Intel Core i7-6900K vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i7-6900K CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Intel Core i7-6900K AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

CPU comparison

Intel Core i7-6900K or AMD Ryzen 7 3800X - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The Intel Core i7-6900K has 8 cores with 16 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.70 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 4 memory channels. The Intel Core i7-6900K was released in Q2/2016.

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has 8 cores with 16 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.50 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X was released in Q3/2019.
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition (24) Family AMD Ryzen 7 (63)
Intel Core i 6000 (24) CPU group AMD Ryzen 3000 (15)
6 Generation 3
Skylake S Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
-- Predecessor --
-- Successor AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-6900K has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 16 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-6900K is 3.20 GHz (3.70 GHz) while the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has 8 CPU cores and 16 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is at 3.90 GHz (4.50 GHz).

Intel Core i7-6900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8 Cores 8
16 Threads 16
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking ? Yes
3.20 GHz Frequency 3.90 GHz
3.70 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 Core) 4.50 GHz
-- Turbo Frequency (All Cores) 4.20 GHz

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 i7-6900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
-- AI hardware --
-- AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-6900K or AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

no iGPU GPU no iGPU
GPU frequency --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
-- GPU Generation --
Technology
Max. displays
-- Compute units --
-- Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory --
-- 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.

no iGPU GPU no iGPU
No Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
No Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
No Codec h264 No
No Codec VP9 No
No Codec VP8 No
No Codec AV1 No
No Codec AVC No
No Codec VC-1 No
No Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

The Intel Core i7-6900K can use up to 128 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 76.8 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 51.2 GB/s.

Intel Core i7-6900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
DDR4-2400 Memory DDR4-3200
128 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
76.8 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
No ECC Yes
-- L2 Cache --
20.00 MB L3 Cache 32.00 MB
3.0 PCIe version 4.0
40 PCIe lanes 20
39.4 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth 39.4 GB/s

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Intel Core i7-6900K is 140 W, while the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has a TDP of 105 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

Intel Core i7-6900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
140 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 95 °C

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-6900K is manufactured in 14 nm and has 20.00 MB cache. The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is manufactured in 7 nm and has a 32.00 MB cache.

Intel Core i7-6900K Characteristic AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
14 nm Technology 7 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
LGA 2011-3 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q2/2016 Release date Q3/2019
-- Release price 385 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
⌀ Multi core performance in 5 CPU benchmarks

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
1151 (87%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
1325 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
11326 (88%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
12874 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
1086 (85%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
1271 (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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
7651 (84%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
9065 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
1254 (72%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
1742 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
7471 (94%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
7965 (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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
14474 (62%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
23322 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
4402 (79%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 3.90 GHz
5544 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
76 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
712 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
509 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
4960 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
Intel Core i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
182 (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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
167.6 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
517 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.70 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.50 GHz
209 (100%)

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 i7-6900K Intel Core i7-6900K
8C 16T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
8C 16T @ 4.20 GHz
2165 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i7-6900K AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Unknown dercomputerladen PC mit Ryzen 7 3800X
Memory PC mit Ryzen 7 3800X

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