Intel Core i3-7350K vs Intel Core i7-2600K Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results present a fascinating split. The Intel Core i7-2600K wins six of the eight recorded benchmark comparisons, but the Intel Core i3-7350K takes the two most lopsided victories. The older Sandy Bridge processor dominates the Cinebench suite, while the newer Kaby Lake chip wins decisively in Geekbench.

Starting with Cinebench, the i7-2600K holds a consistent advantage across every version of the test. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the i7-2600K scores 469 against the i3-7350K's 417, a margin of 11.1%. The single-core R15 result is similar, with the i7-2600K at 66 and the i3-7350K at 58, a 12.1% gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, the i7-2600K posts 1955 multicore and 275 single-core, while the i3-7350K manages 1740 and 245 respectively, deltas of 11% and 10.9%. Cinebench R23 tells the same story: 4657 versus 4144 in multicore and 657 versus 585 in single-core, both an 11% difference. These are not close calls; the i7-2600K is consistently ahead by roughly 11% in every Cinebench workload.

The Geekbench results flip the narrative entirely. In Geekbench multicore, the i3-7350K scores 3018 against the i7-2600K's 2613, a 15.5% advantage. The single-core Geekbench test is even more dramatic: the i3-7350K scores 1488, while the i7-2600K trails at 768. That is a 93.8% delta, meaning the Kaby Lake chip nearly doubles the older processor's single-threaded Geekbench score. This is the largest margin in the entire comparison and highlights how differently the two chips respond to different benchmark methodologies.

Looking at overall averages, the i3-7350K records an average benchmark score of 1462 and sits at the 38th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-2600K averages 1433 and sits at the 37th percentile. Despite the i7-2600K winning more individual tests, the i3-7350K edges it out in aggregate scoring by roughly 2%. The nearest rivals for the i3-7350K include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE at 1461 (0.1% behind), the Intel Xeon E3-1225 v5 at 1465 (0.2% ahead), and the Intel Xeon E3-1515M v5 at 1456 (0.4% behind). The i7-2600K's closest competitors are the Intel Core i7-4712HQ at 1436 (0.2% behind), the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G at 1439 (0.4% behind), and the Intel Core i5-4570S at 1426 (0.5% ahead).

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Core i7-2600K wins six of the eight head-to-head tests, all of them in the Cinebench suite. The Intel Core i3-7350K wins the two Geekbench tests.

Q: How large is the single-core Geekbench gap?

A: The i3-7350K scores 1488 in Geekbench single-core, while the i7-2600K scores 768. That is a 93.8% difference, the largest delta in any recorded test.

Q: Does the i7-2600K win every multi-threaded test?

A: No. The i7-2600K wins all three Cinebench multicore tests, but the i3-7350K wins Geekbench multicore with a score of 3018 versus 2613, a 15.5% advantage.

Q: How do the two chips compare in overall percentile ranking?

A: The i3-7350K ranks at the 38th percentile of all CPUs, and the i7-2600K ranks at the 37th percentile. The i3-7350K also has a higher average benchmark score at 1462 versus 1433.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock?

A: The i3-7350K has a base clock of 4.20 GHz. The i7-2600K has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: Yes, both the i3-7350K and the i7-2600K have unlocked multipliers, as indicated by their K-series designations.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-2600K is the clear winner for Cinebench workloads. Across R15, R20, and R23, it beats the i3-7350K by roughly 11% in both multicore and single-core tests. If the workload resembles Cinebench's rendering and 3D modeling tasks, the older chip is consistently faster. This makes sense given its 4 cores and 8 threads versus the i3-7350K's 2 cores and 4 threads, though the i7-2600K's single-core Cinebench wins also show that its older architecture still holds up in that specific test.

The i3-7350K wins in Geekbench, and it wins big. The 93.8% single-core margin is not incremental; it is transformative. In Geekbench multicore, the 15.5% advantage shows that the newer architecture's efficiency can overcome the core count deficit. The i3-7350K also takes the higher aggregate score, 1462 versus 1433, and the higher percentile ranking at 38 versus 37. For users running Geekbench-style workloads, the Kaby Lake chip is the better choice.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ significantly. The i3-7350K has 2 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-2600K has 4 cores and 8 threads. The i3-7350K runs at a base clock of 4.20 GHz with no boost clock recorded. The i7-2600K runs at 3.40 GHz base and boosts to 3.80 GHz. The i3-7350K has a TDP of 60 watts, while the i7-2600K draws 95 watts.

The cache configurations differ as well. Both chips have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The i3-7350K has 4 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i7-2600K has 8 MB of shared L3 cache.

Memory support is another split. The i3-7350K supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The i7-2600K supports DDR3 memory on a dual-channel bus with 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. The PCIe connections differ too, with the i3-7350K using PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only) and the i7-2600K using PCIe Gen 2 with 16 lanes (CPU only).

The i3-7350K uses Intel Socket 1151, while the i7-2600K uses Intel Socket 1155. The integrated graphics differ: the i3-7350K has Intel HD 630, and the i7-2600K has Intel HD 3000. The i3-7350K was released on 2017-01-02 and is marked as Active in production status. The i7-2600K was released on 2011-01-08 and is End-of-life. The i7-2600K has a launch MSRP of $317.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap is substantial. The i3-7350K is built on Kaby Lake architecture using a 14 nm process node, while the i7-2600K is built on Sandy Bridge architecture using a 32 nm process node. The i3-7350K belongs to the Core i3 (Kaby Lake) generation, and the i7-2600K belongs to the Core i7 (Sandy Bridge generation).

The i7-2600K has recorded transistor and die size data: 1,160 million transistors on a die size of 216 mm². The i3-7350K has no transistor count or die size recorded in the database. The i7-2600K's larger L3 cache, 8 MB shared, doubles the i3-7350K's 4 MB shared, and its 4 cores versus 2 cores give it double the thread count as well.

The i3-7350K counters with architectural efficiency improvements. Despite the i7-2600K's core advantage, the i3-7350K's newer Kaby Lake design on a smaller process node helps it win Geekbench multicore by 15.5% and Geekbench single-core by 93.8%. The i3-7350K also supports DDR4 memory with 38.4 GB/s bandwidth, compared to the i7-2600K's DDR3 at 25.6 GB/s, a 50% higher memory bandwidth figure. The i3-7350K uses PCIe Gen 3, while the i7-2600K is limited to PCIe Gen 2.

The i7-2600K has a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, which the i3-7350K lacks, but the i3-7350K's base clock of 4.20 GHz is higher than the i7-2600K's boost clock. Both have unlocked multipliers, and neither supports ECC memory. The i7-2600K's TDP of 95 watts is notably higher than the i3-7350K's 60 watts, reflecting the older process node and additional cores.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear conclusion: neither chip is universally superior, but the choice depends on the workload. The i7-2600K wins every Cinebench test by approximately 11%, making it the stronger option for rendering and Cinebench-style tasks. Its 4 cores and 8 threads provide a structural advantage that the i3-7350K cannot overcome in these tests, despite the newer architecture.

The i3-7350K wins the Geekbench tests, and the single-core margin is enormous at 93.8%. It also has a higher average benchmark score at 1462 versus 1433 and a higher percentile ranking at 38 versus 37. For Geekbench-style workloads, the i3-7350K is the better performer, and its lower TDP of 60 watts versus 95 watts makes it a more efficient choice.

Users running Cinebench or similar rendering workloads should pick the i7-2600K. Users prioritizing Geekbench scores, newer memory support, or lower power draw should pick the i3-7350K. The i7-2600K is End-of-life and has a launch MSRP of $317, while the i3-7350K remains Active in production. The benchmark data does not declare an overall winner, and the aggregate scores are close, with the i3-7350K ahead by just 2%. The right pick depends entirely on which benchmark suite matches the intended use case.