Core i5-6600T vs Core i7-3820QM

The Core i5-6600T packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i7-3820QM's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-6600T versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-3820QM — a 5.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-3820QM (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i5-6600T uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-3820QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6600T scores 5,565 against the Core i7-3820QM's 5,607 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-3820QM. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,175 vs 604, a 64.2% lead for the Core i5-6600T that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-6600T vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-3820QM.

The Core i5-6600T uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-3820QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the Core i5-6600T versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i7-3820QM — the Core i5-6600T supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-6600T supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. 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 HM75,HM76,HM77,QM77,QS77 (Core i7-3820QM).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-6600T) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-3820QM). Both include integrated graphics — HD Graphics 530 (Core i5-6600T) and HD Graphics 4000 (Core i7-3820QM) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6600T targets Office, Core i7-3820QM targets High Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6600T rivals AMD Athlon II X4 640; Core i7-3820QM rivals A10-4600M.