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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-6600T

2015

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 45W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-7440HQ across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $213 MSRP, while Core i5-7440HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i5-7440HQ

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (5,490 vs 5,565).
❌28.6% higher power demand at 45W vs 35W.

Core i5-6600T

2015

Core i5-7440HQ

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 45W, a 10W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-7440HQ across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $213 MSRP, while Core i5-7440HQ mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (5,490 vs 5,565).
❌28.6% higher power demand at 45W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-6600T better than Core i5-7440HQ?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i5-7440HQ is ahead with a 7.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-6600T pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-6600T is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i5-6600T is the smarter buy today. Core i5-6600T is at an unclear MSRP at $213 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 1.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i5-7440HQ is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (26.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-7440HQ is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2015). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Core i5-6600T Benchmark Check

Core i5-7440HQ Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
1080p
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	136 FPS	137 FPS
high	107 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	85 FPS
1440p
low	137 FPS	137 FPS
medium	114 FPS	118 FPS
high	88 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	64 FPS	70 FPS
medium	57 FPS	60 FPS
high	44 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-6600T Open Core i5-7440HQ

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
1080p
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	136 FPS	137 FPS
high	128 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	137 FPS
1440p
low	134 FPS	137 FPS
medium	116 FPS	137 FPS
high	108 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	105 FPS	137 FPS
medium	94 FPS	135 FPS
high	74 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	55 FPS	83 FPS

Open Core i5-6600T Open Core i5-7440HQ

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
1080p
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	139 FPS	137 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	137 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	139 FPS	137 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	139 FPS	137 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	137 FPS

Open Core i5-6600T Open Core i5-7440HQ

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
1080p
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	139 FPS	137 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	137 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	139 FPS	137 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	139 FPS	137 FPS
medium	139 FPS	137 FPS
high	139 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	137 FPS

Open Core i5-6600T Open Core i5-7440HQ

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-6600T and Core i5-7440HQ

Core i5-6600T

The Core i5-6600T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 July 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,565 points. Launch price was $192.

Core i5-7440HQ

The Core i5-7440HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake-H (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,490 points. Launch price was $250.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-6600T and Core i5-7440HQ share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-6600T versus 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-7440HQ — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-7440HQ (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i5-6600T uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-7440HQ uses Kaby Lake-H (2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6600T scores 5,565 against the Core i5-7440HQ's 5,490 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i5-6600T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,175 vs 1,277, a 8.3% lead for the Core i5-7440HQ that directly translates to higher frame rates. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	2.8 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Kaby Lake-H (2017)
PassMark	5,565+1%	5,490
Cinebench R23 Multi	7,083	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,175	1,277+9%
Geekbench 6 Multi	3,212	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-6600T uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-7440HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2133 memory speed. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: H110,B150,H170,Z170,Q150,Q170,B250,Q250,H270,Z270 (Core i5-6600T) and HM175,QM175 (Core i5-7440HQ).

Feature	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
Socket	LGA1151	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-6600T) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-7440HQ). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 530 (Core i5-6600T) and HD Graphics 630 (Core i5-7440HQ) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6600T targets Office, Core i5-7440HQ targets High Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6600T rivals AMD Athlon II X4 640; Core i5-7440HQ rivals Ryzen 5 2500U.

Feature	Core i5-6600T	Core i5-7440HQ
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 530	HD Graphics 630
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Office	High Performance Laptop