Intel Core I5-6600K Review

Intel has a new processing architecture codenamed Skylake. It describes the new 14nm processors- namely the Core i7 6700K and the Core i5 6600K- which come to replace the Haswell and Broadwell architecture. For this review we will focus on the Core i5 6600K.

The Intel Core i5-6600K processor has been casing quite a fuss. This is partly due to the fact that it is developed at 14nm node; a feature that enables it to boost a slim 91W TDP, outdoing its predecessor the Haswell processors. This 4 core processor bears the new Z170 chipset which utilizes Socket 1151 connection for the CPU; a fact that does not bode well for those of you owning socket 1150 motherboards supporting older processing tech (Haswell and Broadwell) since an upgrade will be mandatory before this new processor can be used. The Intel Core i5-6600K boosts a frequency of 3.5GHz and a 3.9GHz maximum Turbo Boost frequency and is quite energy efficient and powerful.

The Skylake architecture does bring with it exiting new features as well as worthy upgrades on already existing features. For starters, it brings a 40% increase in PCI express I/O lanes, its 3.0 interface supporting up to 8 GT/s. This implies more bandwidth available for high speed storage. The PCI Express boosts 16 lanes with varying configuration to suit your motherboard design.

The Intel Core i5-6600K processor has an Integrated Memory Controller, with the biggest news on this front being the move to the new DDR4 memory. The DDR3 channel is still supported, making a total of 2 supported channels each with 2 DIMMs. There exists an L3 cache that is shared between the individual CPU cores for the Skylake architecture, 6MB for the i5 -6600K. This last level cache boosts the access to data hence improving performance. The new Z170 chipset also brings with it the new USB 3.1 in addition to the SATA.

Skylake comes with improved overclocking capabilities. Normally, a processor’s speed is determined by the base clock and the multiplier, with the multiplier being the key determinant. Not with this new tech. Skylake allows both factors to be easily tweaked to achieve better grain interlocking. The CPU overclocking is enabled by the fully unlocked power and memory ratio in addition to the fully unlocked base clock and multiplier. Graphics overclocking is also enabled thanks to the unlocked graphics multiplier.

Overall, the Skylake tech is pretty impressive, but it will represent quite an investment for those looking to delve into this new architecture from the older ones. This processor will require a new DDR4 RAM in addition to a new motherboard. It will still be a worth investment given how much more is on offer on this Skylake processor