AMD Ryzen 5 2500X vs Intel Core i7-6900K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

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CPU lineage

AMD Ryzen 5 2500X or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2500X features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2018 and belongs to the 2 generation of the AMD Ryzen 5 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 5 2500X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
The Intel Core i7-6900K features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2016 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-6900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011-3 socket.
2 Generation 6
AMD Ryzen 5 Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
AMD Ryzen 2000 Group Intel Core i 6000
AMD Ryzen 5 2500X Name Intel Core i7-6900K
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen 5 2500X has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 5 2500X is 3.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.0 GHz.
The Intel Core i7-6900K has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-6900K is 3.2 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.7 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
4 CPU Cores 8
8 Threads 16
4.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 3.7 GHz
3.6 GHz Frequency 3.2 GHz
4x Cores 8x
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Overclocking Yes
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
3.8 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The AMD Ryzen 5 2500X does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i7-6900K does not have integrated graphics.
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GPU name
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
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Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

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Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- JPEG --
-- h264 --
-- AV1 --
-- VP9 --
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
-- AVC --
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
-- VP8 --
-- VC-1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 4
64.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
DDR4-2933 Memory type DDR4-2400
Yes AES-NI Yes
46.9 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
Yes ECC No
pci PCIe pci
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 95 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 140 W watts.
95 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 140 W
95 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen 5 2500X is manufactured using a 12 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 16.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-6900K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 20.0 MB cache.
Q2/2018 Release date Q2/2016
Pinnacle Ridge (Zen+) Architecture Skylake S
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Chiplet Chip design Monolithic
16.0 MB L3-Cache 20.0 MB
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
12 nm Technology 14 nm
AM4 (PGA 1331) Socket LGA 2011-3
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
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Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes