i5-6500 vs i7-4950HQ
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-4950HQ outperforms Core i5-6500 by a moderate 17% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 1379 | 1513 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 29 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 0.75 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i7 | Intel Core i5 (Desktop) |
| Power efficiency | 8.34 | 5.16 |
| Architecture codename | Crystalwell (2013−2014) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| Release date | 2 June 2013 (11 years ago) | 1 September 2015 (9 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $657 | $192 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 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 | 2.4 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.6 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Bus type | DMI 2.0 | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | 24 | 32 |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 256 KB |
| L2 cache | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 6 MB | 6 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 264 mm2 | 122 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 100 °C | no data |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 100 °C | 72 °C |
| Number of transistors | 1,400 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 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 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | FCBGA1364 | FCLGA1151 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 47 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| My WiFi | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| TSX | + | + |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| SIPP | - | + |
| FDI | + | no data |
Security technologies
Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | + | + |
| MPX | - | + |
| Identity Protection | + | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
| Anti-Theft | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | + |
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500. 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 | 25.6 GB/s | 34.134 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card Compare | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 | Intel HD Graphics 530 |
| Max video memory | 2 GB | 64 GB |
| Quick Sync Video | + | + |
| Clear Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video HD | + | + |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.3 GHz | 1.05 GHz |
| InTru 3D | + | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 3 | 3 |
| eDP | + | + |
| DisplayPort | + | + |
| HDMI | + | + |
| DVI | no data | + |
| VGA | + | no data |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | no data | + |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | 3840x2160@30Hz | 4096x2304@24Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | 3840x2160@60Hz | 4096x2304@60Hz |
| Max resolution over VGA | 2880x1800@60Hz | N/A |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | 11.2/12 | 12 |
| OpenGL | 4.3 | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500.
| PCIe version | 3 | 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.
Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core
Cinebench Release 11.5 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R11.5 which uses all the processor threads. A maximum of 64 threads is supported in this version.
Cinebench 11.5 64-bit single-core
Cinebench R11.5 is an old benchmark by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version loads a single thread with ray tracing to render a glossy room full of crystal spheres and light sources.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 4.30 | 3.68 |
| Integrated graphics card | 3.07 | 2.59 |
| Recency | 2 June 2013 | 1 September 2015 |
| Threads | 8 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 47 Watt | 65 Watt |
i7-4950HQ has a 16.8% higher aggregate performance score, 18.5% faster integrated GPU, 100% more threads, and 38.3% lower power consumption.
i5-6500, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 2 years, and a 57.1% more advanced lithography process.
The Core i7-4950HQ is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i5-6500 in performance tests.
Be aware that Core i7-4950HQ is a notebook processor while Core i5-6500 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4950HQ and Core i5-6500, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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