Intel Core i7-6900K

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Intel Core i7-6900K
In terms of the user experience with the i7-6900K, that was great. We just dropped the CPU into our ASUS Strix X99 Gaming board which was running the latest BIOS and we were good to go. You could even get away with not reinstalling Windows 10 if moving from an older CPU… but a fresh install is always nice (and recommended). Performance was exceptional, outperforming the best processor of the last generation in all tasks and easily outperforming mainstream parts.
- As reviewed by HardwareHeaven on May 2016
8
Cores
16
Threads
3.2 GHz
Base Clock
3.7 GHz
Boost Clock
Socket LGA 2011-3
Socket
140 W
TDP
No iGPU
Graphics
$289
Price
Release date:May 31, 2016Price at Launch:$1,089
Cores:8Threads:16
Base Clock:3.2 GHzBoost Clock:3.7 GHz
Type:DesktopMultithreading:Yes
L2 Cache:2 MBL3 Cache:20 MB
Box Cooler:NoTDP:140 W
Socket:Socket LGA 2011-3Memory Support:DDR4-2400
Codename:Broadwell-EProcess Size:14 nm
Integrated Graphics:NoNPU:No
PCIe Support:PCIe 3.0, 40 lanes

Price History

Intel Core i7-6900K pricing

Last 6 months
Price Date
Current $289 Dec 15, 2025
Highest* $289 May 14, 2025
Lowest* $225 May 30, 2025
Average $271
* Prices are based on listings from Newegg and other major retailers over the past 12+ months.
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Reviews and Ratings

88

Average Score

Based on 4 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Overclocks very well
  • Will work with most existing X99 Socket 2011 v3 motherboards (after a BIOS update)

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • Not much better than the two-years-old i7-5960X
  • Comparatively low clock speed means much cheaper chips will outrun it on some mainstream tasks
78

Eight cores is more than any game currently utilizes, but for CPU intensive tasks, Intel's i7-6900K easily beats their 6-core offerings. Just don't try gunning for the 10-core king of the...

By PC Gamer on
96

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By Hardware Canucks on

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By LanOC Reviews on

The Intel Core i7-6900K is a very capable consumer desktop processor since it has 8-cores and is perfectly suited for power users and researchers that are crunching highly threaded workloads all day long. If you are looking for the fastest processor...

By Legit Reviews on

The Intel Core i7-6900K is a speedy, more affordable alternative to Intel's other Broadwell-E processors, but it will still cost you a lot of...

By PC Mag on
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