
Xeon E-2186M vs Core i7-6850K

Xeon E-2186M

Core i7-6850K
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 Xeon E-2186M is positioned at rank 320 and the Core i7-6850K is on rank 827, so the Xeon E-2186M offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E-2186M
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6850K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E-2186M | Core i7-6850K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($80) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-E (2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E-2186M | Core i7-6850K |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($80) |
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 Xeon E-2186M and Core i7-6850K

Xeon E-2186M
The Xeon E-2186M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,285 points. Launch price was $623.

Core i7-6850K
The Core i7-6850K 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 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: 11,376 points. Launch price was $475.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E-2186M and Core i7-6850K share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Xeon E-2186M versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-6850K — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2186M (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Xeon E-2186M uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-6850K uses Broadwell-E (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2186M scores 11,285 against the Core i7-6850K's 11,376 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-6850K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2186M vs 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-6850K.
| Feature | Xeon E-2186M | Core i7-6850K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 6 / 12 |
| Boost Clock | 4.8 GHz+20% | 4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.9 GHz | 3.6 GHz+24% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total) | 15 MB (total)+25% |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) | Broadwell-E (2016) |
| PassMark | 11,285 | 11,376 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,200 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 5,500 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E-2186M uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6850K uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E-2186M | Core i7-6850K |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1440 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 128 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 4 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 40 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E-2186M) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-6850K). Primary use case: Core i7-6850K targets HEDT.
| Feature | Xeon E-2186M | Core i7-6850K |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d |
| Target Use | — | HEDT |
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