Core i7-6900K vs Ryzen 5 5625U

Core i7-6900K vs Ryzen 5 5625U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-6900K

8 / 16

14,682

0.0%

14,717

+0.2%

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Core i7-6900K vs Ryzen 5 5625U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-6900K vs Ryzen 5 5625U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-6900K

2016

Why buy it

✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,682 vs 14,717).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,089 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 5625U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌833.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 5625U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 140W, a 125W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5625U better than Core i7-6900K?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5625U is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.2% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5625U is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 2.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5625U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5625U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 5625U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,089 MSRP, and it still gives you a 2.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-6900K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2016 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (13.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2011.

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

Ryzen 5 5625U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-6900K vs Ryzen 5 5625U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i7-6900K

The Core i7-6900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 May 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,682 points. Launch price was $1,020.

Ryzen 5 5625U

The Ryzen 5 5625U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,717 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-6900K packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5625U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-6900K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-6900K versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5625U — a 7.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5625U (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-6900K uses the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5625U uses Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6900K scores 14,682 against the Ryzen 5 5625U's 14,717 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5625U. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i7-6900K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5625U.

Feature	Core i7-6900K	Ryzen 5 5625U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.3 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+39%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+25%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Broadwell-E (2016)	Barcelo-U (Zen 3) (2022−2023)
PassMark	14,682	14,717
Geekbench 6 Single	1,273	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,591	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6900K uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5625U uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.