Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i7-11800H

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i7-11800H and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like WPrime, AIDA64, RealBench, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, 3DMark, Blender, MATLAB, PCMark 10, PassMark, SuperPi.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-11800H 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 i7-11800H

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Core i7-11800H

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	96.5
Valorant	113.0	109.7
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	61.4
Apex Legends	106.2	103.1
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	82.3
Overwatch	91.5	88.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	75.7
DOOM Eternal	56.5	54.8
Warzone	88.1	85.6
Assassin's Creed	94.9	92.1
Valheim	93.8	91.0

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Core i7-11800H

133%

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 Core i7-11800H is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 40W. Power consumption is particularly 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. 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 work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i7-11800H
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	223
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	1629
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	534
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	3699
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1249
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	12194

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i7-11800H
Single-Core	2377	2925
Multi-Core	17125	17071

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i7-11800H
Single-Core	1204	1598
Multi-Core	11187	8354

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i7-11800H
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	March 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCBGA1440
Core name	Broadwell E	Tiger Lake-H
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	11
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	20	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		8200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	40 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	25 MB	24 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 23% better than Core i7-11800H in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 2 more core than Core i7-11800H. 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 i7-11800H is better: 12
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Core i7-11800H 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 i7-11800H specs and review.