Intel Core i5-7600K vs Intel Core i7-10810U Comparison

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-10810U outperforms the Intel Core i5-7600K in every single head-to-head test recorded, despite the i5 being a desktop part with a much higher power envelope. The i7-10810U’s six-core, twelve-thread design and higher boost clock deliver a consistent 14.6% to 15.1% advantage across all Cinebench workloads, making it the clear performance winner in this matchup. However, the i5-7600K retains distinct advantages in platform flexibility, overclocking, and raw single-core clock speed potential, which matter for specific desktop use cases.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-7600K has an average benchmark score of 1976, while the Intel Core i7-10810U scores 1971. The difference is a mere 0.3%, placing them statistically at parity in overall composite performance.

Q: How much faster is the i7-10810U in multi-core rendering?

A: The i7-10810U leads by 15% in Cinebench R23 multi-core, scoring 6816 against the i5-7600K’s 5792. The same 15% margin appears in Cinebench R15 and R20 multi-core tests, with scores of 686 vs. 583 and 2862 vs. 2432, respectively.

Q: Does the i5-7600K win any benchmark tests?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the i7-10810U winning all six recorded benchmarks, covering multi-core and single-core variants of Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. The i5-7600K records zero wins.

Q: What is the core and thread difference between the two?

A: The i5-7600K has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-10810U has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i7 therefore offers 50% more physical cores and three times the thread count.

Q: Which CPU has a higher boost clock?

A: The i7-10810U boosts up to 4.90 GHz, whereas the i5-7600K boosts up to 4.20 GHz. The i7’s boost clock is 0.70 GHz higher, which contributes to its single-core lead despite the i5’s higher base clock of 3.80 GHz vs. the i7’s 1.10 GHz base.

Q: Are both CPUs on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are built on Intel’s 14 nm process node. They differ in architecture, with the i5-7600K using Kaby Lake and the i7-10810U using Comet Lake-U.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent different design philosophies from Intel. The i5-7600K is a Kaby Lake desktop part, released in early 2017, built for the Intel Socket 1151 platform. It uses 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The i7-10810U is a Comet Lake-U mobile part from the Core 10th Gen series, released in 2020, soldered to Intel BGA 1440. It doubles the thread count with 6 cores and 12 threads, featuring a much lower base clock of 1.10 GHz but a significantly higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz.

Both chips share the same 14 nm process and have identical per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) cache configurations. The key cache difference lies in L3: the i5-7600K has 6 MB shared L3, while the i7-10810U doubles that to 12 MB shared L3. This larger cache, combined with hyper-threading, gives the i7 a structural advantage in workloads that benefit from more threads and larger working sets.

The integrated graphics differ as well: the i5-7600K uses HD 630, while the i7-10810U uses UHD Graphics. Memory support also diverges — the i5 supports DDR4 only, while the i7 supports both DDR3 and DDR4. The i5 offers PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), whereas the i7 provides PCIe Gen 3 without a specified lane count. The i5 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, while the i7 is locked. Production status also differs: the i5 is listed as Active, while the i7 is End-of-life.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The i7-10810U dominates every benchmark in this comparison, with margins that are remarkably consistent across all six tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i7 scores 6816 against the i5’s 5792, a 15% lead. The single-core R23 test shows the i7 at 962 versus 817, a 15.1% advantage. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20: multi-core results are 2862 for the i7 and 2432 for the i5 (15% gap), while single-core results are 404 vs. 343 (15.1% gap). The older Cinebench R15 test tells the same story — multi-core scores of 686 vs. 583 (15% gap) and single-core scores of 96 vs. 82 (14.6% gap).

Notably, the i7’s single-core advantage is nearly as large as its multi-core advantage. This is surprising given the i5’s much higher base clock (3.80 GHz vs. 1.10 GHz), but the i7’s 4.90 GHz boost clock and superior architectural efficiency overcome the base clock deficit. The Geekbench results, which are only available for the i5-7600K, show scores of 4239 multi-core and 1522 single-core, but no comparable data exists for the i7, so they cannot be used for direct comparison.

The composite average scores tell a slightly different story: the i5-7600K averages 1976, and the i7-10810U averages 1971. This places the i5 0.3% ahead overall, and the i7 is listed as a nearest rival to the i5 with a deltaPct of 0.3%. However, this composite figure includes the Geekbench tests unique to the i5, which skew the average. In the six shared Cinebench tests, the i7 wins all of them by a consistent 15% margin. The percentiles are identical — both sit at the 44th percentile of all CPUs.

Specification Differences

The core specifications diverge sharply. The i5-7600K has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the i7-10810U has 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks are 3.80 GHz for the i5 and 1.10 GHz for the i7. Boost clocks are 4.20 GHz for the i5 and 4.90 GHz for the i7. Thermal design power differs dramatically: the i5 is rated at 91 W, while the i7 is rated at 25 W. Sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 for the i5, Intel BGA 1440 for the i7. Architectures are Kaby Lake and Comet Lake-U, respectively. L3 cache is 6 MB for the i5 and 12 MB for the i7. Memory support is DDR4 for the i5, versus DDR3 and DDR4 for the i7. PCIe is Gen 3 with 16 lanes for the i5, versus Gen 3 with no lane count specified for the i7. The i5 has an unlocked multiplier; the i7 is locked. Market segments are Desktop for the i5 and Mobile for the i7. Production status is Active for the i5 and End-of-life for the i7. Release dates are January 2017 for the i5 and April 2020 for the i7.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-10810U wins decisively in every computational benchmark recorded. Its six-core, twelve-thread configuration with 12 MB L3 cache delivers 15% higher multi-core scores across all three Cinebench versions. It also wins single-core tests by roughly 15%, driven by its 4.90 GHz boost clock. The i7’s 25 W TDP makes it vastly more power-efficient than the i5’s 91 W design, which is critical for mobile deployments. The i7 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, offering more flexibility for OEM designs.

The i5-7600K wins in areas not directly measured by the benchmark suite. Its unlocked multiplier allows overclocking beyond its 4.20 GHz boost, which could close the single-core gap in real-world desktop use. It uses the desktop Socket 1151 platform, enabling standard ATX motherboards, discrete GPU support with 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, and easier cooling solutions. The i5 has a higher base clock of 3.80 GHz, which provides consistent performance without relying on turbo boost. It is also listed as Active in production, while the i7 is End-of-life, meaning the i5 remains available for new desktop builds. The i5’s average benchmark score of 1976 is also slightly higher than the i7’s 1971, though this is within noise.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear winner for raw performance: the Intel Core i7-10810U. It wins 100% of the head-to-head benchmarks, with a consistent 15% margin across single- and multi-core workloads. Its 6-core, 12-thread design with 12 MB L3 cache and 4.90 GHz boost clock makes it the superior choice for rendering, compilation, and any threaded workload. The 25 W TDP versus 91 W also means it delivers this performance at a fraction of the power draw. For mobile users or anyone prioritizing compute throughput per watt, the i7 is the definitive pick.

However, the i5-7600K is not without merit. Its unlocked multiplier and 3.80 GHz base clock appeal to desktop enthusiasts who prefer manual overclocking. The Socket 1151 platform supports standard desktop components, and the 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes provide robust expansion for GPUs and NVMe storage. The i5 is still in Active production, whereas the i7 is End-of-life. For a desktop builder who wants a tunable, upgradeable platform and can accept lower out-of-the-box multi-core scores, the i5-7600K remains viable. The overall average scores are nearly identical — 1976 vs. 1971 — so the composite picture is one of parity. The choice hinges on whether you need the i7’s superior threaded performance and efficiency or the i5’s overclocking headroom and desktop ecosystem.