Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   If there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, rendering, programming, video editing. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as 7zip, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, PCMark 10, Handbrake, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, WPrime, Blender, RealBench, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, Gears 5, Furmark, PassMark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 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 PRO 2600

54%

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 PRO 2600. 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 PRO 2600

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. 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 other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	94.0
Valorant	113.0	106.8
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	59.8
Apex Legends	106.2	100.4
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	80.1
Overwatch	91.5	86.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	73.7
DOOM Eternal	56.5	53.4
Warzone	88.1	83.3
Assassin's Creed	94.9	89.7
Valheim	93.8	88.6

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So 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 PRO 2600

54%

To make a finishing resolution 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 PRO 2600 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. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. 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 program 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 work, and all the advantages 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 PRO 2600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	172
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1347
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	442
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	2976
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1145
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	7928

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
Single-Core	2377	2281
Multi-Core	17125	13702

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
Single-Core	1204	1059
Multi-Core	11187	5863

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce 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 i7-6950X	AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	April 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	AM4
Core name	Broadwell E	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	6	2
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.9 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count		3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	25 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD260BBBM6IAF YD260BBBAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 is 11% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 more core than Ryzen 5 PRO 2600. 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: 24
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 is better: 11
However, it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 before making a choice which of the processors 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 PRO 2600 specs and review.