Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i5-10600K

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   For example you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i5-10600K and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like UserBenchmark, WPrime, SuperPi, RealBench, Prime95, PassMark, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, Furmark, Blender, VeraCrypt, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10600K 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 i5-10600K

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 Core i5-10600K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Core i5-10600K

55%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	97.0
Valorant	113.0	110.2
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	61.7
Apex Legends	106.2	103.6
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	82.7
Overwatch	91.5	89.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	76.1
DOOM Eternal	56.5	55.1
Warzone	88.1	86.0
Assassin's Creed	94.9	92.6
Valheim	93.8	91.5

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 tested computers not only did they have 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. 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 i5-10600K

39%

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 Core i5-10600K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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 streaming, programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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. Because there are still many programs that can 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 i5-10600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	215
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3629
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1376
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	10379

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	2377	2967
Multi-Core	17125	14674

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-10600K
Single-Core	1204	1495
Multi-Core	11187	8815

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-10600K
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	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	4.1 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	125 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 i5-10600K is 26% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 more core than Core i5-10600K. 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: 19
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10600K is better: 14
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Core i5-10600K before making a decision 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.

• Intel Core i5-10600K specs and review.