Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i5-11500

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i5-11500 and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like 3DMark, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Prime95, PCMark 10, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, RealBench, 7zip, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, Handbrake, Blender.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11500 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 i5-11500

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Core i5-11500

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs 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 final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	95.7
Valorant	113.0	108.8
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	60.9
Apex Legends	106.2	102.3
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	81.6
Overwatch	91.5	88.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	75.1
DOOM Eternal	56.5	54.4
Warzone	88.1	84.9
Assassin's Creed	94.9	91.4
Valheim	93.8	90.3

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Core i5-11500

81%

To make a finishing 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 i5-11500 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can 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	Intel Core i5-11500
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	186
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1783
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	435
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3994
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1135
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	10572

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-11500
Single-Core	2377	2532
Multi-Core	17125	19286

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i5-11500
Single-Core	1204	1584
Multi-Core	11187	7583

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest 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	Intel Core i5-11500
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCLGA1200
Core name	Broadwell E	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	11
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	2.7 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth		50 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		3 MB
L3 cache	25 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	No
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 i7-6950X is 9% better than Core i5-11500 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 4 more core than Core i5-11500. 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: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11500 is better: 14
Although it should be understood that all the number in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Core i5-11500 before deciding 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 i5-11500 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-11500 specs and review.