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Intel Core i5-6600T

Intel Core i5-6600T: Overview and Relevance in 2025

Architecture, Performance, and Use Cases for Budget Systems

Key Features: The Skylake Legacy

The Intel Core i5-6600T, released in 2015, belongs to the Skylake generation. This 14nm chip features 4 cores and 4 threads, a base clock speed of 2.7 GHz, and a turbo boost up to 3.5 GHz. Its TDP is only 35W, making it ideal for compact and energy-efficient systems.

Key Features:

- 6MB L3 Cache: Sufficient for basic tasks but lags behind modern counterparts.

- Intel HD Graphics 530: Integrated graphics with 4K support via HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2.

- Geekbench 6 Scores: 1175 (single-core), 3212 (multi-core). For comparison, the Ryzen 5 5600G scores around 1500/6000, highlighting the i5-6600T's performance gap.

The Skylake architecture introduced support for DDR4 and PCIe 3.0, but its lack of modern interfaces like PCIe 4.0 or Thunderbolt 3 limits compatibility with new devices.

Compatible Motherboards: What to Choose in 2025?

The processor uses the LGA 1151 socket and is compatible with chipsets H110, B150, H170, Z170. However, new motherboards for this socket are no longer being manufactured. In 2025, finding a new board is challenging—mostly relying on leftover stock or refurbished models.

Examples of Models:

- ASUS H170-PRO: Basic board with DDR4 support and SATA 6Gbps. Price in 2025—about $90-120 (new units).

- Gigabyte B150M-D3H: Compact micro-ATX option.

Important:

- 200-series chipsets (e.g., B250) require a BIOS update to work with Skylake.

- For maximum stability, look for boards with guaranteed support for 6th generation processors.

Supported Memory: DDR4 as Standard

The i5-6600T works only with DDR4-2133 MHz in dual-channel mode. The maximum capacity depends on the motherboard—usually up to 64 GB.

Recommendations:

- Use two 8 GB modules for a balance of price and performance.

- High-speed memory (e.g., DDR4-3200) is pointless—this processor is limited to 2133 MHz.

In 2025, DDR4 remains accessible, but new systems are moving to DDR5, making memory upgrades for the i5-6600T impractical.

Power Supply: Minimum Requirements

With a TDP of 35W, the processor is extremely power-efficient. Even a 300W power supply will handle the system without a discrete GPU.

Scenarios:

- Office PC: 300W PSU (e.g., Corsair CV450—$45).

- System with GPU: For cards like the GTX 1650, 450W is sufficient (Seasonic S12III 450W—$55).

Tip: Don’t skimp on the power supply. Low-quality PSUs can cause failures in compact builds due to overheating.

Pros and Cons: Is It Worth It in 2025?

Pros:

- Low power consumption: ideal for mini-PCs and HTPCs.

- Adequate performance for office tasks and web browsing.

- 4K support via integrated graphics.

Cons:

- Only 4 threads: weaker multitasking compared to Ryzen 5 1600 (6 cores/12 threads).

- No support for PCIe 4.0 or USB 3.2 Gen 2.

- Outdated architecture: By 2025, even budget Intel 12th generation chips (Alder Lake) offer double the performance.

Use Cases: Where is the i5-6600T Relevant?

1. Office Tasks: Document work, video conferencing.

2. Home Media Center: Streaming 4K via Plex, Kodi.

3. Light Gaming: CS:GO, Dota 2 on low settings (30-40 FPS).

4. Servers: NAS or home server based on Proxmox.

Limitations:

- Modern games (Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield) are unplayable even on low settings.

- Video editing in DaVinci Resolve will be slow.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (6 cores/12 threads, TDP 65W): Better for multi-threaded tasks but requires more power. Current price on the secondary market—$60-80.

- Intel Core i3-10100T (4 cores/8 threads, TDP 35W): Higher performance (+30% in Geekbench 6), supports DDR4-2666. New costs $120-150.

- Ryzen 5 5600G (6 cores/12 threads, Vega 7): Integrated graphics three times more powerful. Price—$160.

Conclusion: The i5-6600T underperforms even against budget models from 2023-2025, but may be justified at a price below $50.

Practical Assembly Tips

1. Case Selection: Mini-ITX (Cooler Master Elite 110) for HTPC.

2. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quiet operation, consider the Noctua NH-L9i ($45).

3. Storage: An SSD is essential (Crucial MX500 500GB—$50).

4. Compatibility: Check the motherboard's BIOS version before purchasing.

Final Conclusion: Who Should Consider the i5-6600T?

This processor is worth considering only in two cases:

1. Upgrading an Old System on LGA 1151 without replacing the motherboard.

2. Building a Budget PC for tasks where high performance is not required (office work, media, server).

In 2025, the i5-6600T is a niche solution. Its main strengths are low price (if found for $30-50) and energy efficiency. For most users, it’s better to look at modern processors like the Intel Core i3-12100T or AMD Ryzen 5 5500, which offer better price-performance ratios.

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.

i5-6600T

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.

3.50 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

3.50 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

35 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.

1.10 GHz

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

1175

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

3212

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

870

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

2806

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2087

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

5674

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

EPYC 7502

1256 +6.9%

Core i7-7700T

1210 +3%

Core i5-6600T

1175

Xeon E3-1220 v6

1147 -2.4%

Xeon E5-2667

1106 -5.9%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Core i5-8260U

3682 +14.6%

Xeon E5-2623 v4

3453 +7.5%

Core i5-6600T

3212

Xeon D-1520

3016 -6.1%

Xeon E5-4610 v4

2810 -12.5%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-8279U

900 +3.4%

Pentium Gold G5420

883 +1.5%

Core i5-6600T

870

Xeon Silver 4215R

855 -1.7%

Xeon Gold 6252N

835 -4%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i3-1215UE

3097 +10.4%

EPYC 9554

2967 +5.7%

Core i5-6600T

2806

EPYC 7251

2691 -4.1%

Opteron 4386

2577 -8.2%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i7-9850HL

2139 +2.5%

Ryzen 3 1300X

2117 +1.4%

Core i5-6600T

2087

Xeon E5-2687W

2058 -1.4%

EPYC 7642

2036 -2.4%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i5-8365U

6237 +9.9%

Xeon E-2104G

5944 +4.8%

Core i5-6600T

5674

Xeon E5-2418L

5380 -5.2%

FX-8320E

5086 -10.4%