Core i7-4600U vs Core i7-2600

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1449	1916
Place by popularity	49	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.81	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Series	no data	Intel Core i7
Architecture codename	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Haswell-ULT (2013)
Release date	9 January 2011 (13 years ago)	1 September 2013 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$247	$398
Current price	$93 (0.4x MSRP)	$441 (1.1x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U 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	8	4
Base clock speed	3.4 GHz	2.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.8 GHz	3.3 GHz
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	256K (per core)
L3 cache	8192 KB (shared)	4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Die size	216 mm2	118 mm2
Maximum core temperature	73 °C	100 °C
Number of transistors	1,160 million	1,300 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U 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	FCBGA1168
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U. 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	+
Smart Response	no data	+
GPIO	no data	+
Smart Connect	no data	+
FDI	+	+
Fast Memory Access	+	no data
AMT	no data	9.5
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued
HD Audio	no data	+
RST	no data	+

Security technologies

Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	no data	+
Identity Protection	+	+
Anti-Theft	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U 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 i7-4600U. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	21 GB/s	25.6 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 4400
Max video memory	no data	2 GB
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	+
Graphics max frequency	1.35 GHz	1.1 GHz
InTru 3D	+	+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	2	3
eDP	no data	+
DisplayPort	no data	+
HDMI	no data	+
VGA	no data	+

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	3200x2000@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	3200x2000@60Hz
Max resolution over VGA	no data	N/A

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	11.2/12
OpenGL	no data	4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U.

PCIe version	2.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	12
PCI support	no data	-
USB revision	no data	3.0
Total number of SATA ports	no data	4
Max number of SATA 6 Gb/s Ports	no data	4
Integrated IDE	no data	-
Number of USB ports	no data	4
Integrated LAN	no data	-
UART	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.

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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 i7-2600 outperforms Core i7-4600U by 98% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	3.46	1.75
Integrated graphics card		1.35
Recency	9 January 2011	1 September 2013
Physical cores	4	2
Threads	8	4
Cost	$247	$398
Chip lithography	32 nm	22 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	95 Watt	15 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-2600 and Core i7-4600U, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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