Core i7-6900K vs Ryzen 5 5625U

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 i7-6900K

2016

Why buy it

✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,682 vs 14,717).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,089 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 5625U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌833.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 5625U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 140W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Core i7-6900K

2016

Ryzen 5 5625U

2022

Why buy it

✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 140W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,682 vs 14,717).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,089 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 5625U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌833.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5625U better than Core i7-6900K?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5625U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% 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 5625U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.3% 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 5625U is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5625U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 5625U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,089 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-6900K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2016 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (13.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2011.

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

Ryzen 5 5625U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i7-6900K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5625U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-6900K	Ryzen 5 5625U
1080p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	139 FPS	146 FPS
high	113 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	147 FPS
medium	113 FPS	123 FPS
high	90 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	78 FPS
medium	55 FPS	71 FPS
high	44 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i7-6900K Open Ryzen 5 5625U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-6900K	Ryzen 5 5625U
1080p
low	367 FPS	318 FPS
medium	329 FPS	276 FPS
high	274 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	230 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	282 FPS
medium	291 FPS	250 FPS
high	243 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	197 FPS
4K
low	212 FPS	222 FPS
medium	189 FPS	200 FPS
high	168 FPS	186 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	158 FPS

Open Core i7-6900K Open Ryzen 5 5625U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-6900K	Ryzen 5 5625U
1080p
low	367 FPS	368 FPS
medium	367 FPS	368 FPS
high	367 FPS	368 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	368 FPS
1440p
low	367 FPS	368 FPS
medium	367 FPS	368 FPS
high	367 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	338 FPS
medium	367 FPS	284 FPS
high	361 FPS	247 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	191 FPS

Open Core i7-6900K Open Ryzen 5 5625U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-6900K	Ryzen 5 5625U
1080p
low	367 FPS	368 FPS
medium	367 FPS	368 FPS
high	367 FPS	368 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	368 FPS
1440p
low	367 FPS	368 FPS
medium	367 FPS	368 FPS
high	367 FPS	368 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	368 FPS
4K
low	367 FPS	368 FPS
medium	367 FPS	368 FPS
high	367 FPS	365 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	315 FPS

Open Core i7-6900K Open Ryzen 5 5625U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6900K and Ryzen 5 5625U

Core i7-6900K

The Core i7-6900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 May 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,682 points. Launch price was $1,020.

Ryzen 5 5625U

The Ryzen 5 5625U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,717 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-6900K packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5625U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-6900K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-6900K versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5625U — a 7.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5625U (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-6900K uses the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5625U uses Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6900K scores 14,682 against the Ryzen 5 5625U's 14,717 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5625U. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i7-6900K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5625U.

Feature	Core i7-6900K	Ryzen 5 5625U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.3 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+39%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Broadwell-E (2016)	Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023)
PassMark	14,682	14,717
Geekbench 6 Single	1,273	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,591	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6900K uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5625U uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.