Intel Core i9-9900K vs Intel Core i7-6950X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-9900K or Intel Core i9-9900K – 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 i9-9900K features 8 processor cores and has the capability to manage 16 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2018 and belongs to the 9 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-9900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151-2 socket.
The Intel Core i7-6950X features 10 processor cores and has the capability to manage 20 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 i7-6950X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011-3 socket.
Intel Core i 9000 Group Intel Core i 6000X
9 Generation 6
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-9900K Name Intel Core i7-6950X
Intel Core i9 Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-9900K has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-9900K is 3.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.0 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i7-6950X has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-6950X is 3.0 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.5 GHz.
16 Threads 20
8x Cores 10x
8 CPU Cores 10
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking Yes
5.0 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 3.5 GHz
3.6 GHz Frequency 3.0 GHz
4.7 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-9900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-9900K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, 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.
The Intel Core i7-6950X does not have integrated graphics.
192 Shaders --
Q4/2017 Release date --
14 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
24 Execution units --
0.35 GHz GPU frequency --
9.5 Generation --
1.2 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU name
 
 

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

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 39.5 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.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2666 Memory type DDR4-2400
No ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 4
39.5 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
 
 

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
100 °C Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-9900K is manufactured using a 14 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 i7-6950X is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 25.0 MB cache.
Q4/2018 Release date Q2/2016
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
14 nm Technology 14 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
650 $ Release price --
Coffee Lake S Refresh Architecture Broadwell E
16.0 MB L3-Cache 25.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 1151-2 Socket LGA 2011-3
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
35769
35769
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
32399
32399

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
18702
18702
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
17377
17377

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
12812
12812
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
12713
12713

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
8993
8993
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
8779
8779

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
8182
8182
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
7421
7421

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
6250
6250
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
3387
3387

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
5950
5950
Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
5502
5502

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
2245
2245
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
1819
1819

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
1650
1650
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
1237
1237

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
1342
1342
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
974
974

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
1294
1294
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
1091
1091

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
219
219
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
152
152

Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-9900K
8C 16T @ 3.6 GHz
21.2
21.2
Intel Core i7-6950X
10C 20T @ 3.0 GHz
19.1
19.1