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

✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 530, while Ryzen 5 5600X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,933 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌40% higher power demand at 91W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $51 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 186.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 25.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 91W, a 26W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-6700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-6700K

2015

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 530, while Ryzen 5 5600X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +36.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $51 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 186.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 25.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 91W, a 26W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,933 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌40% higher power demand at 91W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-6700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i7-6700K?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 36.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 144.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 36.4% 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, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 144.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is $51 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $350 MSRP, and it gives you a 36.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 186.3% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 25.5 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2015), 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	207 FPS	203 FPS
medium	164 FPS	174 FPS
high	131 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	179 FPS	169 FPS
medium	141 FPS	141 FPS
high	111 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	85 FPS
medium	60 FPS	76 FPS
high	47 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	223 FPS	464 FPS
medium	220 FPS	387 FPS
high	199 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	168 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	397 FPS
medium	196 FPS	334 FPS
high	177 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	182 FPS	263 FPS
medium	159 FPS	226 FPS
high	135 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	223 FPS	546 FPS
medium	223 FPS	473 FPS
high	223 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	508 FPS
medium	223 FPS	413 FPS
high	223 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	223 FPS	348 FPS
medium	223 FPS	292 FPS
high	223 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	223 FPS	546 FPS
medium	223 FPS	546 FPS
high	223 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	223 FPS	546 FPS
medium	223 FPS	546 FPS
high	223 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	223 FPS	529 FPS
medium	223 FPS	484 FPS
high	223 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i7-6700K Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6700K and Ryzen 5 5600X

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 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-6700K packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i7-6700K versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i7-6700K uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6700K scores 8,933 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 83.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-6700K vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.6 GHz+10%
Base Clock	4 GHz+8%	3.7 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB+300%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	8,933	21,845+145%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2133 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 5600X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-6700K) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) — the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-6700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). The Core i7-6700K includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 530), while the Ryzen 5 5600X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-6700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-6700K	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 530	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-6700K launched at $350 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($350 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $51 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-6700K delivers 25.5 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 96.4% better value option.