Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 vs Intel Core i7-2600K

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Core 2 Duo E6600 compared with Core i7-2600K

	IntelCore 2 Duo E6600	IntelCore i7-2600K
Overview
Released
Released	July 2006	January 2011
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	2	4 (better)
Threads
Threads	2	8 (better)
Base clock
Base clock	2.4 GHz	3.4 GHz
Boost clock
Boost clock	–	3.8 GHz
L3 cache
L3 cache	–	8 MB
Cores
Cores	Conroe; two cores and two threads, without Hyper-Threading.	Four cores with Hyper-Threading; Intel Turbo Boost 2.0. Expert Reviews and TechRadar confirm the unlocked CPU multiplier.
Clocks
Clocks	Published operating frequency 2.40 GHz; 1066 MHz front-side bus. Intel unveiled the family on 27 July 2006 and said complete Core 2 Duo desktop systems would arrive in early August. TechSpot’s 2 August review says boxed CPUs began shipping late the previous week, supporting July CPU availability without an exact sale day. No unpublished boost figure is supplied.	Maximum turbo is a single-core frequency; sustained clocks depend on cooling. Intel's 5 January launch notice gives 9 January availability for quad-core systems.
Cache
Cache	4 MB shared L2 cache, as Intel’s datasheet states; no L3 figure supplied.	–
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
Built-in graphics	No	Yes
Graphics
Graphics	No integrated graphics, explicitly confirmed by the exact-model CPU-Monkey specification entry. Chipset graphics are separate from the processor.	Intel HD Graphics 3000; 850 MHz base, up to 1.35 GHz; two displays; Quick Sync Video.
Platform
Socket
Socket	LGA775	LGA1155
Base power
Base power	65 W	95 W
Unlocked
Unlocked	–	Yes
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	Yes	–
Memory support
Memory support	Intel’s datasheet routes memory and I/O transactions through the front-side bus and chipset; memory types and capacity depend on the motherboard.	Up to 32 GB; two channels; DDR3-1066/1333; 21 GB/s maximum bandwidth as Intel publishes; ECC not supported.
PCIe
PCIe	–	PCIe 2.0; 16 CPU lanes.
Process
Process	65 nm; Conroe; LGA775.	32 nm; Sandy Bridge; 37.5 × 37.5 mm package; 72.6°C maximum case temperature, not junction temperature.
Cooler
Cooler	Intel’s boxed-processor specification confirms an unattached fan heatsink. Published processor TDP is 65 W.	LGA1155 is incompatible with LGA1156. TechRadar describes the launch P67 chipset as supporting CPU overclocking and H67 as supporting the integrated graphics output; chipset choice affects available features. Intel publishes no separate maximum turbo-power figure.