Athlon X4 860K vs Core i7-6600U
Athlon X4 860K
Core i7-6600U
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon X4 860K is positioned at rank 480 and the Core i7-6600U is on rank 925, so the Athlon X4 860K offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 860K
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6600U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 860K | Core i7-6600U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 860K | Core i7-6600U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon X4 860K and Core i7-6600U
Athlon X4 860K
The Athlon X4 860K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,425 points. Launch price was $149.
Core i7-6600U
The Core i7-6600U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,407 points. Launch price was $393.
Processing Power
The Athlon X4 860K packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-6600U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 860K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 860K versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-6600U — a 16.2% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 860K (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Athlon X4 860K uses the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture (28 nm), while the Core i7-6600U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 860K scores 3,425 against the Core i7-6600U's 3,407 — a 0.5% lead for the Athlon X4 860K.
| Feature | Athlon X4 860K | Core i7-6600U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+18% | 3.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.7 GHz+42% | 2.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 4 MB |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+700% | 512 kB |
| Process | 28 nm | 14 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Kaveri (2014−2015) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 3,425 | 3,407 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 860K uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6600U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 860K | Core i7-6600U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2+ | BGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-2133 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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