Core i7-6660U vs Core i5-2500K
Aggregated performance score
Core i5-2500K outperforms Core i7-6660U by 16% based on our aggregated benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 1608 | 1701 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.43 | no data |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | Core i5 (Desktop) | Intel Core i7 |
| Architecture codename | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| Release date | 9 January 2011 (13 years ago) | 20 March 2016 (8 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $216 | $415 |
| Current price | $196 (0.9x MSRP) | $54 (0.1x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U 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) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 3.3 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.7 GHz | 3.4 GHz |
| Bus support | no data | 4 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 64 KB (per core) | 128 KB |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 512 KB |
| L3 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 4 MB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 216 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | 73 °C | 100 °C |
| Number of transistors | 1,160 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
Compatibility
Information on Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U 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 | 1 |
| Socket | LGA1155 | FCBGA1356 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 15 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| eDRAM | no data | 64 MB |
| My WiFi | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | - | + |
| TSX | no data | + |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Flex Memory Access | + | + |
| SIPP | no data | + |
| Smart Response | no data | + |
| FDI | + | no data |
| Fast Memory Access | + | no data |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | no data | + |
| Identity Protection | + | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U are enumerated here.
| VT-d | - | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600 |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | 2 | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 21 GB/s | 34.1 GB/s |
| ECC memory support | - | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Intel HD Graphics 3000 | Intel Iris Graphics 540 |
| Max video memory | no data | 32 GB |
| Quick Sync Video | + | + |
| Clear Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video HD | + | + |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.1 GHz | 1.05 GHz |
| InTru 3D | + | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 2 | 3 |
| eDP | no data | + |
| DisplayPort | no data | + |
| HDMI | no data | + |
| DVI | no data | + |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | no data | + |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096x2304@24Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U.
| PCIe version | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | 12 |
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.
Core i5-2500K outperforms Core i7-6660U by 16% 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%
Core i5-2500K outperforms Core i7-6660U by 16% 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%
Core i7-6660U outperforms Core i5-2500K by 60% 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%
Core i7-6660U outperforms Core i5-2500K by 10% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 2.66 | 2.29 |
| Integrated graphics card | 0.66 | 3.03 |
| Recency | 9 January 2011 | 20 March 2016 |
| Physical cores | 4 | 2 |
| Cost | $216 | $415 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 95 Watt | 15 Watt |
The Core i5-2500K is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-6660U in performance tests.
Note that Core i5-2500K is a desktop processor while Core i7-6660U is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-2500K and Core i7-6660U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
