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Intel Core i5-6400

Intel Core i5-6400: Review and Relevance in 2025

Is it worth considering an old processor for a budget build?

1. Key Specifications: Skylake Architecture and Its Legacy

The Intel Core i5-6400, released in 2015, is part of the sixth generation of Skylake architecture. Despite its age, it is still found in budget PCs and upgrade systems.

- Process Technology: 14 nm. At the time of its release, this was a breakthrough that provided a balance between performance and energy efficiency. However, by 2025, 14 nm technologies have been replaced by 7–10 nm chips (such as Intel Alder Lake or AMD Zen 4).

- Cores and Threads: 4 cores / 4 threads. The absence of Hyper-Threading limits multitasking.

- Frequencies: Base — 2.7 GHz, maximum in turbo mode — 3.3 GHz. Sufficient for office tasks, but noticeably lagging in resource-intensive applications.

- Integrated Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 530. Suitable for basic image output and light gaming (e.g., CS:GO on low settings achieves ~40 FPS).

- Cache: 6 MB L3. Modest capacity by modern standards (newer i5 CPUs have 12–20 MB).

- TDP: 65 W. Low energy consumption simplifies cooling choices.

Key Features:

- Support for DDR4 and PCIe 3.0 (relevant for compatibility with NVMe SSDs via adapters).

- Technologies like Intel Quick Sync Video (video encoding acceleration) and VT-x (virtualization).

2. Compatible Motherboards

The processor uses the LGA 1151 socket (first revision). Suitable chipsets include:

- H110 / B150 — basic motherboards without overclocking support. Example: ASUS H110M-K (price in 2025 — $50–70 for new stock).

- H170 / Z170 — enhanced features (more USB ports, RAID support). For example, Gigabyte Z170-HD3 ($80–100).

Selection Considerations:

- Most new LGA 1151 motherboards are already out of production. Look for leftover stock on Amazon or in niche stores.

- Ensure the BIOS is updated to a version that supports Skylake (relevant for boards released before 2016).

3. Supported Memory

- Type: DDR4-1866/2133 MHz (officially). In practice, many boards allow the use of DDR4-2400.

- Mode: Dual-channel. For optimal performance, install two modules (e.g., 2x8 GB).

- Maximum Capacity: 64 GB (but entry-level motherboards are often limited to 32 GB).

Tip: Even in 2025, DDR4-2133 remains available (16 GB — $35–40), but for tasks like video editing, it's better to choose DDR4-3200 (backward compatibility is present).

4. Power Supply Recommendations

With a TDP of 65 W, the processor has a modest impact on the system's power consumption. However, consider other components:

- Integrated Graphics: PSU of 300–350 W (example: EVGA 400 N1, $35).

- Discrete Graphics Card (e.g., NVIDIA GTX 1650): PSU starting from 450 W (Corsair CX450, $55).

Important: Do not skimp on the power supply. Cheap models (like Apevia) may operate unstably under load.

5. Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Low price ($40–60 for a new processor in 2025).

- Energy efficiency.

- Sufficient performance for basic tasks (office, browsing, HD video).

Cons:

- No Hyper-Threading — suffers in multi-threaded performance.

- Outdated architecture — lagging in games and professional applications.

- Limited support for new technologies (no PCIe 4.0, Thunderbolt 4).

6. Usage Scenarios

- Office and Study: Document work, Zoom calls, browsing with 10+ tabs.

- Multimedia: Watching 4K video (with hardware decoding), streaming.

- Light Gaming: Minecraft, Rocket League, GTA V on low settings (with GTX 1650 — up to 60 FPS).

- Home Server: Due to VT-x, suitable for virtualization (Proxmox, Docker).

User Experiences:

- “Built a PC for my parents with an i5-6400 — it has been running smoothly for 5 years” (source: Reddit).

- “In 2023, I tried to play Cyberpunk 2077 — got 20 FPS on minimum settings.”

7. Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (6 cores / 12 threads, $60–80): Better in multi-threaded tasks (rendering, streaming), but requires a discrete graphics card.

- Intel Core i3-10100 (4/8, $100–120): Higher IPC, supports DDR4-2666, more relevant for 2025.

- Intel Core i5-6400 vs. Ryzen 3 3200G: AMD’s Vega 8 integrated graphics are stronger, but its cores are weaker in single-threaded tasks.

8. Practical Building Tips

1. Motherboard: Look for models with M.2 slots (e.g., ASRock B150M Pro4) for NVMe SSD.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, consider the Deepcool GAMMAXX 400 ($20).

3. Storage: Definitely an SSD (Kingston A400 480 GB — $30).

4. Upgrade: If more performance is needed, consider transitioning to the LGA 1200 or AM4 platform.

9. Final Conclusion: Who is the i5-6400 Suitable For?

This processor is worth choosing if:

- The budget is limited ($150–200 for the entire build).

- You need a PC for basic tasks (office, study, browsing).

- You are upgrading an old system on LGA 1151.

Why not? If you plan on gaming, video editing, or working with AI — even inexpensive Ryzen 5 5500 ($120) would be three times faster.

Conclusion

The Intel Core i5-6400 in 2025 is a niche solution. It lags behind modern counterparts but remains a workhorse for specific tasks (office, media center, simple server). Purchase it only if price and compatibility are critical, and performance is not.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Desktop

Launch Date

July 2015

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.

i5-6400

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

2.70 GHz

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

3.30 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.30 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.

2.0

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.

L3 Cache

6 MB

CPU Socket

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

FCLGA1151

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

65 W

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.

Up to 1x16 | 2x8 | 1x8+2x4

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.

DDR4-1866/2133 | DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V

Max Memory Size

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

64 GB

Memory Channels

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

Bus Speed

8 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 530

Graphics Base Frequency

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

350 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.

950 MHz

Graphics Video Max Memory

64 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

Max Resolution (VGA)

N/A

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.

6 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 Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

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 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

1106

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3012

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

871

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2865

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

1960

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

5163

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Xeon Gold 6134

1174 +6.1%

Xeon Gold 6210U

1145 +3.5%

Core i5-6400

1106

Ryzen 5 2600E

1072 -3.1%

Core i5-4308U

1021 -7.7%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Ryzen 3 7320C

3421 +13.6%

Core i7-4770R

3204 +6.4%

Core i5-6400

3012

Core i3-1110G4

2771 -8%

Core i7-8670

2500 -17%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i7-1370PRE

900 +3.3%

Xeon Platinum 8268

884 +1.5%

Core i5-6400

871

Core i5-3550

855 -1.8%

Xeon Gold 5318N

836 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Xeon E3-1270 v2

3154 +10.1%

Ryzen 3 3200G

3033 +5.9%

Core i5-6400

2865

Core i5-7500T

2749 -4%

EPYC Embedded 3151

2616 -8.7%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E5-2667 v2

2013 +2.7%

EPYC 7502

1982 +1.1%

Core i5-6400

1960

Ryzen Embedded R2514

1933 -1.4%

Core i7-5557U

1904 -2.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon W-2104

5729 +11%

Core i7-2600

5488 +6.3%

Core i5-6400

5163

Core i5-3550

4797 -7.1%

Athlon Silver 3050GE

4545 -12%