Home / Intel Core i3 / Intel Core i3-6006U: Performance and Specs

Intel Core i3-6006U

Intel Core i3-6006U: A Modest Workhorse for Everyday Tasks

Analysis of a 2015 processor in the realities of 2025

Architecture and Process Technology: The Foundation of SkyLake

The Intel Core i3-6006U processor, released in 2015, is built on the SkyLake microarchitecture and a 14nm process. It is a dual-core CPU with Hyper-Threading support (4 threads), operating at a fixed frequency of 2.0 GHz (Turbo Boost is absent). The integrated graphics Intel HD Graphics 520 includes 24 execution units (EUs) with a frequency of up to 900 MHz, supporting DirectX 12, and 4K video via HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2.

The SkyLake architecture brought:

- Improved IPC (instructions per clock) of 5–10% compared to Broadwell.

- Energy efficiency: optimized for mobile devices.

- Support for DDR4-2133 and LPDDR3-1866 (although many laptops with this CPU use DDR3L).

iGPU HD 520 handles HEVC (H.265) and VP9 video decoding, which is relevant for streaming. However, its capabilities are only sufficient for basic gaming projects.

TDP 15W: Balancing Performance and Battery Life

A TDP of 15W indicates that the processor is designed for ultrabooks and thin laptops with passive or compact active cooling. This translates to:

- Low heat: even under load, temperatures rarely exceed 70–75°C.

- Quiet operation: the fan rarely kicks in, such as during video rendering.

- Performance limitation: fixed frequency and lack of Turbo Boost do not allow the CPU to be "overclocked" for heavy tasks.

In 2025, such chips can be found in budget laptops ($400–600), such as the Acer Aspire 3 or Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i.

Performance: What Can the Core i3-6006U Do in 2025?

Office Tasks:

- Document processing (Word, Excel), email, and browsing (10–15 tabs) work without issues.

- Video calls in Zoom: CPU load can reach 60–70% when background noise suppression is enabled.

Multimedia:

- Watching 4K videos on YouTube: iGPU can handle decoding, but the power is insufficient for rendering complex effects in Premiere Pro.

- Photo editing software (Lightroom, Photoshop): basic retouching is possible, but there are delays when applying filters.

Gaming:

- CS:GO: 720p, low settings — 30–40 FPS.

- Minecraft: 1080p, medium settings — 40–50 FPS.

- Indie titles (Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight) — stable 60 FPS.

Turbo Mode: Absent. Under load, the frequency remains at 2.0 GHz, limiting "burst" performance.

Usage Scenarios: Who Is This Processor Suitable For?

1. Students: for studying, writing papers, and online courses.

2. Office Workers: working with documents, spreadsheets, and corporate applications.

3. Users with Basic Needs: web surfing, Netflix streaming, messaging.

4. Secondary Device: as a compact laptop for travel.

Not suitable for: gamers, video editors, engineers working with CAD.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Battery Last?

With a battery capacity of 40–50 Wh, the working time is:

- 6–8 hours: web surfing, office tasks (brightness at 50%).

- 4–5 hours: watching videos in 1080p.

Power-saving technologies:

- Intel SpeedStep: dynamically reduces frequency when idle.

- C-states: turning off unused cores.

- OS optimization: in Windows 11/12, the "Battery Saver" mode extends battery life by 15–20%.

Tip: disable background applications and use low-RAM consuming browsers (e.g., Edge instead of Chrome).

Comparison with Competitors: Who Is Better?

1. AMD A9-9420 (2017):

- Pros: better graphics (Radeon R5).

- Cons: weaker in single-threaded tasks (Geekbench 6 Single: ~500).

2. Intel Core i5-7200U (2016):

- Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz, but laptops with it are $100–150 more expensive.

3. Apple M1 (2020):

- Performance 2–3 times higher, but devices start at $999.

4. AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (2021):

- 4 cores/8 threads, Vega 6 iGPU. Geekbench 6 Multi: ~2800. Laptop prices start at $550.

Conclusion: The Core i3-6006U lags behind modern counterparts but wins on price.

Pros and Cons

Strengths:

- Low cost of laptops ($400–600).

- Sufficient performance for everyday tasks.

- Cool and quiet operation.

Weaknesses:

- No Turbo Boost.

- Weak iGPU for gaming.

- Only 2 cores: multitasking is limited.

Recommendations for Choosing a Laptop

1. Type of Device: ultrabook or budget laptop.

2. Minimum specifications:

- 8 GB RAM (preferably DDR4).

- 256 GB SSD (NVMe preferred).

- IPS display (resolution 1920×1080).

3. Brands: Acer, Lenovo, HP.

4. What to Avoid: HDD instead of SSD, 4 GB RAM, TN panels.

Example model for 2025: Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15IAU7 — $499, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, Full HD.

Final Conclusion

The Core i3-6006U is a choice for those in need of an inexpensive laptop for basic tasks. Its advantages include battery life, quiet operation, and affordability. However, by 2025, it already appears outdated compared to the Ryzen 3 5300U or Apple M1. If the budget is limited and requirements minimal, this processor can be a reliable companion. For more serious tasks, consider models with 2023+ generation CPUs and TDP starting from 28W.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

October 2016

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

i3-6006U

Code Name

SkyLake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Basic Frequency

2.00 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology dynamically increases the processor's frequency as needed by taking advantage of thermal and power headroom to give you a burst of speed when you need it, and increased energy efficiency when you don’t.

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1356

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

14 nm

TDP

15 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

PCI Express Version

PCI Express Revision is the supported version of the PCI Express standard. Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (or PCIe) is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard for attaching hardware devices to a computer. The different PCI Express versions support different data rates.

3.0

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Intel 64

Intel® 64 architecture delivers 64-bit computing on server, workstation, desktop and mobile platforms when combined with supporting software.¹ Intel 64 architecture improves performance by allowing systems to address more than 4 GB of both virtual and physical memory.

Yes

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

1x4 | 2x2 | 1x2+2x1 and 4x1

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

DDR4-2133 | LPDDR3-1866 | DDR3L-1600

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

32 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

4 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

34.1 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® HD Graphics 520

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

300 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

900 MHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

32 GB

4K Support

Yes | at 60Hz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@24Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP/DP/HDMI/DVI

Miscellaneous

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology

Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology is an advanced means of enabling high performance while meeting the power-conservation needs of mobile systems. Conventional Intel SpeedStep® Technology switches both voltage and frequency in tandem between high and low levels in response to processor load. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® Technology builds upon that architecture using design strategies such as Separation between Voltage and Frequency Changes, and Clock Partitioning and Recovery.

Yes

Execute Disable Bit

Execute Disable Bit is a hardware-based security feature that can reduce exposure to viruses and malicious-code attacks and prevent harmful software from executing and propagating on the server or network.

Yes

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

3 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel Clear Video HD Technology

Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, like its predecessor, Intel® Clear Video Technology, is a suite of image decode and processing technologies built into the integrated processor graphics that improve video playback, delivering cleaner, sharper images, more natural, accurate, and vivid colors, and a clear and stable video picture. Intel® Clear Video HD Technology adds video quality enhancements for richer color and more realistic skin tones.

Yes

Intel Clear Video Technology

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel InTru 3D Technology

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.5

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

643

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

1325

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

475

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

1068

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1163

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

2283

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Pentium G4600

736 +14.5%

Core i7-4930K

679 +5.6%

Core i3-6006U

643

Pentium Silver N6005

603 -6.2%

Core i7-3610QM

566 -12%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Athlon Gold 3150U

1631 +23.1%

Core i5-5200U

1491 +12.5%

Core i3-6006U

1325

Athlon X4 860K

1158 -12.6%

A10-6700

1038 -21.7%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E3-1505L v5

507 +6.7%

Core i7-1365URE

492 +3.6%

Core i3-6006U

475

Opteron 4386

456 -4%

Core M-5Y10

440 -7.4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core m3-8100Y

1229 +15.1%

Pentium N4200

1145 +7.2%

Core i3-6006U

1068

Celeron G3900TE

984 -7.9%

Athlon X4 840

890 -16.7%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Opteron 4334

1269 +9.1%

Xeon E5-2608L v3

1210 +4%

Core i3-6006U

1163

Celeron 5205U

1099 -5.5%

Core i3-2330E

1063 -8.6%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Celeron G5900

2643 +15.8%

Celeron G4900

2440 +6.9%

Core i3-6006U

2283

Celeron G5905T

2100 -8%

Atom x5-E3940

1973 -13.6%