i3-N305 vs i7-6900K

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	835	1065
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.96	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Laptop
Power efficiency	6.16	39.56
Architecture codename	Broadwell-E (2016)	Alder Lake-N (2023)
Release date	31 May 2016 (8 years ago)	3 January 2023 (1 year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,020	$309

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 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	8 (Octa-Core)	8 (Octa-Core)
Threads	16	8
Base clock speed	3.2 GHz	0.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	3.8 GHz
L1 cache	32 KB (per core)	96 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	2 MB (per module)
L3 cache	20 MB (shared)	6 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Maximum core temperature	no data	105 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 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
Socket	FCLGA2011	FCBGA1264
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	15 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305. 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	+	+
FMA	-	+
AVX	+	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	-	+
Smart Response	+	no data
GPIO	no data	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data

Security technologies

Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	no data
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4	DDR4, DDR5
Maximum memory size	128 GB	16 GB
Max memory channels	4	1

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	no data	Intel UHD Graphics
Quick Sync Video	-	+
Graphics max frequency	no data	1.25 GHz
Execution Units	no data	32

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported

no data

3

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	no data	+
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	no data	4096 x 2160@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPort	no data	4096 x 2160@60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	no data	12.1
OpenGL	no data	4.6

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305.

PCIe version	3.0	3.0
PCI Express lanes	40	9
USB revision	no data	2.0/3.2

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	9.11	6.27
Recency	31 May 2016	3 January 2023
Threads	16	8
Power consumption (TDP)	140 Watt	15 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6900K and Core i3-N305, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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