Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600U

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600U and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like 3DMark, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, 7zip, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, Gears 5, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PassMark, AIDA64, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, VeraCrypt, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 5600U 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 5600U

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 5600U. 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 5600U

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	94.2
Valorant	113.0	107.1
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	60.0
Apex Legends	106.2	100.7
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	80.3
Overwatch	91.5	86.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	73.9
DOOM Eternal	56.5	53.5
Warzone	88.1	83.5
Assassin's Creed	94.9	90.0
Valheim	93.8	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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 i7-6950X

28%

Ryzen 5 5600U

281%

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 5600U is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 15W. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes 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 software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
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 5600U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	185
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1446
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	475
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3194
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1232
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	8533

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Single-Core	2377	2535
Multi-Core	17125	14703

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Single-Core	1204	1268
Multi-Core	11187	6116

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, 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. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600U
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	January 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FP6
Core name	Broadwell E	Cezanne
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	6	3
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count		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	25 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 i7-6950X is 23% better than Ryzen 5 5600U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 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 i7-6950X is better: 23
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 5600U is better: 10
Although it should be realized that all the figures 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 reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6950X and AMD Ryzen 5 5600U before making a choice 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 5600U - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 5 5600U specs and review.