Intel Core i7-4790K vs Intel Core i7-6700 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data shows a decisive overall victory for the Intel Core i7-4790K, which wins 16 of the 19 head-to-head comparisons. The Intel Core i7-6700 manages only 3 wins, but those wins are concentrated in specific workloads where its architectural advantages show through.

The largest margin in the entire comparison belongs to the i7-4790K in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where it scores 34 versus 27, a 25.9% advantage. This is a substantial gap and indicates that the Haswell architecture, with its higher base and boost clocks, handles this particular integer-heavy workload far more efficiently.

Integer math also favors the older processor heavily. The i7-4790K posts a score of 29163, which is 13.7% ahead of the i7-6700's 25651. This pattern continues in random string sorting, where the i7-4790K scores 16431 versus 14406, a 14.1% lead. These are not marginal differences; they represent consistent superiority in CPU-bound integer tasks.

The Geekbench results amplify this trend. The i7-4790K scores 4569 in multi-core, which is 8.8% higher than the i7-6700's 4201. The single-core gap is similar at 7.7%, with scores of 1361 and 1264 respectively. These are the largest percentage differences outside of the PassMark suite, and they suggest that the i7-4790K's higher clock speeds provide a tangible benefit in synthetic CPU performance tests.

PassMark single-thread results corroborate this, with the i7-4790K scoring 2466 versus 2277, an 8.3% advantage. The data compression test also shows a 7% lead for the i7-4790K, with scores of 121722 and 113748.

The Cinebench tests tell a closer story. Across all three versions of Cinebench (R15, R20, and R23), the i7-4790K wins every multi-core and single-core subtest, but by very narrow margins. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the scores are 690 versus 688, a 0.3% difference. R20 multi-core shows 2879 versus 2867, a 0.4% gap. R23 multi-core is similarly tight at 6855 versus 6828, also 0.4%. The single-core tests are equally close: R15 at 97 versus 96 (1%), R20 at 406 versus 404 (0.5%), and R23 at 967 versus 964 (0.3%). These results indicate that in rendering workloads, the two processors are effectively equivalent, with the i7-4790K holding only a razor-thin edge.

The i7-6700's wins are concentrated in three areas. The most significant is data encryption, where it scores 2753 against the i7-4790K's 2264, a 17.8% advantage. This is the largest margin for either processor in any test category. Floating point math also favors the i7-6700, with a score of 15840 versus 14597, a 7.8% lead. The third win is in physics, where the i7-6700 scores 558 against 548, a 1.8% margin. These results suggest that the Skylake architecture's newer instruction handling and memory subsystem provide benefits in encryption and floating-point workloads, even though the i7-4790K dominates in most other categories.

Extended instructions are nearly identical, with the i7-4790K at 7579 and the i7-6700 at 7505, a 1% difference. The PassMark multi-thread test is also extremely close: 8062 versus 8051, a 0.1% margin that is effectively a tie.

The average benchmark scores reflect the overall picture. The i7-4790K has an average score of 11745, placing it in the 67th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-6700 averages 11074, sitting at the 66th percentile. The i7-4790K's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1185G7 at 11697 (0.4% behind) and the Intel Xeon Gold 6342 at 11574 (1.5% behind), while the AMD EPYC 7453 at 11912 (1.4% ahead) and the Intel Core i7-7700 at 11914 (1.4% ahead) sit slightly above it. The i7-6700's nearest rivals are led by the AMD EPYC 9224 at 11118 (0.4% ahead) and the AMD EPYC 7542 at 11152 (0.7% ahead), with the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U at 11176 (0.9% ahead) and the Intel Xeon Gold 6336Y at 11191 (1% ahead) showing that the i7-6700 sits at the lower end of its immediate competitive cluster.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear recommendation for the Intel Core i7-4790K for most users. It wins the majority of benchmark comparisons, often by substantial margins in integer math, prime number finding, random string sorting, and single-thread tests. Its 8.8% lead in Geekbench multi-core and 7.7% lead in Geekbench single-core are particularly notable, as these are broad synthetic measures that correlate with general system responsiveness and application performance.

The i7-4790K also has the advantage of an unlocked multiplier, meaning it can be overclocked beyond its already higher stock clocks of 4.00 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost. The i7-6700 is locked, with a 3.40 GHz base and 4.00 GHz boost. For users who intend to push performance further, the i7-4790K is the only option that allows that flexibility.

However, the i7-6700 should not be dismissed. Its 17.8% lead in data encryption and 7.8% lead in floating point math indicate that it handles certain cryptographic and scientific workloads more efficiently. Its higher memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s (versus 25.6 GB/s) and support for both DDR3 and DDR4 memory give it a more modern memory subsystem. The i7-6700 also has a lower TDP of 65 watts versus 88 watts, which may be relevant for compact builds or systems with limited cooling capacity.

The Cinebench results, which show near-identical performance across all versions, suggest that in rendering and content creation workloads, users will see no practical difference between the two. The choice ultimately depends on workload priorities. For general computing, integer-heavy tasks, and overclocking, the i7-4790K is the stronger pick. For encryption-heavy workloads, floating-point calculations, and lower power consumption, the i7-6700 has merit.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the majority of benchmark comparisons?

A: The Intel Core i7-4790K wins 16 of the 19 head-to-head tests, while the Intel Core i7-6700 wins 3.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-4790K leads by 25.9% in the PassMark find prime numbers test (34 versus 27). The Intel Core i7-6700 leads by 17.8% in PassMark data encryption (2753 versus 2264).

Q: How do the two compare in Cinebench rendering tests?

A: The Intel Core i7-4790K wins every Cinebench test, but by very small margins. Cinebench R15 multi-core is 690 versus 688 (0.3%), R20 multi-core is 2879 versus 2867 (0.4%), and R23 multi-core is 6855 versus 6828 (0.4%). Single-core margins range from 0.3% to 1%.

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-4790K has an average score of 11745, placing it in the 67th percentile. The Intel Core i7-6700 has an average score of 11074, placing it in the 66th percentile.

Q: Can either processor be overclocked?

A: The Intel Core i7-4790K has an unlocked multiplier and can be overclocked. The Intel Core i7-6700 has a locked multiplier and cannot.

Q: What are the memory support differences?

A: The Intel Core i7-4790K supports DDR3 memory only, with a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The Intel Core i7-6700 supports both DDR3 and DDR4, with a memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

Specification Differences

The Intel Core i7-4790K and Intel Core i7-6700 differ in several key specifications. The i7-4790K has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, while the i7-6700 has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The i7-4790K has a TDP of 88 watts, whereas the i7-6700 has a TDP of 65 watts. The processors use different sockets: the i7-4790K uses Intel Socket 1150, and the i7-6700 uses Intel Socket 1151.

The i7-4790K supports DDR3 memory only, with a memory bandwidth of 25.6 GB/s. The i7-6700 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, with a memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The i7-4790K has an unlocked multiplier, while the i7-6700 has a locked multiplier. The integrated graphics differ: the i7-4790K uses Intel HD 4600, and the i7-6700 uses HD Graphics 530. The i7-4790K has a transistor count of 1,400 million and a die size of 177 mm²; these figures are not recorded for the i7-6700. The launch MSRP for the i7-4790K was $350, and for the i7-6700 it was $303. The i7-4790K has part number SR219, and the i7-6700 has part number SR2L2.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent different Intel architectures. The Intel Core i7-4790K is based on the Haswell architecture, built on a 22 nm process node. The Intel Core i7-6700 is based on the Skylake architecture, built on a 14 nm process node. Both processors have 4 cores and 8 threads, and both share the same cache layout: 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache.

The process node shrink from 22 nm to 14 nm is the most significant architectural difference, enabling the i7-6700 to achieve a lower TDP of 65 watts despite a newer design. The i7-6700 also benefits from a more modern memory controller that supports both DDR3 and DDR4, with a higher memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s compared to 25.6 GB/s for the i7-4790K. The i7-4790K compensates with higher stock clock speeds, which explains its dominance in clock-sensitive benchmarks like integer math and single-thread tests. The integrated graphics solution also differs, with the i7-4790K using Intel HD 4600 and the i7-6700 using HD Graphics 530. The i7-4790K is an unlocked processor, a feature absent from the i7-6700.