Intel Core i7-5960X vs Intel Core i7-6700K

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-5960X or Intel Core i7-5960X – 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 Intel Core i7-5960X features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2014 and belongs to the 5 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-5960X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011-3 socket.
The Intel Core i7-6700K features 4 processor cores and has the capability to manage 8 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2015 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-6700K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151 socket.
Intel Core i 5000X Group Intel Core i 6000
5 Generation 6
Intel Core i7-5960X Name Intel Core i7-6700K
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Family Intel Core i7
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-5960X has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-5960X is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.5 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i7-6700K has 4 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-6700K is 4.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.2 GHz.
3.2 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) 4.0 GHz
3.5 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.2 GHz
normal Core architecture normal
3.0 GHz Frequency 4.0 GHz
8 CPU Cores 4
Yes Overclocking Yes
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
8x Cores 4x
16 Threads 8
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-5960X does not have integrated graphics.
The Intel Core i7-6700K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-6700K uses the Intel HD Graphics 530, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.15 GHz
-- Technology 14 nm
-- Direct X 12
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 32.0 GB
-- Execution units 24
-- Release date Q3/2015
GPU name Intel HD Graphics 530
-- Shaders 192
-- GPU frequency 0.35 GHz
-- Generation 9
-- Max. displays --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

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.
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
-- VP9 Decode
-- VP8 Decode / Encode
-- VC-1 Decode
-- JPEG Decode / Encode
-- h264 Decode / Encode
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode
-- AVC Decode / Encode
-- AV1 No
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 64.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 68.2 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 64.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
DDR4-2133 Memory type DDR4-2133, DDR3-1866
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 34.1 GB/s
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
pci PCIe pci
64.0 GB Max. Memory 64.0 GB
4 Memory channels 2
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 140 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 91 W watts.
140 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 91 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-5960X is manufactured using a 22 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 20.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-6700K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 8.0 MB cache.
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
22 nm Technology 14 nm
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
-- Part Number --
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Q3/2014 Release date Q3/2015
829 $ Release price 420 $
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
20.0 MB L3-Cache 8.0 MB
LGA 2011-3 Socket LGA 1151
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Haswell E Architecture Skylake S
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
28928
28928
Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
17028
17028

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
7843
7843
Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
4459
4459

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
7640
7640
Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
4665
4665

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
4757
4757
Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
3773
3773

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
3944
3944
Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
2313
2313

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
1360
1360
Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
888
888

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
1347
1347
Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
1154
1154

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
1151
1151
Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
1002
1002

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
369.3
369.3
Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
254.1
254.1

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-6700K
4C 8T @ 4.0 GHz
180
180
Intel Core i7-5960X
8C 16T @ 3.0 GHz
177
177