Core 2 Quad Q6600 vs A8-5600K
Aggregate performance score
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by an impressive 57% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing A8-5600K and Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1903 | 2261 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 3.69 | 1.77 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Desktop processor |
| Series | AMD A-Series (Desktop) | Core 2 Quad (Desktop) |
| Architecture codename | Trinity (2012−2013) | Kentsfield (2007) |
| Release date | 2 October 2012 (11 years ago) | no data |
| Current price | $52 | $67 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
A8-5600K has 108% better value for money than Core 2 Quad Q6600.
Detailed specifications
A8-5600K and Core 2 Quad Q6600 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 4 (Quad-Core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.6 GHz | no data |
| Boost clock speed | 3.9 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Bus support | no data | 1066 MHz |
| L1 cache | 128K (per core) | no data |
| L2 cache | 1 MB (per core) | no data |
| L3 cache | 0 KB | no data |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 65 nm |
| Die size | 246 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 74 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | 1,178 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
Compatibility
Information on A8-5600K and Core 2 Quad Q6600 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 1 | no data |
| Socket | FM2 | no data |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | 105 Watt |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by A8-5600K and Core 2 Quad Q6600 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by A8-5600K and Core 2 Quad Q6600. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | AMD Radeon HD 7560D | no data |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by 57% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by 57% in Passmark.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by 63% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by 38% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core
Cinebench R10 is an ancient ray tracing benchmark for processors by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. Its single core version uses just one CPU thread to render a futuristic looking motorcycle.
Benchmark coverage: 20%
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by 20% in Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core.
Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 10 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R10 using all the processor threads. Possible number of threads is limited by 16 in this version.
Benchmark coverage: 19%
3DMark06 CPU
3DMark06 is a discontinued DirectX 9 benchmark suite from Futuremark. Its CPU part contains two scenarios, one dedicated to artificial intelligence pathfinding, another to game physics using PhysX package.
Benchmark coverage: 19%
A8-5600K outperforms Core 2 Quad Q6600 by 21% in 3DMark06 CPU.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.84 | 1.17 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 65 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 100 Watt | 105 Watt |
The A8-5600K is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 2 Quad Q6600 in performance tests.
Should you still have questions on choice between A8-5600K and Core 2 Quad Q6600, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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