Intel Core i9-10900K vs Intel Core i7-6850K

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i9-10900K or Intel Core i9-10900K – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i9-10900K features 10 processor cores and has the capability to manage 20 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2020 and belongs to the 10 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-10900K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1200 socket.
The Intel Core i7-6850K features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2016 and belongs to the 6 generation of the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition series.
To use the Intel Core i7-6850K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2011-3 socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i9-10900K Name Intel Core i7-6850K
Intel Core i9 Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition
10 Generation 6
Intel Core i 10000 Group Intel Core i 6000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-10900K has 10 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-10900K is 3.7 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 5.3 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i7-6850K has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-6850K is 3.6 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.8 GHz.
5.3 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 3.8 GHz
Yes Overclocking Yes
normal Core architecture normal
3.7 GHz Frequency 3.6 GHz
20 Threads 12
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
10 CPU Cores 6
10x Cores 6x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i9-10900K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i9-10900K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i7-6850K does not have integrated graphics.
0.35 GHz GPU frequency --
Q4/2017 Release date --
12 Direct X --
Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU name
14 nm Technology --
-- Max. displays --
192 Shaders --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
24 Execution units --
9.5 Generation --
1.2 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 45.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
2 Memory channels 4
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
No ECC No
45.8 GB/s Bandwidth 76.8 GB/s
DDR4-2933 Memory type DDR4-2400
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 125 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 140 W watts.
100 °C Tjunction max 100 °C
125 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 140 W
95 W TDP down None
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-10900K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 20.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i7-6850K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 15.0 MB cache.
Q2/2020 Release date Q2/2016
-- Part Number --
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
Comet Lake S Architecture Skylake S
14 nm Technology 14 nm
LGA 1200 Socket LGA 2011-3
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
490 $ Release price 628 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
20.0 MB L3-Cache 15.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
23706
23706
Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
11397
11397

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
11344
11344
Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
6711
6711

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
8990
8990
Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
6214
6214

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
7347
7347
Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
3480
3480

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
1743
1743
Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
1302
1302

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
1417
1417
Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
1116
1116

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Intel Core i7-6850K
6C 12T @ 3.6 GHz
279.7
279.7
Intel Core i9-10900K
10C 20T @ 3.7 GHz
126
126