Intel Core i7-6950X Broadwell-E Processor Review

Discrete GPU Benchmarks

3DMark

At stock settings, the i7-6950X posts a fantastic 3DMark Fire Strike score which outperforms an overclocked i7-5820K and i7-5960X. Overclocking the CPU brings the score beyond 17200 and just edges an i7-5960X running at 4.4GHz. Honestly, there’s not a huge difference between the i7-6950X and i7-5960X unless both products have been overclocked to their maximum potential.

Ashes of the Singularity

Unlike many games on the market today, Ashes of the Singularity has excellent multi-threaded support. This is evident in the data below which shows products with extra cores performing better. Saying that, the gap between X99 processors is almost non-existent and within a margin of error. Furthermore, overclocking the CPU yields very minor gains.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

A similar pattern emerges in Rise of the Tomb Raider and the performance remains relatively GPU bound. While there is a difference between various Intel processors, it’s mostly inconsequential and varies dramatically depending on multiple runs. It’s somewhat surprising to see the i7-5820K on top, but you have to remember that the products tested don’t inhibit the game’s performance in a noticeable way apart from the ageing i7-4770K.