOM Eternal	56.5	53.8
Warzone	88.1	83.9
Assassin's Creed	94.9	90.4
Valheim	93.8	89.3

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: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Ryzen 5 3600

63%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 3600 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 use only one core to run, 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 i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1578
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	472
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1253
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	9412

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	2377	2611
Multi-Core	17125	17872

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	1204	1238
Multi-Core	11187	6578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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, 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 economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	July 07, 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	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
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	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000031 100-100000031BOX 100-100000031MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600. 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 3600 is better: 14
The summary data in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6950X and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

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 3600 specs and review.