Intel
Core i5-6600K
Core i5
Current Price
$149.00
MSRP: $242.00
Overall Rank
(Consumer CPUs only)
(Consumer CPUs only)
#212
of 234
Overall Rank
#229
of 251
Value Rank
#192
of 207
Gaming Rank
#105
of 251
Productivity Rank
#116
of 251
Core Specifications
Cores
4
Threads
4
Base Clock
3.5 GHz
Boost Clock (Single)
3.9 GHz
Socket
LGA1151
Lithography
14nm
Cache
L1 Cache
64 KB per core
L2 Cache
256 KB per core
L3 Cache
6 MB (shared)
Power & Thermal
TDP
91W
Base Power
N/A
Max Turbo Power
N/A
Memory Support
Memory Types
DDR4
Max Memory
N/A
Memory Channels
N/A
ECC Support
No
Platform & Connectivity
PCIe Version
3.0
PCIe Lanes
16
Integrated GPU
Yes
Integrated GPU Model
Intel HD Graphics 530
Closest Competitors by Performance
Quick Stats
Generation
6th Gen
Release Date
8/5/2015 - 10 years old
Status
N/A
Market Segment
Desktop
Performance Scores
Overall
3628Measured against consumer CPUs only
Value24.3
Efficiency39.9
Benchmark Scores
Cinebench R23 Single1,041
Cinebench R23 Multi3,965
Geekbench 6 Single1,460
Geekbench 6 Multi4,480
PassMark7,450
Console Comparison
Comparison based on overall performance score calculated from multi-core benchmarks. Console CPUs are optimized for gaming workloads.
Core i5-6600K
100%100%
Xbox One X(Gen 8 Mid (2016-2017))
48%48%
PS4 Pro(Gen 8 Mid (2016-2017))
45%45%
Xbox One(Gen 8 (2013))
38%38%
PS4(Gen 8 (2013))
35%35%
Notes
The Core i5-6600K features 4 cores and 4 threads on Skylake, boosting up to 3.9 GHz with unlocked multiplier. This processor offered mainstream gaming during the quad-core era with overclocking potential and DDR4 support. Perfect for legacy Skylake builds or extreme budget overclocking experiments. While severely limited by 4 cores without hyperthreading and outdated by modern standards, it represented solid value when released. Often available at rock-bottom pricing for retro gaming or basic computing needs where quad-core performance suffices.