Home / Intel Core i7 / Intel Core i7-6700: Performance and Specs

Intel Core i7-6700

Intel Core i7-6700: Architecture, Compatibility, and Practical Use in 2025

Updated: April 2025

Key Features: Why Skylake Remained Relevant?

The Intel Core i7-6700 processor, released in 2015, is still present in budget builds and upgrade systems. Its Skylake architecture (14 nm) served as a transitional bridge between outdated 22 nm and more modern generations.

Key Specifications:

- 4 cores / 8 threads thanks to Hyper-Threading.

- Base frequency: 3.4 GHz, Turbo Boost up to 4.0 GHz.

- TDP 65 W: low power consumption for desktop CPUs.

- Integrated graphics HD Graphics 530: supports 4K via HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2.

- Geekbench 6: 1285 (Single-Core) / 4117 (Multi-Core).

Architecture Highlights:

- Supports DDR4 and DDR3L (a rarity for 2015).

- Improved energy efficiency over Haswell.

- Enhanced virtualization capabilities (VT-x, VT-d).

Compatible Motherboards: How to Choose Wisely?

The processor uses the LGA 1151 (version 1) socket, but it's important not to confuse it with LGA 1151-v2 (for Coffee Lake).

Compatible Chipsets:

- H110, B150, H170, Z170 (100 series).

- B250, H270, Z270 (200 series).

Recommendations:

- For basic tasks: motherboards based on H110 or B150 (e.g., ASUS H110M-K, ~$60).

- For overclocking (through BCLK): Z170/Z270 (e.g., MSI Z170A Gaming M5, ~$130 on leftovers).

- Attention! 300 series chipsets (Z390 etc.) are incompatible due to pin configuration changes.

Memory: DDR4 vs DDR3L — What to Choose?

The Core i7-6700 supports DDR4-2133 and DDR3L-1600.

Practical Considerations:

- DDR4 is preferred: higher bandwidth and energy efficiency.

- DDR3L operates at reduced voltage (1.35V), but is not compatible with all motherboards (check specifications!).

- Maximum capacity: 64 GB (4 slots × 16 GB).

Practical Example:

Installing 32 GB DDR4-2400 (e.g., Kingston HyperX Fury) is possible, but the frequency will be reduced to 2133 MHz due to controller limitations.

Power Supply: How Many Watts are Enough?

With a TDP of 65 W and no discrete graphics card, a PSU in the 300–400 W range will suffice.

Recommendations for Different Scenarios:

- Integrated graphics: 400 W (e.g., be quiet! System Power 10, ~$55).

- Mid-range graphics card (NVIDIA GTX 1660): 500 W (Corsair CX550, ~$70).

- Certification: 80 Plus Bronze or higher for stability.

Pros and Cons: Is It Worth Buying in 2025?

Advantages:

- Price: $150–200 (new units from distributors).

- Energy efficiency: suitable for mini-PCs and office builds.

- Reliability: proven architecture with a low failure rate.

Disadvantages:

- No support for PCIe 4.0/5.0: a limitation for modern SSDs and graphics cards.

- Weak upgrade path: transitioning to new generations requires replacing the motherboard and RAM.

- Outdated graphics: HD 530 won't handle 2025 games even on low settings.

Use Cases: Where Does i7-6700 Still Shine?

1. Office Tasks:

- Document work, browsing, video chats.

- Example: a build based on i7-6700 + 16 GB DDR4 + 500 GB SSD runs smoothly even in 2025.

2. Multimedia:

- Streaming video (Netflix 4K), editing in Adobe Premiere (FullHD projects).

3. Gaming:

- CS2, Dota 2, GTA V on medium settings with a discrete graphics card (GTX 1060 or equivalents).

- For Cyberpunk 2077 or Starfield, the CPU becomes a bottleneck.

4. Home Server:

- Virtualization (Proxmox, ESXi) thanks to VT-d support.

Comparison with Competitors: AMD vs Intel

AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (2017):

- 6 cores / 12 threads, but lower IPC (Geekbench 6 Multi-Core ~3800).

- Price: ~$180 (new units).

- Pros: more cores for multi-threaded tasks.

- Cons: requires an AM4 motherboard.

Intel Core i5-10400 (2020):

- 6 cores / 12 threads, Geekbench 6 Multi-Core ~5500.

- Price: ~$220.

- Conclusion: i7-6700 lags in multi-threading but is cheaper.

Building Tips: How to Avoid Mistakes

1. Check BIOS: 100 series motherboards may require an update to work with the i7-6700.

2. Choose NVMe SSDs: Even PCIe 3.0 x4 (via an adapter) will speed up the system.

3. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, consider a DeepCool Gammaxx 400 (~$25).

4. Don't skimp on memory: 16 GB DDR4 is the minimum for multitasking.

Conclusion: Who Is This Processor For?

The Core i7-6700 is suitable for:

- Budget users: Building a PC under $500 with a focus on reliability.

- Owners of older systems: Upgrading from a Core i5-4460 without replacing the motherboard.

- DIY enthusiasts: Creating a compact media center or NAS.

Why you might not want it:

If you need support for modern games or AI tools, it's better to choose a Ryzen 5 7600 or Core i5-13400.

Final Thoughts

The Intel Core i7-6700 in 2025 is a niche solution. It lags behind newer CPUs in performance but remains a viable option for the secondary market and specific use cases. The key is to clearly assess your needs and component compatibility.

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.

i7-6700

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

3.40 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.

4.00 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 Frequency

4.00 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.

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.

Yes

L3 Cache

8 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.

1.15 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.

8 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

1285

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

4117

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1034

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

3660

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

2508

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

8937

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i3-9100F

1371 +6.7%

Xeon Gold 6144

1332 +3.7%

Core i7-6700

1285

Core i3-N305

1251 -2.6%

Core i5-8257U

1207 -6.1%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon E7-8890 v4

4604 +11.8%

Pentium Gold 8505

4349 +5.6%

Core i7-6700

4117

Xeon E5-1620 v4

3871 -6%

Core i7-8706G

3654 -11.2%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Xeon E3-1270 v5

1075 +4%

Core i9-9820X

1057 +2.2%

Core i7-6700

1034

Core i7-1185G7E

1012 -2.1%

Xeon E3-1283L v4

990 -4.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i7-8569U

3983 +8.8%

Xeon E-2224G

3801 +3.9%

Core i7-6700

3660

Xeon E3-1285 v4

3548 -3.1%

Core i7-1160G7

3399 -7.1%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Xeon E3-1285 v6

2579 +2.8%

Core i5-10400

2551 +1.7%

Core i7-6700

2508

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

2463 -1.8%

Core i5-10600T

2426 -3.3%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Xeon E-2274G

9760 +9.2%

Core i3-10300

9290 +3.9%

Core i7-6700

8937

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G

8472 -5.2%

Xeon E-2276ME

8167 -8.6%