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Intel BX80623I72600

Core i7-2600

▲ 624,394 ▼

4 Cores, 8 Threads @3.4GHz, Sandy Bridge.
Release date: Q1 2011.

Average Bench: 67.1% (458th of 1442)

more Based on 185,630 user benchmarks.  Devices: BFEBFBFF000206A7, , BFEBFBFF000306A9, 0FEBFBFF000206A7, 0000000000000000, 4920555043070506, 0F8BFBFF000206A7, 1F8BFBFF000206A7, 4920555043080306, 0FABFBFF000206A7, 1FABFBFF000206A7, BFEBFBFF000206A6, 1FEBFBFF000206A7 Models: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz, Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz, Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2600 CPU @ 4.00GHz

If there is any chance whatsoever that you may decide to overclock your CPU then it makes a lot more sense to go for the 2600K "K" version which, thanks to its unlocked clock multiplier, is a lot easier to overclock. For the few extra pounds it costs, I would recommend taking the K version just on the off chance because there are easily 10%+ performance gains to be had. Otherwise this is still a superb processor and still holds its own against the i7-4770 which is its two generations newer replacement. [Feb '12 CPUPro]

Poor: 54%Average: 67.1% Great: 74%
Gaming
Gaming 67%
Battle cruiser
Desktop
Desktop 71%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 52%
Yacht

Popular builds with this CPU

Above average average bench

The Intel Core i7-2600 averaged 32.8% lower than the peak scores attained by the group leaders. This isn't a great result which indicates that there are much faster alternatives on the comparison list.

Strengths

Avg. Memory Latency 84.1Pts
Avg. Single Core Speed 85.8Pts

Very good consistency

The range of scores (95th - 5th percentile) for the Intel Core i7-2600 is just 19.6%. This is a relatively narrow range which indicates that the Intel Core i7-2600 performs reasonably consistently under varying real world conditions.

Weaknesses

Avg. Multi Core Speed 403Pts
Avg. Octa Core Speed 394Pts
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Average Bench

(Based on 185,630 samples)
Rank 45867.1%
Min Avg Max
68.9 Memory 84.1 92.2
62.5 1-Core 85.8 94.2
117 2-Core 162 185
65.8% 110 Pts
Min Avg Max
193 4-Core 274 328
276 8-Core 394 451
41.8% 334 Pts
Min Avg Max
293 64-Core 403 452
24.9% 403 Pts
User Benchmarks BenchNormalHeavyServer
The fastest CPU (mainstream) averages a speed of 100%
CPU 1, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 8 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
77.4% Very good
Memory 91.1
1-Core 94.7
2-Core 186
73% 124 Pts
4-Core 354
8-Core 449
51% 401 Pts
64-Core 438
27% 438 Pts
LGA1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 8 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
74.9% Very good
Memory 87.4
1-Core 93.8
2-Core 179
71% 120 Pts
4-Core 342
8-Core 457
51% 400 Pts
64-Core 430
27% 430 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 8 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
74.4% Very good
Memory 87.8
1-Core 93
2-Core 180
71% 120 Pts
4-Core 336
8-Core 442
50% 389 Pts
64-Core 440
27% 440 Pts
SOCKET 0, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 8 threads
Base clock 3.4 GHz, turbo 3.5 GHz (avg)
69.2% Good
Memory 84.4
1-Core 91.3
2-Core 161
67% 112 Pts
4-Core 293
8-Core 443
46% 368 Pts
64-Core 446
28% 446 Pts
Socket 1155, 1 CPU, 4 cores, 8 threads
Base clock 3.7 GHz, turbo 2.3 GHz (avg)
50% Average
Memory 69.2
1-Core 81.9
2-Core 121
55% 90.6 Pts
4-Core 169
8-Core 233
25% 201 Pts
64-Core 241
15% 241 Pts
185,630 MORE »

 Market Share (See Leaders)

The number of benchmark samples for this model as a percentage of all 67,763,558 CPUs tested

 Prices

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MSRP ≈ $312 @ launch in Jan '11
AmazonUS $19217 mins
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Custom PC Builder (Start a new build) Build your perfect PC: compare component prices, popularity, speed and value for money

CHOOSE A COMPONENT:

CPU GPU SSD HDD RAM MBD
Typical Core i7-2600 Builds (Compare 3,964 builds) See popular component choices, score breakdowns and rankings
Gaming
Gaming 6%
Tree trunk
Desktop
Desktop 60%
Destroyer
Workstation
Workstation 6%
Tree trunk

Motherboard: Dell OptiPlex 990

CPU
Core i7-2600Intel  $192Bench 67%, 185,630 samples1,651x
GPU
HD 2000 (Desktop 1.1 GHz)IntelBench 1%, 150,891 samples766x
GT 1030NvidiaBench 14%, 185,384 samples324x
GTX 1050-TiNvidia  $59Bench 29%, 946,701 samples303x
SSD
A400 240GBKingston  $28Bench 66%, 424,288 samples176x
860 Evo 500GBSamsung  $80Bench 105%, 762,998 samples74x
A400 480GBKingston  $38Bench 74%, 237,487 samples71x
RAM
M378B5273DH0-CH9 2x4GBSamsungBench 48%, 11,003 samples67x
HMT351U6CFR8C-H9 2x4GBHynixBench 48%, 7,511 samples60x
HMT351U6CFR8C-H9 4x4GBHynixBench 48%, 2,925 samples60x
EDIT WITH CUSTOM PC BUILDER Value: 68% - Good Total price: $220

Popular Core i7-2600 compatible motherboards:

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Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) April 2024 CPU Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]

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Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.

 Specifications

Essentials

DescriptionIntel® Core™ i7-2600 Processor (8M Cache, up to 3.80 GHz)
Code NameSandy Bridge
Launch DateQ1'11
Processor Numberi7-2600
# of Cores4
# of Threads8
Cache8 MB SmartCache
Instruction Set64-bit
Instruction Set ExtensionsSSE4.1/4.2, AVX
Embedded Options AvailableYes
Lithography32 nm
Recommended Price$273.00
Clock Speed3.4 GHz
Max Turbo Frequency3.8 GHz
Bus Speed5 GT/s DMI
Max TDP95 W

Graphics

Processor GraphicsIntel® HD Graphics 2000
Graphics Base Frequency850 MHz
Wireless DisplayNo
# of Displays Supported2
Graphics Max Dynamic Frequency1.35 GHz
Quick Sync VideoYes
InTru 3D TechYes
Clear Video HD TechYes
Intel InsiderYes
Flexible Display InterfaceYes

Memory

Max Memory Size32 GB
Memory TypesDDR3 1066/1333
Memory Channels2
Memory Bandwidth21 GB/s
ECC Memory SupportedNo

Expansion Options

PCI Express Revision2.0
Max # of PCI Express Lanes16

Data Protection

AES New InstructionsYes

Advanced Technologies

Virtualization Tech (VT-x)Yes
Intel 64Yes
Idle StatesYes
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® TechYes
Thermal Monitoring TechnologiesYes
Turbo Boost Tech2.0
Hyper-Threading TechYes
Virtualization for Directed I/O (VT-d)Yes
VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)Yes
vPro TechYes
Identity Protection TechYes
Fast Memory AccessYes
Flex Memory AccessYes

Package

Package Size37.5mm x 37.5mm
Max CPU Configuration1
Sockets SupportedLGA1155

Platform Protection

Execute Disable BitYes
Trusted Execution TechYes

 Comments

CPUPro
Avatar level
2,072

Official site ark.intel.com/...

Passmark CPU benchmark: 8,897...

Intel, LGA1155 Socket, L2 8 MB - With faster, intelligent, multi- core technology that applies processing power where it's needed most, Intel Core i7 processors deliver an incredible breakthrough in PC ...

Added 12 years ago.
USA-User
Avatar level
9,840

Excellent (edit your comment) Add link

4 days ago.

i own it and its a really good entry level processor

IND-User
Avatar level
4,780

Poor

19 days ago.

works ok with basic games but with advance games it may struggle

RUS-User
Avatar level
4,780

Excellent

2 years ago.

bought in 2011, still working great in November 2021!

ESP-User
Avatar level
3,733

Good

2 years ago.

Very good temperatures and good fps in games Buenas temperaturas y buenos fps en juegos

NLD-User
Avatar level
3,510

Excellent

11 months ago.

Very good i recommend i can do anythong

CZE-User
Avatar level
3,344

Excellent

4 days ago.

Exceptionally long-lasting piece of hardware

SWE-User
Avatar level
2,784

Excellent

10 months ago.

i7 2600 is immortal (Except the intel-grated GPU)

SRB-User
Avatar level
2,780

Terrible

4 months ago.

bolji procesor amd fan boys duva te ga.

CHE-User
Avatar level
2,614

Excellent

9 months ago.

Still running in gaming PC from my son

BEL-User
Avatar level
2,534

Excellent

2 months ago.

Comment 

An excellent CPU that has served me well for about 3 years now. With the result of this test I got a recommendation for an i7-2600K as it can be overclocked and the price difference with the i7-2600 is negligible. When I chose the i7-2600 I was well aware of this but couldn't take the K version since it doesn't have all functionality that the i7-2600 has... I wanted Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O and vPro and the K version doesn't have them.—Sep '14

SVK-User
Avatar level
2,452

Excellent

3 months ago.

11 years old but 11 times better

CPUPro
Avatar level
2,072

Good

12 years ago.

SGP-User
Avatar level
1,994

Poor

3 years ago.

userbenchmark has the big gaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

HM100_techno
Avatar level
70

Excellent

3 years ago.

This CPU deserves to be the great for Performance if your device can't go with 3rd generation intel CPUs onwards. Combined with a great GPU, it will also enable playing more newer games unless it requires even more CPU power. Finally, if you need more power, consider switching to the K version which (i7-2x00K) which should give your more CPU power thanks to its unlocked multipiler. Otherwise still a great processor and i7-4770 can be considered an upgrade if you need more power without going to i7-2700K. Having this processor in use since 14th February 2020 on an ESPRIMO E900

Nolanimations
Avatar level
60

Excellent

5 years ago.

Great CPU, especially considering it's age!

Ravash7
Avatar level
46

Excellent

5 years ago.

Great CPU. Definitely not worth the price today AT ALL, but for a near 8 year old CPU this thing is spectacularly powerful.

lbonney02
Avatar level
20

Excellent

2 years ago.

One word: "BEAST". Basic overclocking has me at 87.4% cpu score. BCLK 106 @ 1.3V and its stable. With an SSD and 16gb ram it is fine in 2021. GPU does most of the work for gaming anyway. I don't know why, but you don't need the K to overclock a 2nd gen CPU. Side note, if you are doing multicore work like creative work, don't bother, get yourself a 12th gen CPU. Modern CPUs are on a different planet. Most normal computing programs only use one core though so the new stuff isn't better.

yngfljm
Avatar level
18

Good

3 years ago.

I like it cause I had it :)

InfinityYUL
Avatar level
8

Excellent

7 years ago.

Still kicking on modern games, compared to it's newer versions it does remarkably well. The biggest drawback that I have noticed is the frame times, when stuttering occurs it's more noticeable then the gen 4 and onward, but still less then a current(gen6/7) i3. If you can find this at a comfortable price, don't hesitate to buy it.

velve666
Avatar level
6

Excellent

5 years ago.

So good and fast for an old CPU. Still has a lot of life left in the old girl.

SjLeonardo
Avatar level
6

Good

4 years ago.

It's a good upgrade for someone with a 1155 motherboard, but I would look at a budget, newer CPU for a small budget.

IGN019
Avatar level
4

Excellent

5 years ago.

One of the best CPUs. Even though it is from 2nd Generation it does pretty well. Nearly comparable with the latest CPUs.

ecwarrior
Avatar level
2

Good

7 years ago.

Mine works great in 2016 at 4.3Ghz

kevhull
Avatar level
2

Good

7 years ago.

used for £100 in 2014 going good still

SargeFinn
Avatar level
2

Excellent

5 years ago.

After almost 7 years, other components are getting obsolete and replaced around it, but the i7-2600 still performs!

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Age: 13 years

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Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $178Nvidia RTX 4070 $539Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
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