Athlon X4 970 vs i7-6700K

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-6700K
2015
4 cores / 8 threads, 91 Watt
5.62
+239%
Athlon X4 970
2017
4 cores / 4 threads, 65 Watt
1.66

Core i7-6700K outperforms Athlon X4 970 by a whopping 239% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking11352060
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation1.06no data
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesIntel Core i7 (Desktop)no data
Power efficiency5.842.42
Architecture codenameSkylake (2015−2016)Bristol Ridge (2016−2019)
Release date5 August 2015 (9 years ago)27 July 2017 (7 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$339no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 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 cores4 (Quad-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads84
Base clock speed4 GHz3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed4.2 GHz4 GHz
Bus typeDMI 3.0no data
Bus rate4 × 8 GT/sno data
Multiplier40no data
L1 cache64 KB (per core)128 KB (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)512 KB (per core)
L3 cache8 MB (shared)0 KB
Chip lithography14 nm28 nm
Die size122 mm2246 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)64 °C74 °C
Number of transistors1750 Million1,178 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 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 configuration1 (Uniprocessor)1
SocketFCLGA1151AM4
Power consumption (TDP)91 Watt65 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2no data
AES-NI++
FMA-+
AVX++
vPro+no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
TSX+-
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-

Security technologies

Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data
Secure Key+no data
MPX+-
Identity Protection+-
SGXYes with Intel® MEno data
OS Guard+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 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 Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3, DDR4DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size64 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth34.134 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 530no data
Max video memory64 GBno data
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video+no data
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.15 GHzno data
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported3no data
eDP+no data
DisplayPort+-
HDMI+-
DVI+no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support+no data
Max resolution over HDMI 1.44096x2304@24Hzno data
Max resolution over eDP4096x2304@60Hzno data
Max resolution over DisplayPort4096x2304@60Hzno data
Max resolution over VGAN/Ano data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX12no data
OpenGL4.5no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970.

PCIe version3.0no data
PCI Express lanes16no data

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.

i7-6700K 5.62
+239%
Athlon X4 970 1.66

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.

i7-6700K 8933
+238%
Athlon X4 970 2644

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 5.62 1.66
Recency 5 August 2015 27 July 2017
Threads 8 4
Chip lithography 14 nm 28 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 91 Watt 65 Watt

i7-6700K has a 238.6% higher aggregate performance score, 100% more threads, and a 100% more advanced lithography process.

Athlon X4 970, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, and 40% lower power consumption.

The Core i7-6700K is our recommended choice as it beats the Athlon X4 970 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6700K and Athlon X4 970, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-6700K
Core i7-6700K
AMD Athlon X4 970
Athlon X4 970

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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