Intel Core i5-6600K vs Apple A12 Bionic

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i5-6600K CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple A12 Bionic
Intel Core i5-6600K Apple A12 Bionic

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Intel Core i5-6600K and the Apple A12 Bionic and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Intel Core i5-6600K 4 core processor released in Q3/2015 with the Apple A12 Bionic which has 6 CPU cores and was introduced in Q3/2018.
Intel Core i5 (331) Family Apple A series (22)
Intel Core i 6000 (24) CPU group Apple A12/A12X/A12Z (3)
6 Generation 12
Skylake S Architecture A12
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
-- Predecessor Apple A11 Bionic
Intel Core i5-7600K Successor Apple A13 Bionic

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i5-6600K is a 4 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.50 GHz (3.90 GHz). The processor can compute 4 threads at the same time. The Apple A12 Bionic clocks with 2.49 GHz, has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 6 threads in parallel.

Intel Core i5-6600K Characteristic Apple A12 Bionic
4 Cores 6
4 Threads 6
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking ? No
3.50 GHz (3.90 GHz) A-Core 2.49 GHz
2x Vortex
-- B-Core 1.59 GHz
4x Tempest

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

Intel Core i5-6600K Characteristic Apple A12 Bionic
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
-- AI specifications 8 Neural cores @ 5 TOPS

Internal Graphics

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

Intel HD Graphics 530 GPU Apple A12
0.35 GHz GPU frequency 1.13 GHz
1.15 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
9 GPU Generation 9
14 nm Technology 7 nm
3 Max. displays 1
24 Compute units 16
192 Shader 256
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
32 GB Max. GPU Memory 4 GB
12 DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

Intel HD Graphics 530 GPU Apple A12
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP8 Decode / Encode
No Codec AV1 No
Decode / Encode Codec AVC Decode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

Up to 64 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Intel Core i5-6600K, while the Apple A12 Bionic supports a maximum of 4 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s enabled.

Intel Core i5-6600K Characteristic Apple A12 Bionic
DDR4-2133, DDR3-1600 Memory LPDDR4X-4266
64 GB Max. Memory 4 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 1 (Single Channel)
34.1 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 34.1 GB/s
No ECC No
-- L2 Cache 8.00 MB
6.00 MB L3 Cache --
3.0 PCIe version --
16 PCIe lanes --
15.8 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The Intel Core i5-6600K has a TDP of 91 W. The TDP of the Apple A12 Bionic is 6 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Intel Core i5-6600K Characteristic Apple A12 Bionic
91 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 6 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Intel Core i5-6600K has 6.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 14 nm. The cache of Apple A12 Bionic is at 8.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 7 nm.

Intel Core i5-6600K Characteristic Apple A12 Bionic
14 nm Technology 7 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8-A (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions --
LGA 1151 Socket --
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization None
Yes AES-NI No
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems iOS
Q3/2015 Release date Q3/2018
280 $ Release price --
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Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Intel Core i5-6600K to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.8 stars (4 ratings). Rate now:
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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i5-6600K (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic (98%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i5-6600K (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic (70%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
1106 (99%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
1116 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
3631 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
2731 (75%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
1359 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
1286 (95%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
3985 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
2353 (59%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
Intel HD Graphics 530 @ 1.15 GHz
442 (77%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
Apple A12 @ 1.13 GHz
576 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
6318 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
4846 (77%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
65 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
222 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
1041 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
3965 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
395 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
1572 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

AnTuTu 8 Benchmark

The AnTuTu 8 Benchmark measures the performance of a SoC. AnTuTu benchmarks the CPU, GPU, Memory as well as the UX (User Experience) by simulating browser and app usage. AnTuTu can benchmark any ARM CPU that runs under Android or iOS. Devices may not be directly compareable if the benchmark has been performed under different operating systems.

In the AnTuTu 8 benchmark, the single-core performance of a processor is only slightly weighted. The evaluation consists of the multi-core performance of the processor, the speed of the RAM and the performance of the internal graphics.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
425605 (100%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
486.5 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
459 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.50 GHz
1621 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.90 GHz
166 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.60 GHz
600 (100%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
0 (0%)

Performance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
Intel Core i5-6600K Intel Core i5-6600K
4C 4T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple A12 Bionic Apple A12 Bionic
6C 6T @ 2.49 GHz
5 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i5-6600K Apple A12 Bionic
Unknown Apple iPhone XR
Apple iPhone XS
Apple iPhone XS Max
Apple iPad mini (5. Gen)
Apple iPad Air (3. Gen)

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