Intel Core i7-6900K vs Intel Core i7-6950X. Specifications, performance, tests

Comprehensive background on the processors being compared, detailing their series, generation, and targeted market segment.

• Segment
  Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
• Family
  Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
• Generation
  6 6
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 6000 Intel Core i 6000X

Essential parameters including the number of cores, threads, base and turbo frequencies, and cache size. These metrics provide insight into the processor’s speed—higher values generally indicate better performance.

• Frequency
  3.20 GHz 3.00 GHz
• CPU Cores
  8 10
• Turbo (1 Core)
  3.70 GHz 3.50 GHz
• CPU Threads
  16 20
• Hyperthreading
  Yes Yes
• Overclocking
  Yes Yes
• Core architecture
  normal normal

The integrated graphics (iGPU) do not influence the CPU performance significantly; they serve as a substitute for a dedicated graphics card in the absence of one or are utilized in mobile devices.

• GPU name
  no iGPU no iGPU
• GPU (Turbo)
  No turbo No turbo

This section details the built-in codecs used for encoding and decoding media content, which significantly enhance processing speed and efficiency.

• h265 / HEVC (8 bit)
  No No
• h265 / HEVC (10 bit)
  No No
• h264
  No No
• VP9
  No No
• VP8
  No No
• AV1
  No No
• AVC
  No No
• VC-1
  No No
• JPEG
  No No

Overview of the types and quantities of RAM supported by Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Core i7-6900K. The supported memory frequencies may vary depending on the motherboard configuration.

• Memory type
  DDR4-2400 DDR4-2400
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  4 4
• PCIe version
  3.0 3.0
• PCIe lanes
  40 40

• AES-NI
  Yes Yes

Analyze the TDP (Thermal Design Power) requirements of Intel Core i7-6900K and Intel Core i7-6950X to make an informed decision on the appropriate cooling system. Remember that TDP refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  140 W 140 W

Information on architecture, interfaces, and additional instructions supported by Intel Core i7-6900K and Intel Core i7-6950X, including virtual machine technologies and fabrication processes.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
• L3-Cache
  20.00 MB 25.00 MB
• Architecture
  Skylake S Broadwell E
• Technology
  14 nm 14 nm
• Socket
  LGA 2011-3 LGA 2011-3
• Release date
  Q2/2016 Q2/2016