Core i7-6700HQ vs Ryzen 5 2500U
Core i7-6700HQ
Ryzen 5 2500U
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 Core i7-6700HQ is positioned at rank 937 and the Ryzen 5 2500U is on rank 106, so the Ryzen 5 2500U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6700HQ
Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 2500U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-6700HQ | Ryzen 5 2500U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($349) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge (2017−2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-6700HQ | Ryzen 5 2500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($349) |
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 Core i7-6700HQ and Ryzen 5 2500U
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.
Ryzen 5 2500U
The Ryzen 5 2500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 26 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Raven Ridge (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 6,494 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Core i7-6700HQ and Ryzen 5 2500U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-6700HQ versus 3.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2500U — a 2.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 2500U (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-6700HQ uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2500U uses Raven Ridge (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6700HQ scores 6,522 against the Ryzen 5 2500U's 6,494 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i7-6700HQ. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i7-6700HQ vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2500U.
| Feature | Core i7-6700HQ | Ryzen 5 2500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz+3% |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz+30% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB+50% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB+100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Skylake (2015−2016) | Raven Ridge (2017−2019) |
| PassMark | 6,522 | 6,494 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 818 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 2,310 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-6700HQ uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 2500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-6700HQ | Ryzen 5 2500U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1440 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 12 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-6700HQ) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 2500U). The Ryzen 5 2500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Core i7-6700HQ requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 2500U targets Mainstream Laptop.
| Feature | Core i7-6700HQ | Ryzen 5 2500U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon Vega 8 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Mainstream Laptop |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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