Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i5-10500

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i5-10500 tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, 3DMark, SuperPi, 7zip, Handbrake, Blender, Blender, RealBench, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10500 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%

Core i5-10500

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i7-6950X is 1% better than Core i5-10500. 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%

Core i5-10500

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	95.4
Valorant	113.0	108.4
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	60.7
Apex Legends	106.2	101.9
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	81.3
Overwatch	91.5	87.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	74.8
DOOM Eternal	56.5	54.2
Warzone	88.1	84.5
Assassin's Creed	94.9	91.0
Valheim	93.8	90.0

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K 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%

Core i5-10500

61%

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 Core i5-10500 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly 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, streaming, programming, video rendering or video editing, 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 reach maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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. 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	Intel Core i5-10500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	201
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1491
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	467
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3392
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1082
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	8209

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-10500
Single-Core	2377	2743
Multi-Core	17125	13414

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-10500
Single-Core	1204	1196
Multi-Core	11187	7233

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-10500
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCLGA1200
Core name	Broadwell E	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	10
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	25 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-10500 is 3% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 more core than Core i5-10500. 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: 22
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10500 is better: 11
However, it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Core i5-10500 before making a choice which processor 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.

• Intel Core i5-10500 specs and review.