Intel Core i5 6600K

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Intel Core i5 6600K
Intel has once again shown it is king of all it surveys when it comes to PC processors. Skylake is set to be the defacto choice for everyone from high-end, enthusiast gamers, to those simply seeking a basic workhorse PC. Of the Intel Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K we’d grab the 6600K but both make for excellent options for those looking to get the most out of their PCs, even if you're paying a little extra for the privilege right now.
- As reviewed by Trusted Reviews on Aug 2015
4
Cores
4
Threads
3.5 GHz
Base Clock
3.9 GHz
Boost Clock
Socket LGA 1151
Socket
91 W
TDP
Intel HD Graphics 530
Integrated Graphics
$175
Price
Release date:Aug 5, 2015Price at Launch:$243
Cores:4Threads:4
Base Clock:3.5 GHzBoost Clock:3.9 GHz
Type:DesktopMultithreading:No
L2 Cache:1 MBL3 Cache:6 MB
Box Cooler:YesTDP:91 W
Socket:Socket LGA 1151Memory Support:DDR3L‑1600 or DDR4‑2133
Codename:SkylakeProcess Size:14 nm
Integrated Graphics:YesiGPU Model:Intel HD Graphics 530
NPU:NoPCIe Support:PCIe 3.0, 16 Lanes

Price History

Intel Core i5 6600K pricing

Last 6 months
Price Date
Current $175 Dec 15, 2025
Highest* $175 Dec 11, 2025
Lowest* $75 Jul 5, 2025
Average $113
* Prices are based on listings from Newegg and other major retailers over the past 12+ months.
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Reviews and Ratings

86

Average Score

Based on 11 reviews

9.2

User Score

Based on 1,203 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Performance is close to that of earlier gen Core i7 chips on many tests
  • Big jump in graphics performance
  • Competitive price
  • Plenty of options to tweak the CPU speed - fully unlocked BCLK and core multiplier

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • Like all "Skylake" chips, requires a new motherboard
  • Graphics still not good enough for serious gaming
  • 20 PCIe 3.0 lanes on the CPU would have been better for two graphics cards and a low-latency PCIe SSD
80

But in the here and now, the Core i5 6600K is a strong product - at worst it provides mildly enhanced performance over its predecessors, at best it's noticeably faster and should help to reduce CPU bottlenecking during gameplay.

By EuroGamer on
85

While Intel's High-End Desktop (HEDT) CPUs are fast and fun, it's on the mainstream platform where the chip manufacturing company really shifts volumes to gamers and DIY enthusiasts. Multiplier-unlocked Core i5 and i7 variants of the latest mainstream...

By Kitguru.net on
80

& conclusion The Intels Skylake series launch is going to be interesting. After testing the Core i5 6600K my feelings are a bit two-fold though. Let's face it - clock for clock these processors all roughly perform the same starting at Sandy-Bridge the...

By Guru of 3D on
100

Modest CPU and GPU gains over the previous generation, but Skylake is as future-proof as it gets right...

By Expert Reviews on
90

Intel has once again shown it is king of all it surveys when it comes to PC processors. Skylake is set to be the defacto choice for everyone from high-end, enthusiast gamers, to those simply seeking a basic workhorse PC. Of the Intel Core i7-6700K and Core i5-6600K we’d grab the 6600K but both make for excellent options for those looking to get the most out of their PCs, even if you're paying a little extra for the privilege right now.

By Trusted Reviews on
96

Great chip, perfect for gamers, especially those on a budget - but with great overclocking features, if you wanted to squeeze a little more performance out of it - you have great options to d0...

By techteamgb.co.uk on

Battling CPUs at $60 is going to be a tough call. Do you throw the best hardware around the chip that money can buy to compare the absolute limits of the hardware under ideal conditions, or do you keep it more reasonable for the price bracket it is...

By AnandTech on

These days there are basically two different groups of customers who demand lots of processing power: content creators and gamers, while this 2D performance comparison is targeting content creators. After having had a look at the following pages you'll...

By Ocaholic on

If you're after a budget processor from Intel that can perform daily tasks with occasional gaming… then there's no question, the Intel Pentium G4560 is your answer. It's a dual core Kaby Lake with 4 threads at $65.00… what more do you want?!  1 2 3...

By funkykit.com on

DefaultFirst of all we're going to have a closer look at performance differences with standard clock speeds From our overall performance rating we see that the Core i56600K is on average 1439 % quicker than the AMD FX8320 If we start searching for the...

By Ocaholic on

DefaultFirst of all we're going to have a closer look at performance differences with standard clock speeds From our overall performance rating we see that the Core i76700K is on average 27% quicker than the Core i56600K In this case you need to keep in...

By Ocaholic on

In this article we're going to compare the Core i7-6700K to the Core i5-6600K regarding gaming performance. Both processors are tested at stock clocks as well as overclocked to 4.5 GHz and we're going to hit them with quite a few games as well as...

By Ocaholic on
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