Intel Core i5-8600K vs Intel Core i7-5930K Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits this comparison cleanly along workload type. The Intel Core i7-5930K wins six of the eight head-to-head tests, all in Cinebench workloads. The Intel Core i5-8600K wins two tests, both in Geekbench. That is not a narrow margin; it is a consistent pattern across every Cinebench iteration from R15 through R23.

The i7-5930K takes the Cinebench R15 multicore test with a score of 886 against the i5-8600K’s 867, a 2.1% advantage. It repeats that margin in R15 single-core, scoring 125 versus 122. In Cinebench R20, the i7-5930K posts 3692 multicore and 521 single-core, while the i5-8600K manages 3616 and 510 respectively. The deltas hold steady at 2.1% in both cases. Cinebench R23 shows the same story: the i7-5930K scores 8791 multicore and 1241 single-core, beating the i5-8600K’s 8611 and 1215 by 2% and 2.1%. These are not blowout victories, but they are consistent and repeatable across all three Cinebench versions.

The i5-8600K’s wins come in Geekbench, and they are substantial. In Geekbench multicore, it scores 5997 against the i7-5930K’s 5715, a 4.9% lead. In Geekbench single-core, the i5-8600K scores 1514 versus 1225, a 23.6% advantage. That single-core Geekbench result is the largest delta in the entire comparison. It dwarfs every Cinebench margin combined.

Looking at average benchmark scores, the two CPUs sit nearly level. The i5-8600K averages 2807 across all tests, while the i7-5930K averages 2775. Both land at the 51st percentile among all CPUs. The i5-8600K’s nearest rivals include the Intel Atom x7211RE (2811, -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-11300H (2792, 0.6%), the Intel Xeon E-2324G (2823, -0.6%), and the Intel Xeon E5-4627 v3 (2789, 0.7%). The i7-5930K’s nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G (2774, 0%), the Intel Xeon D-1567 (2770, 0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4350GE (2767, 0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U (2765, 0.4%). Both CPUs sit in the same performance neighborhood, surrounded by a mix of low-power Atoms, mobile Ryzens, and older Xeons.

The Verdict

The data supports a straightforward choice based on what you prioritize. If your workload is heavily multithreaded rendering or content creation using Cinebench-style tasks, the i7-5930K is the pick. It wins every Cinebench test, from R15 multicore at 886 versus 867 to R23 multicore at 8791 versus 8611. The margins are small — never more than 2.4% — but they are uniform. You get a slight edge in every rendering benchmark with the i7-5930K.

If your workload involves Geekbench-style single-threaded tasks or applications that scale with per-core performance, the i5-8600K is the clear winner. Its Geekbench single-core score of 1514 is 23.6% ahead of the i7-5930K’s 1225. That is a massive gap, far larger than any Cinebench delta. The i5-8600K also wins Geekbench multicore with 5997 versus 5715, a 4.9% lead.

For a general-purpose desktop CPU, the i5-8600K is the better recommendation. It wins the two most modern general-purpose benchmarks by a wide margin, and its Cinebench losses are all under 2.5%. The i7-5930K is the better recommendation only if you have a specific need for Cinebench-class rendering performance and do not care about the Geekbench deficit. Both CPUs are end-of-life, so this is a used-market decision. The i5-8600K’s newer architecture gives it a significant single-thread advantage that will matter more in everyday applications, while the i7-5930K’s extra threads show up only in the narrow Cinebench suite.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest win for the i5-8600K is in Geekbench single-core. It scores 1514 against the i7-5930K’s 1225, a 23.6% advantage. That is the single largest performance gap in this comparison. In raw points, the i5-8600K leads by 289. For context, the i7-5930K’s Cinebench wins never exceed 21 points in multicore or 26 points in single-core.

The second-largest win is also for the i5-8600K, in Geekbench multicore. It scores 5997 versus 5715, a 4.9% lead of 282 points. This is notable because the i7-5930K has 12 threads versus the i5-8600K’s 6, yet the i5-8600K still wins the multicore Geekbench test. The newer Coffee Lake architecture overcomes the thread deficit.

The i7-5930K’s wins are all in Cinebench, and they are tightly clustered. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 886 versus 867, a 2.1% lead. In R15 single-core, it scores 125 versus 122, a 2.4% lead. Cinebench R20 multicore shows 3692 versus 3616, a 2.1% lead. R20 single-core shows 521 versus 510, also 2.1%. Cinebench R23 multicore shows 8791 versus 8611, a 2% lead. R23 single-core shows 1241 versus 1215, a 2.1% lead. The i7-5930K never wins by more than 2.4%, and its margin is almost always exactly around 2.1%.

The pattern is clear. Cinebench favors the older i7-5930K by a small but consistent margin. Geekbench heavily favors the newer i5-8600K. The overall win count is 6-2 in favor of the i7-5930K, but the magnitude of the i5-8600K’s wins is much larger. The i5-8600K’s average benchmark score of 2807 also edges out the i7-5930K’s 2775, confirming that the two Geekbench wins carry more weight than the six Cinebench wins.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i7-5930K wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head tests, all in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. The Intel Core i5-8600K wins 2 tests, both in Geekbench.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench single-core. The i5-8600K scores 1514, which is 23.6% higher than the i7-5930K’s 1225.

Q: Does the i7-5930K win in every Cinebench test?

A: Yes. The i7-5930K wins all six Cinebench tests, with margins ranging from 2% to 2.4%. The smallest win is in Cinebench R23 multicore at 8791 versus 8611, and the largest is in Cinebench R15 single-core at 125 versus 122.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The i5-8600K has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 2807, compared to the i7-5930K’s 2775. Both CPUs sit at the 51st percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Which CPU has better single-core performance?

A: The i5-8600K has better single-core performance in Geekbench, scoring 1514 versus 1225. However, the i7-5930K wins all three Cinebench single-core tests, with scores of 125, 521, and 1241 versus 122, 510, and 1215.

Q: Are both CPUs end-of-life products?

A: Yes. Both the Intel Core i5-8600K and the Intel Core i7-5930K are listed as end-of-life production status.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs come from different architectural eras. The i5-8600K uses Coffee Lake, built on a 14 nm process node. The i7-5930K uses Haswell-E, built on a 22 nm process node. That process difference is significant, and it shows in the benchmark results. The newer 14 nm process allows the i5-8600K to reach higher clock speeds while maintaining a lower TDP of 95 watts versus the i7-5930K’s 140 watts.

The i5-8600K has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The i7-5930K has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz. The i5-8600K boosts 0.60 GHz higher, which explains its Geekbench single-core dominance. The i7-5930K’s boost clock is only 0.20 GHz above its base clock, a modest increase.

Cache configuration differs substantially. The i5-8600K has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-5930K also has 64 KB of L1 per core and 256 KB of L2 per core, but it has 15 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-5930K’s L3 cache is 66% larger, which likely contributes to its Cinebench edge.

The i7-5930K has a larger physical implementation, with 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The i5-8600K’s transistor count and die size are not listed in the data. The i7-5930K also supports quad-channel memory with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the i5-8600K is dual-channel at 42.7 GB/s. The i7-5930K provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, versus the i5-8600K’s 16 lanes.

The i5-8600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the i7-5930K has no integrated graphics. This means the i5-8600K can run without a discrete GPU, while the i7-5930K requires one. The i5-8600K also released later, on 2017-10-04, compared to the i7-5930K’s 2014-08-31.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts differ. The i5-8600K has 6 cores and 6 threads. The i7-5930K has 6 cores and 12 threads. The i7-5930K supports Hyper-Threading, effectively doubling its thread count, while the i5-8600K does not.

Clock speeds differ, with the i5-8600K running at 3.60 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost, versus the i7-5930K at 3.50 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The i5-8600K’s boost clock is 0.60 GHz higher.

TDP differs significantly. The i5-8600K is rated at 95 watts, while the i7-5930K is rated at 140 watts. The i7-5930K draws more power, consistent with its older 22 nm process and larger die.

Socket compatibility is different. The i5-8600K uses Intel Socket 1151, while the i7-5930K uses Intel Socket 2011-3. These are not interchangeable, so a motherboard upgrade is required to switch between them.

Memory support differs. Both support DDR4, but the i5-8600K uses a dual-channel memory bus with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-5930K uses a quad-channel memory bus with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth. The i7-5930K’s memory bandwidth is 60% higher.

PCIe lane count differs. The i5-8600K provides 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the i7-5930K provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The i7-5930K can support more expansion cards or multi-GPU configurations.

Both CPUs have unlocked multipliers, allowing overclocking. Neither supports ECC memory. The i5-8600K has integrated graphics, the i7-5930K does not. The i5-8600K was released on 2017-10-04 with a launch MSRP of $257, while the i7-5930K was released on 2014-08-31 with no launch MSRP listed.