Core i5-6600K vs Core i7-2600

General info

Comparing Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1436	1302
Place by popularity	57	not in top-100
Value for money	1.81	0.88
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	no data	Intel Core i5 (Desktop)
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Skylake (2015−2016)
Release date	9 January 2011 (13 years old)	1 September 2015 (8 years old)
Launch price (MSRP)	$247	$242
Current price	$69 (0.3x MSRP)	$252 (1x MSRP)

Value for money

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-2600 has 106% better value for money than i5-6600K.

Technical specs

Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K 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	8	4
Base clock speed	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.8 GHz	3.9 GHz
Bus support	no data	4 × 8 GT/s
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	256 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	1 MB
L3 cache	8192 KB (shared)	6 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Die size	216 mm2	122 mm2
Maximum core temperature	73 °C	64 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	72 °C
Number of transistors	1,160 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K 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	FCLGA1151
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	91 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K. 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)	+	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
TSX	no data	+
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	no data
SIPP	no data	-
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K 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 i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K are enumerated here.

AMD-V	no data	+
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3, DDR4
Maximum memory size	32 GB	64 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 2000	Intel HD Graphics 530
Max video memory	no data	64 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video	no data	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.35 GHz	1.15 GHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K 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 i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K 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
Max resolution over VGA	no data	N/A

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K 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 i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K.

PCIe version	2.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	16	16

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 i5-6600K outperforms Core i7-2600 by 18% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

---

Advantages and disadvantages

---

Performance score	3.46	4.09
Integrated graphics card		2.58
Recency	9 January 2011	1 September 2015
Threads	8	4
Cost	$247	$242
Chip lithography	32 nm	14 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	91 Watt

---

Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2600 and Core i5-6600K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.

---