i7-6970HQ vs A6-5400K
Aggregate performance score
Core i7-6970HQ outperforms A6-5400K by a whopping 262% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2597 | 1652 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Laptop |
| Series | no data | Intel Core i7 |
| Power efficiency | 1.17 | 6.13 |
| Architecture codename | Trinity (2012−2013) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| Release date | 2 October 2012 (12 years ago) | 2 January 2016 (8 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $623 |
Detailed specifications
A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 2 (Dual-core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 2 | 8 |
| Base clock speed | 3.6 GHz | 2.8 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.8 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Bus type | no data | DMI 3.0 |
| Bus rate | no data | 4 × 8 GT/s |
| Multiplier | no data | 28 |
| L1 cache | 128 KB (per core) | 256 KB |
| L2 cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 0 KB | 8 MB |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Die size | 246 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 100 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 70 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | 1,178 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 1 | 1 (Uniprocessor) |
| Socket | FM2 | FCBGA1440 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 45 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2 |
| AES-NI | - | + |
| AVX | - | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| eDRAM | no data | 128 MB |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | - | + |
| Smart Response | no data | + |
Security technologies
A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
| Secure Key | no data | + |
| MPX | - | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® ME |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | + |
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR3, DDR4 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 64 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 34.134 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Radeon HD 7540D | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580 |
| Max video memory | no data | 64 GB |
| Quick Sync Video | - | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.05 GHz |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 3 |
| eDP | no data | + |
| DisplayPort | - | + |
| HDMI | - | + |
| DVI | no data | + |
Graphics image quality
Maximum display resolutions supported by A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.
| 4K resolution support | no data | + |
| Max resolution over HDMI 1.4 | no data | 4096x2304@24Hz |
| Max resolution over eDP | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
| Max resolution over DisplayPort | no data | 4096x2304@60Hz |
Graphics API support
APIs supported by A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.
| DirectX | no data | 12 |
| OpenGL | no data | 4.5 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ.
| PCIe version | no data | 3.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 0.82 | 2.97 |
| Recency | 2 October 2012 | 2 January 2016 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 4 |
| Threads | 2 | 8 |
| Chip lithography | 32 nm | 14 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 45 Watt |
i7-6970HQ has a 262.2% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 3 years, 100% more physical cores and 300% more threads, a 128.6% more advanced lithography process, and 44.4% lower power consumption.
The Core i7-6970HQ is our recommended choice as it beats the A6-5400K in performance tests.
Note that A6-5400K is a desktop processor while Core i7-6970HQ is a notebook one.
Should you still have questions on choice between A6-5400K and Core i7-6970HQ, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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