Core i7-6600U vs Atom Z3740

Core i7-6600U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2015

Atom Z3740

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.86 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-6600U

2 / 4

3,407

+0.8%

3,380

0.0%

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 Core i7-6600U is positioned at rank 925 and the Atom Z3740 is on rank 172, so the Atom Z3740 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6600U

#913

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1636%

#914

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1612%

#915

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1480%

#916

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1474%

#917

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1460%

#919

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1410%

#920

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1352%

#921

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1350%

#922

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1313%

#925

Core i7-6600U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#928

A8-6410

MSRP: $100|Avg: $40

99%

#933

Athlon X2 L310

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

97%

#939

FX-7600P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

95%

#940

Athlon II M300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom Z3740

#49

Core i9-12900HX

MSRP: $606|Avg: N/A

98%

#160

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

347%

#161

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

342%

#162

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

314%

#163

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

313%

#164

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

310%

#166

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

299%

#167

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

287%

#168

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

286%

#169

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

279%

#172

Atom Z3740

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#173

Celeron N3060

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

100%

#176

Core 2 Duo T9300

MSRP: $316|Avg: $20

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-6600U delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Atom Z3740 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-6600U	Atom Z3740
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-6600U	Atom Z3740
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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 i7-6600U Benchmark Check

Atom Z3740 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6600U and Atom Z3740

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.

Atom Z3740

The Atom Z3740 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.33 GHz, with boost up to 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: UTFCBGA1380. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,380 points. Launch price was $32.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-6600U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Atom Z3740 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom Z3740 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-6600U versus 1.86 GHz on the Atom Z3740 — a 58.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-6600U (base: 2.6 GHz vs 1.33 GHz). The Core i7-6600U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Atom Z3740 uses Bay Trail-T (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6600U scores 3,407 against the Atom Z3740's 3,380 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-6600U. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Core i7-6600U vs 0 kB on the Atom Z3740.

Feature	Core i7-6600U	Atom Z3740
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+83%	1.86 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+95%	1.33 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Bay Trail-T (2013−2014)
PassMark	3,407	3,380

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6600U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Atom Z3740 uses UTFCBGA1380 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-6600U	Atom Z3740
Socket	BGA1356	UTFCBGA1380
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	4 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0