Intel Core i5 6600K 3.50 GHz Quad Core Skylake Desktop Processor, Socket LGA 1151, 8MB Cache [BX80662I56600K]

The Skylake i5-6600k is a beast of a processor. This processor will beat any AMD and pre-existing Intel i5s on the market stock out of the box on single core benchmarks. The comes when you overclock this bad boy. Overclocking is not recommended if you are playing simplified graphic-oriented games, but you can unlock some serious performance for more demanding game than you would ever need. Currently my setup, Gigabyte Z170MX Gaming 5 i5-6600k @ 4.5 Ghz Ballistix Sport LT 8 GB kit (2x4 GB) EVGA GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0 -these being the factoring parts that overly determine a PCs performance) Here are my Benchmark results using Cinebench and PerformanceTest - These are all averages not one time highest scores and compared to the old system. FX8350 @ 4.4 Ghz Performance Test ASUS Crosshair V Formula DDR 3 1600 Mhz GTX 970 EVGA SSC 2.0 CPU Mark Score - 9688 2D Mark Score - 623 3D Mark Score - 8445 Memory Mark Score - 1367 Disk Mark Score - 4019 Passmark Score - 3630 Cinebench - Multicore - 619 @4.4 Ghz Single Core - 103 @ 4.4 Ghz OpenGL - 88.35 fps i5-6600k @ 3.5 -3.9 Ghz Performance Test Gigabyte Z170MX Gaming 5 DDR4 2400 Mhz GTX 970 EVGA ssc 2.0 @3.5 Ghz CPU Mark Score - 8126 2D Mark Score - 914 3D Mark Score - 9613 Memory Mark Score - 2444 Disk Mark Score - 3846 Passmark Score - 4611 Cinebench - Multicore - 544 @ 3.5 Ghz single Core - 146 @ 3.5 Ghz OpenGL - 114.79 fps @4.5 Ghz CPU Mark Score - 9978 2D Mark Score - 1227 3D Mark Score - 10275 Memory Mark Score - 2886 Disk Mark Score - 4731 Passmark Score - 5737 Cinebench - Multicore - 663 @ 4.5 Ghz single Core - 182 @ 4.5 Ghz OpenGL - 144.92fps @ 4.5 Ghz Average FPS in games : WoW - FX8350 - 45-85 FPS ultra setting - i5-6600K - 85-120 fps Ultra Setting Metro 2033 Redux - FX 8350 - 35-55 FPS ultra without FXAA - i5-6600K - 65-145 FPS Ultra without FXAA Overwatch - FX 8350 - 80-115 FPS Ultra settings - i5-6600K - 115-190 FPS Ultra Setting Blade and Soul - FX 8350 - 45-75 FPS Ultra Settings - i5-6600K - 120 FPS capped never drops - Ultra Settings Doom (2016 release) - FX 8350 110-145 fps Ultra Settings (Vulkan) - i5-6600K - 210-300 FPS capped by engine - Ultra Settings Crysis 3 Ultra Settings - FX 8350 45-60 fps - i5-6600K - 75-91 FPS GTA V Ultra Settings - FX 8350 32-68 FPS - i5-6600K - 78-104 FPS As you can see, the FX 8350 overclocked to 4.4 Ghz which is pretty common OC does outperform the i5-6600k at stock speeds. but when you hit that magical 4.5 Ghz, you can stop and enjoy the insane single core and phenomenal Multi-core performance. The i5-6600k removes all bottles necks on the GPU and completely destroyed the FX 8350 with the same GPU even at stock speeds. I recommend this processor if you want to upgrade for newer platforms and support. This processor will easily compete with ZEN hitting and I was patiently waiting for ZEN to come. I highly recommend the Gigabyte board Gaming line, as they are sturdy and reliable. I have built 2 of these systems as I plan to have it as backup for my streaming schedule.

Amazon once again helps us to fulfill all of our shopping needs. This Christmas we are surprising our daughter with all the component that she need to build herself a computer that will definitely make her classmates jelly. Computer assembly isn't difficult for noobs, but to the uninformed saying that your built your own is definitely impressive. With each system you need to make sure that you purchase certain components. This is what we got her: 1. Case: Thermaltake Versa N21 Translucent Panel ATX Mid Tower Window Gaming Computer Case Cases CA-1D9-00M1WN-00 - This case is a simple sleek design that will help protect the vital components from her younger sister's tiny fingers. 2. Power supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G1, 80+ GOLD 650W, Fully Modular, 10 Year Warranty, Includes FREE Power On Self Tester, Power Supply 120-G1-0650-XR - This power supply was one of the highest rates, quality built, cost effective supplies available. 3. Motherboard: Gigabyte LGA 1151 Z170 2-Way SLI UEFI DualBIOS ATX DDR4 ATX DDR4 NA Motherboards GA-Z170XP-SLI - We chose this Motherboard because it will allow us to add up to three m.2 SSD hard drives at a later date, perhaps her birthday. 4. Processor: Intel Core i5 6600K 3.50 GHz Quad Core Skylake Desktop Processor, Socket LGA 1151, 6MB Cache (BX80662I56600K) - Every computer needs a good processor. Intel currently leads in performance (Sorry AMD) 5. Heat Sink: ARCTIC Freezer Xtreme Rev. 2 CPU Cooler - Intel & AMD, Twin-Tower Heatsink, 120mm PWM Fan - Heatsinks are important to help transfer heat away from the processor and help to avoid it from overheating. Water cooling is very effective but introduce additional points of failure. We chose this because she isn't heavy into gaming but it will allow her to explore. 6. Ram: Corsair memory kit 16.0 DDR4 2400 MT/s (PC4-19200) (QTY:2) - 32gb of ram is a bit overkill but provides additional room for growth. 7. Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 SC GAMING ACX 3.0, 8GB GDDR5X, LED, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) Graphics Card 08G-P4-6183-KR - This video card it is a bit of overkill for her, a EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB GAMING, ACX 2.0 (Single Fan), 3GB GDDR5, DX12 OSD Support (PXOC) Graphics Cards 03G-P4-6160-KR is more affordable and in line with her fascination for World of Warcraft. 8. Hard Drive: Seagate 1TB BarraCuda SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Hard Drive (ST1000DM010) - Seagate makes a quality product, I have used them for years. I have a network drive with one of their hard drives that has been running since 2009. 1TB is sufficient for her needs. 9. Optical Drive: LG Electronics 14x SATA Blu-ray Internal Rewriter without Software, Black (WH14NS40) - This is only needed if she has a need for playing/recording DVD or Blu-ray discs. To watch Blu-ray movies will require purchasing additional software. 10. Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit - I prefer to use to the professional versions of windows as it allows me greater control of the operating system and aides in the monitoring and protection of the system from the youngins' 11. Antivirus: Norton Security Premium - 10 Devices [Key Card ] - I use Nortons to help protect all of my computers for one low cost. There is only one computer in our household with a different AV and i've had to clean a couple viruses off of it.

There's a few hundred reviews on this CPU already so adding my voice to the cacophony is just a drop in the bucket. Having gotten that out of the way, I love this CPU. I'm a heavy gamer and avid "power user" and this CPU fits my needs perfectly. I had always been an AMD guy and got tired of always being behind the curve in performance. I went with an Intel+Nvidia build and couldn't be happier. I have my chip currently clocked at 4.4Ghz on liquid cooling and have yet to see temps go above 45C even at full tilt. I'm confident that I have room to move higher on my clock but there's just no need to; I've got plenty of oomph. The CPU can handle everything I've thrown at it and has yet to cause me any issues. (Well, sorta. See below.) For what it's worth my build uses: i5 6600k, EVGA Classified K, 32GB Corsair Vengeance, EVGA GTX 1070FTW, Samsung EVO 850 SSD, Corsair Hydro 100i GTX, Fractal Design Define S. Now, the disclaimer: I had to buy two of these because the first one died after 2 days of use. I got a full refund for the defective chip, but the point stands that I got the one-in-a-billion bad CPU. Shortly after my build I was getting strange blue screens, reboot loops, and eventually the computer refused to POST. After a lot of troubleshooting I narrowed it down to the CPU and a new one solved all the issues. It's been working beautifully for more than a month. I'm not holding the bad CPU against my review. I honestly think it was the motherboard I was using that blew the CPU. I found a few reports of other users with the same board saying that the VRMs on that particular board were not reliable/poor quality and overclocking was unstable for that board. That board was replaced with a totally different brand/model while going through my troubleshooting steps. Overall, the CPU is fantastic. Paired with all the other parts in my build I've never been happier with a desktop computer. Unless AMD just demolishes the competition when Zen releases I'll likely be sticking with Intel for the foreseeable future.

This CPU is phenomenal, my main purchase was because the heat in my room due to the FX-9590(Yes, this processor made a noticeable difference by reducing the heat in my room). I previously had a FX-9590 which I bought in 2014. The FX-9590 treated me well. When I got a 980 TI, I always felt underwhelmed I feel like this GPU could do more but I just dealt with it. Until recently, I purchased this i5-6600k, I haven't overclocked it or anything yet but the performance is just noticeable from the AMD FX-9590. Games like Overwatch, I gained a solid 30FPS from my 9590, WoW gained a whooping 35FPS. The speed at which this CPU delivers is crazy good, and I couldn't be more satisfied with this process. I was between this and the i7 6700, but for gaming orientation the i5-6600k is killer and you need to overclock, but when I'm ready to Overclock I can just see this CPU being a boss. This CPU has no bottleneck for my 980 TI soon my GTX 1080! A word to all AMD CPU users, this processor is amazing and well worth it! Trust me, The Zen may have hope, but if you're upgrading now do it! You wont regret! Comp Specs: @ two 1440p Monitors i5 6600k W/ h100I Gigabyte GA-Z170X Gaming 7 Corsair Dominator Platinum Series 3200MHz 16GB RM 850 Power Supply PNY 980 TI Reference

A lot faster than my old AMD, I didn't overclock it too much since I only use a 500w power supply but it runs very cool with air cooling at 4.5Ghz (thanks to 14nm and the new architecture of course). Really isn't worth it to spend over 100 extra for the i7 unless you use hyperthreading a lot. Spend the extra money on GPU or mobo or a NVMe ssd will give you a much more significant boost in performance. Still with no heatsink intel is overpricing this thing significantly, hopefully they make some good progress in technology with all the extra money grabbed from us! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Review update (after 8 months of use) I have been running the processor at 4.4Ghz for a while, and recently changed a new PSU so I felt a lot more confident to try and push the processor a little higher, and the result is I failed. A lot of people were able to achieve 4.7Ghz stable with but mine starts to run into occasional problems at 4.6Ghz, especially when you run Prime 95 to test it one of the four cores will give me error even at 4.5Ghz. I never realized anything and the system never failed on me at 4.5 so I do intend to keep it that way even though it fails the test. And I haven't been trying to increase the core voltage past 1.4v just for safety reasons. Over the various forum articles I have read, most people encounter their bottleneck of oc between 4.4-4.7, so if you can achieve 4.7 and pass extreme torture tests then I would say you are pretty lucky, but if you can't, not a big deal. I doubt that we will be able to physically observe any difference in performance between 4.4 and 4.7 with normal daily use unless you do a lot of cpu intensive work. Anyways, just thought I would share my results with an update after over half year usage.

Welcome to Intel's first architecture since Sandy Bridge with extreme overclocking potential! Day 1 sees me running stable at a whopping 4.9 GHz with this beautiful little chip, the Core i5-6600k. As an added bonus, she's staying nice and cool thanks to the new 14nm fab process and an NZXT Kraken X61 liquid cooling unit. While it's true that at stock speeds Skylake is only about 6% faster than Haswell Refresh (Devil's Canyon), the overclocking potential and power efficiency of these chips would appear to be far superior to that of the Haswell chips. For gamers looking for the latest and greatest tech to push those frame rates higher and for overclockers looking for the next chip to push to 5.0 GHz (or for those who do both like myself!), the i5-6600k is the chip you've (I've) been waiting for since Sandy Bridge. (For those unfamiliar with Intel's codenames, Sandy Bridge refers to the i5-2500k and i7-2600k.) I couldn't be more satisfied this chip, and I haven't said that about a CPU since the rig I built based on, you guessed it, an i5-2500k. Don't look back, Skylake is the way forward! (Oh, and if you're building a new rig, do yourself a favor and pick up an SSD if you don't already have one. You haven't experienced a blazing fast computer until you pair a good CPU with an SSD!) Relevant system specs: ASUS Maximus VIII Hero Mobo (Z170) i5-6600k kept cool by an NZXT Kraken X61 XFX R9 295x2 Corsair 4x4GB DDR4 RAM SeaSonic 1050W Snow Silent Platinum PSU 4x Samsung SSD's 1440p Acer FreeSync Monitor (This chip was chosen for my Star Citizen gaming rig.)

I haven't had any need to OC this processor yet, as it has handled everything I've thrown at it with ease. Windows 10 boots for me in about 10 seconds. Very satisfied with the speed of this CPU, and at its price point, it is a powerful, quality processor. There were some recent concerns I read about online about how the EVO 212 CPU cooler might cause damage to the chip, but I can say I've had one in my rig from day 1, 3 months ago, and have experienced no problems from any stress on the chip. I read somewhere else that running an intense stress test with Prime95 could cause a crash or some other problem with some of the new Skylake processors. I'm just letting people know, but I don't run stupid stress tests with 3rd party software, so I can't speak about it from personal experience. All in all, my PC has been quite zippy running stock speeds with the 6600k, and with the EVO 212 cooler, I never reach temps higher than 31 C. I'm a casual gamer, mostly playing older games like Day of Defeat still, but I do have GTA V and CS:GO, and those run flawlessly.

Just blown away from this CPU. I haven't upgraded a CPU since the 2nd generation, and decided it was time for a new platform. I had a lot of debate if i should get the i5 vs the i7. I won't put much info from that since it can be searched online, but ultimately it came down to what this CPU was going to be used for most. I do some video editing, but not enough to warrant an i7, and really there is only a few fps increase went it came to games. If you're considering from an upgrade, I highly encourage you to do some homework. Both my mobo and ram were shot, which made me consider this newer platform. If you look at benchmarks, this cpu is really not all that much faster than previous generations, and the platform is still very new. I suggest waiting a bit more until prices stabilize and more products come out in Q3 or Q4 2016. You won't get much of a performance boost upgrading from 1150 platform to this one. The good: - Integrated graphics are actually doing pretty well. I am playing blade and soul with no gpu at high settings in 1080p and I get around 35-40 FPS. - Comes with no cooler (who uses stock cooler anyway?) - Z170 Platform. This platform so far is amazing. The bad: - More expensive than previous generations - New platform - Forces to buy new mobo, and memory standard DDR4 - Not a huge performance improvement over previous generations. Overall I highly recommend this CPU if you are in the market for a new one. If you're in a profession that can benefit from hyper-threading than I suggest considering the i7 instead.