Core i7-6700HQ vs Core i7-4980HQ

Core i7-6700HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2015

Core i7-4980HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 4 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-6700HQ

4 / 8

6,522

0.0%

6,539

+0.3%

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 i7-6700HQ is positioned at rank 937 and the Core i7-4980HQ is on rank 417, so the Core i7-4980HQ 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 i7-6700HQ

#925

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1701%

#926

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1676%

#927

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1539%

#928

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1532%

#929

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1518%

#931

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1466%

#932

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1405%

#933

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1403%

#934

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1365%

#937

Core i7-6700HQ

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#939

FX-7600P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

99%

#940

Athlon II M300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

99%

#944

Athlon Neo X2 L335

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

96%

#945

Core i7-3610QE

MSRP: $315|Avg: $105

96%

#948

A8-8600P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

95%

#950

FX-9800P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

95%

#951

Celeron 1020E

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4980HQ

#125

Core i7-13700H

MSRP: $502|Avg: N/A

100%

#405

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

561%

#406

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

553%

#407

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

507%

#408

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

505%

#409

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

500%

#411

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

483%

#412

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

463%

#413

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

463%

#414

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

450%

#417

Core i7-4980HQ

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#421

Core i5-9400H

MSRP: $182|Avg: N/A

99%

#426

Celeron 2981U

MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-4980HQ delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i7-6700HQ in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-6700HQ	Core i7-4980HQ
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core i7-6700HQ	Core i7-4980HQ
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 i7-6700HQ Benchmark Check

Core i7-4980HQ Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6700HQ and Core i7-4980HQ

Core i7-6700HQ

The Core i7-6700HQ 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 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,522 points. Launch price was $378.

Core i7-4980HQ

The Core i7-4980HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,539 points. Launch price was $623.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-6700HQ and Core i7-4980HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-6700HQ versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-4980HQ — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-4980HQ (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i7-6700HQ uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-4980HQ uses Crystalwell (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6700HQ scores 6,522 against the Core i7-4980HQ's 6,539 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i7-4980HQ. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i7-6700HQ vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4980HQ.

Feature	Core i7-6700HQ	Core i7-4980HQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	2.8 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	6 MB	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Crystalwell (2013−2014)
PassMark	6,522	6,539

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6700HQ uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-4980HQ uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.