10600K vs 10700K

Intel Core processors are by far the creme de la creme when it comes to gaming.

10600K VS 10700K min
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The Core i5 series and i7 series are able to offer you the best specifications in comparison to some of their competitors, while also offering a competitive edge to some of their older models.

The most recent additions to their Core i5 and Core i7 ranges come with hyper-threading thrown in at no extra cost, which could be a real game-changer for your gaming experience.

While these two core processors are a great improvement on the previous generations, the similar specifications can make things a little confusing for the more novice gamer.

How can you decide between the Intel Core i5-10600K in comparison to the Intel Core i7-10700K? We’re going to compare the two in more detail so that you can make a better-informed choice for which processor to add to your gaming setup.

The Specs

Before we start to properly compare the two processors, let’s take a look at their respective specifications.

While the two CPUs are similar in several areas, there are some marked differences between the two to justify the price difference. Depending on your budget, these could play a factor in helping you to choose between the two.

So how can you compare the two with these specs and find the better CPU for you and your gaming needs? We’ll be looking at how the two processors compare for their basic clock rate as well as overclocking performance, the number of cores, hyper-threading, turbo boost, and memory cache.

Core Power

The overall core count between the 10600K and 10700K are very similar at first glance. With such similar specifications, how can you know which is the better processor for your gaming needs? Let’s take a look!

The Intel Core i5-10600K will be the more budget-friendly option, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be capable of keeping up with all your gaming needs. The 10600K comes with 6 cores and 12 threads, so will be more than able to match your mainstream gaming requirements.

In contrast, the Intel Core i7-10700K comes with an impressive 8 cores and 16 threads. This basically means that it will be better equipped for any multitasking you have in mind, and will be the better option for more high-end gaming you intend to use it for.

Memory Cache

One of the main differences between the two processors comes down to the cache. The 10600K has less cache – clocking in at 12 MB – while the 10700K stands out with the larger 16 MB.

The memory cache is where your CPU will store some of the more frequently used data to help it deal with repetitive tasks. While this might not be one of the make or break specifications that will play a factor in helping you decide between these two processors, they could help you to make a decision if you’re stuck on which to choose.

The Intel Core i7-10700K will be the more efficient when it comes to multitasking because of its higher cache. This will be ideal if you like to use your gaming PC for several things at once!

Clock Speed

Perhaps one of the most important factors that you’ll be considering when it comes to deciding between the 10600K and the 10700K will be the clock speed. The clock speed is basically the speed at which it takes your processor to complete a processing cycle.

Naturally, the higher the clock speed, the faster your processor will be able to process the tasks you’ve asked it to complete.

The Intel Core i5-10600K comes with an impressive basic clock speed of 4.10 GHz and with a max clock speed of 4.80 GHz. The Intel Core i7-10700K has a basic clock speed of 3.80 GHz and a max clock speed of a whopping 5.10 GHz. 

While the 10700K has a more impressive range in clock speeds, the 10600K is by no means the weaker opponent. Its impressive range of 4.10 GHz and 4.80 GHz makes it a veritable rival to other Intel processors released previously, and ensures that it stays a mighty contender when compared to competitor’s CPUs.

Both of these CPUs also come unlocked, which means you will have the ability to overclock them if needed, so you’ll have that added factor to take into account when choosing between them.

Overclocking your chosen CPU will be a great way to give it a further performance boost if that’s what you’re looking for most!

If you’re a keen overclocking enthusiast, the Intel Core i7-10700K will be the better choice, with its impressive max clock speed of 5.10 GHz. That will give you much more power with your overclocking options – though it’s important to remember that this may be a little more than you need for basic gaming requirements.

Max Turbo Boost

Here is where the second real difference between the two processors comes into play. The beauty of Intel processors is that they all come with the turbo boost overclocking feature. 

Allowing your CPU to run at a lower clock rate will put less strain on it, and prevent it from overheating. But when more speed is needed, the max turbo feature will kick in with your Intel processors. This means that they will automatically boost the workload required of each core as and when it gets heavier.

The key difference between the 10600K and 10700K units is that the Intel Core i7 series comes with the added bonus of max turbo boost technology 3.0. This is basically a more improved version of the basic turbo boost that comes with the i5 series.

It boosts the speed of the i7’s fastest cores individually, and will also direct critical workloads to your boosted cores. It can increase your CPU’s single-threaded performance by up to a whopping 15%.

The 10600K CPU will of course be more than adequate for your conventional gaming needs. But if you have more budget to spare, and are intending on getting a little more from your CPU in terms of performance, it might be tempting to opt for the 10700K.

Hyper-Threading

If you’re planning on using your new core processor to help you multitask with several programs or applications open at the same time, then hyper-threading will be a real lifesaver.

The good news is that both of these Core i5 and Core i7 series processors come with hyper-threading included – and that’s at no extra cost to you!

Hyper-threading allows each core in your processor to do two things at once. So the more cores your processor has, the more hyper-threading it will be able to do. The pricier Intel Core i7-10700K will be better at multitasking, due to its higher thread count.

This will be more useful if you tend to use your processor for more demanding jobs, but that doesn’t mean the Intel Core i5-10600K is out for the count.

For the more mainstream gamer, the 10600K will be more than capable of doing all the hyper-threading you need it for.

Performance

With such similar specifications, it can be tricky for the untrained eye to distinguish between these two CPUs in terms of performance. It is definitely worth noting, however, that these recently released processors blow their previous generations’ counterparts out of the water.

In terms of gaming performance, the Intel Core i5-10600K will offer you more for your money. The 10600K is one of the fastest consumer CPUs available on the market, and at a more reasonable price than its fancier counterpart. This particular CPU is definitely the better choice for the more mainstream gamer.

The Intel Core i7-10700K is the better choice for those of you who plan on overclocking regularly, but with the heftier price tag it will come down to your personal budget as to whether this is the worthier winner.

The gaming and desktop performance of the 10700K is second only to its i9-10900K counterpart – which comes at an even steeper cost.

While both the 10600K and 10700K have worthy competitors from Ryzen in each of their competitive price brackets, both of these CPUs from Intel are more than a match for their rivals.

It is worth bearing in mind that most of the current games on the market won’t use more than 4 cores and 8 threads at a time, so the pricier Intel Core i7-10700K may be slightly overkill in comparison to its cheaper counterpart.

Again, the way to deciding between the two CPUs will entirely boil down to your intended use. However, if you’re intending to future proof your PC for any more demanding games that may come out in the future, the 10700K may be the better investment out of the two CPUs.

Pricing And Availability

Now that we’ve examined all the specifications for each of the CPUs, we can start to think about their pricing and availability in more detail.

Seeing as the vast majority of the 10600K and 10700K’s specifications are so similar, the price may very well be the biggest deciding factor when it comes to making that all-important decision between the two.

When it comes down to it, the Intel Core i5-10600K is the out and out winner here. Not only will it give you all the essential requirements for a great gaming CPU, but it does so at a more affordable price. If you’re planning on using your new CPU for more mainstream gaming tasks, then the 10600K will be the ideal choice for you. The 10600K is definitely the better choice for those of you who are more money conscious and are perhaps working to a budget.

It’s all well and good coveting the higher specs of the 10700K, but if you’re not going to get the use out of its fancier offerings, then you’re better off investing in a CPU that you will actually appreciate better.

However, if you do require a little bit more from your gaming PC’s CPU, perhaps you should consider the pricier Intel Core i7-10700K. For a more demanding schedule or high-end gaming, it will be worth forking out a little extra for a CPU that will be able to keep up with your requests.

If the price wasn’t the deciding factor for you, availability might have more of a hand in your choice. At the time of writing, the Intel Core i5-10600K was the processor more widely available on Amazon, with the Intel Core i7-10700K being a little trickier to get hold of.

 

Final word

While the Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7 series are both very similar at a glance, the two have marked differences in their intended uses. 

The Intel Core i5 is intended to be the more budget-friendly option of the two and is aimed more at the mainstream, value-minded gamers who care more about performance. The Intel Core i7 is intended more for the high-end enthusiasts – so it ultimately comes down to your intended usage. 

Once you have a better idea of what you expect from your new processor, that should make it much easier to choose between the 10600K and 10700K. As they are both similar in terms of the main features, it will all come down to which features you’re expecting the most from in terms of usage.

If you’re after a processor that will give you great functionality at an affordable price, the 10600K is the ideal pick for you. Or if you’re looking for a more demanding performance, the 10700K processor is definitely the right choice.