Core i7-6700K vs Ryzen 5 3400GE

CPU

GPU

Core i7-6700K

4 Cores8 Thrd91 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2015

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Ryzen 5 3400GE

4 Cores8 Thrd35 WWMax: 4 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-6700K

4 / 8

8,933

+1.2%

8,825

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-6700K

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 530, while Ryzen 5 3400GE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.5 vs 59.2 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌160% higher power demand at 91W vs 35W.

Ryzen 5 3400GE

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 132.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 59.2 vs 25.5 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 91W, a 56W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-6700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,825 vs 8,933).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-6700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-6700K

2015

Ryzen 5 3400GE

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 530, while Ryzen 5 3400GE needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Costs $201 less on MSRP ($149 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 132.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 59.2 vs 25.5 PassMark/$ ($149 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 91W, a 56W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.5 vs 59.2 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $149 MSRP).
❌160% higher power demand at 91W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-6700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,825 vs 8,933).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-6700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-6700K better than Ryzen 5 3400GE?

Yes. Core i7-6700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.2% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-6700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.9% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-6700K is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i7-6700K is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i7-6700K is 134.9% more expensive on MSRP at $350 MSRP versus $149 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3400GE only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. At roughly 8,825 PassMark with 4 cores and 8 threads, it only makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 3400GE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2015). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-6700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3400GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
1080p
low	207 FPS	172 FPS
medium	164 FPS	151 FPS
high	131 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	179 FPS	143 FPS
medium	141 FPS	121 FPS
high	111 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	65 FPS
medium	60 FPS	58 FPS
high	47 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 3400GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
1080p
low	223 FPS	218 FPS
medium	220 FPS	189 FPS
high	199 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	168 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	187 FPS
medium	196 FPS	161 FPS
high	177 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	182 FPS	138 FPS
medium	159 FPS	123 FPS
high	135 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	70 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 3400GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
1080p
low	223 FPS	221 FPS
medium	223 FPS	221 FPS
high	223 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	221 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	221 FPS
medium	223 FPS	221 FPS
high	223 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	221 FPS
4K
low	223 FPS	221 FPS
medium	223 FPS	221 FPS
high	223 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 3400GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
1080p
low	223 FPS	221 FPS
medium	223 FPS	221 FPS
high	223 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	221 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	221 FPS
medium	223 FPS	221 FPS
high	223 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	221 FPS
4K
low	223 FPS	221 FPS
medium	223 FPS	221 FPS
high	223 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 3400GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6700K and Ryzen 5 3400GE

Core i7-6700K

The Core i7-6700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 August 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 91 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 8,933 points. Launch price was $339.

Ryzen 5 3400GE

The Ryzen 5 3400GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 8,825 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-6700K and Ryzen 5 3400GE share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i7-6700K versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3400GE — a 4.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-6700K (base: 4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-6700K uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3400GE uses Picasso (2019−2022) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6700K scores 8,933 against the Ryzen 5 3400GE's 8,825 — a 1.2% lead for the Core i7-6700K. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-6700K vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3400GE.

Feature	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+5%	4 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+21%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Picasso (2019−2022)
PassMark	8,933+1%	8,825

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 3400GE uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-6700K) / not specified (Ryzen 5 3400GE). The Core i7-6700K includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 530), while the Ryzen 5 3400GE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-6700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 3400GE
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 530	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-6700K launched at $350 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3400GE debuted at $149. On MSRP ($350 vs $149), the Ryzen 5 3400GE is $201 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-6700K delivers 25.5 pts/$ vs 59.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3400GE — making the Ryzen 5 3400GE the 79.5% better value option.