Intel Core i7-7700K vs Intel Core i7-6700K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-7700K vs Intel Core i7-6700K and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, rendering, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as VeraCrypt, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, MATLAB, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, 3DMark, Blender, PassMark, UserBenchmark, Blender, Gears 5, 7zip, RealBench, Prime95.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6700K or Intel Core i7-7700K.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-7700K

52%

Core i7-6700K

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-7700K

53%

Core i7-6700K

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Hitman 3, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.7	93.6
Valorant	106.5	106.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	59.6
Apex Legends	100.1	100.0
Call of Duty Warzone	79.9	79.8
Overwatch	86.3	86.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.5	73.4
DOOM Eternal	53.3	53.2
Warzone	83.1	83.0
Assassin's Creed	89.5	89.4
Valheim	88.4	88.3

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K 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 i7-7700K

49%

Core i7-6700K

45%

To make a final resolution 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 i7-7700K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6700K since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, 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 turns on all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 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 i7-7700K	Intel Core i7-6700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	200	180
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	995	888
Cinbench 20 Single-core	466	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2257	2059
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1216	1124
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	6055	5640

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

	Intel Core i7-7700K	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	2791	2556
Multi-Core	9750	8984

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

	Intel Core i7-7700K	Intel Core i7-6700K
Single-Core	1412	1308
Multi-Core	5637	5516

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 can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-7700K	Intel Core i7-6700K
Announcement date	October 01, 2016	April 01, 2015
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA 1151	LGA1151
Core name	Kaby Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	6
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	4.2 MHz	4 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	8	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1760 millions	1750 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V
Max. Memory	64 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		34.1 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	8 MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 i7-7700K is 4% better than Core i7-6700K in terms of CPU frequency. 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 i7-7700K is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6700K is better: 1
Although it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i7-7700K and Intel Core i7-6700K before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-7700K specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-6700K specs and review.