Intel Core i7 2600S review

Lower-power, but with the same eight-threaded processing goodness

Reviews
By
published
Intel Core i7-2600S
The Intel Core i7-2600S offers cheap workstation power

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Benchmarks:

As with the Intel Core i5 2500T, we ran the CPU graphics at the stock speed of the core and again at 1.3GHz.

The 1.3GHz speed was chosen because it's the fastest we could the Core i3-2100 to run, and it makes a good platform to get like for like benchmark figures before we started to overclock the graphics on the Core i7 2600S.

CPU rendering performance

Intel core i7 2600s benchmarks

CPU video encoding performance

Intel core i7 2600s benchmarks

1080p CPU gaming performance

Intel core i7 2600s benchmarks

Simon Crisp
Latest in CPU
A chip wafer manufactured at Intel Foundry
Can 18A save Intel from being devoured by its rivals – and Wall Street?
A stock photo of a man saying 'no thank you' to a gift box bearing the AMD Ryzen logo.
I'm tired of waiting for AMD's entry-level Ryzen 9000 series chips
Water cooling acrylic tube system with Barrow cpu block
What is a normal temperature for a CPU?
Render of AMD Ryzen chip
AMD’s powerful Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D CPUs rumored to arrive on March 12 – but gamers will still be better off with the 9800X3D
AMD
One Redditor spotted an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D for $99 in the wildest price drop I've ever seen
A man riding a rocket with the AMD Ryzen logo on the side.
AMD raises the bar for gaming on lightweight laptops – its new Strix Halo chip could run games better than an Nvidia RTX 3060
Latest in Reviews
Tiger Woods and Matt Fitzpatrick on the PGA Tour 2K25 artwork
I’ve spent hours honing my swing in PGA Tour 2K25, and while its shot craft remains excellent, familiar frustrations can’t keep it totally out of the rough
AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV during our review
I reviewed the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV and it's a staggeringly pro-grade monitor for the price
The cover art of co-op game A Way Out
A Way Out is a gritty co-op game that challenged me to make the right choice in a world full of bad ones
The player characters approach a stuffed animal in It Takes Two.
It Takes Two pushed me to the limit with clever platforming puzzles and moreish co-op challenges
The cover art of co-op game Split Fiction
I rode a dragon, sizzled as a sausage, and won a dance-off with a monkey in Split Fiction, and that’s not even the half of it
HP Series 7 Pro 734pm during our review
I reviewed HP's Series 7 Pro 734pm and I'm obsessed with the sheer connectivity of this widescreen monitor
ChatGPT Deep Research

I can get answers from ChatGPT, but Deep Research gives me a whole dissertation I'll almost never need
Thanko monitor

At 11lbs, this double 24-inch 'portable' monitor is a bit too much for me but I love the audacity
Haier TV M96, available in sizes of 100"/ 85"/75"

Watch the Australian Open the way it was meant to be seen: on a truly next-gen television
See more latest
Most Popular
Tiger Woods and Matt Fitzpatrick on the PGA Tour 2K25 artwork
I’ve spent hours honing my swing in PGA Tour 2K25, and while its shot craft remains excellent, familiar frustrations can’t keep it totally out of the rough
An AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT made by Sapphire on a table with its retail packaging
The AMD RX 9070 XT delivers exactly what the market needs with stunning performance at an unbeatable price
AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV during our review
I reviewed the AOC Graphic Pro U32U3CV and it's a staggeringly pro-grade monitor for the price
Daredevil standing in somebody's underground lair in Daredevil: Born Again season 1
Daredevil: Born Again is a fearless Disney+ revival of the best Netflix Marvel TV show that slowly continues to restore my faith in the MCU
Bose Solo Soundbar 2 against pink background with plant
It’s no dud, but this cheap Bose soundbar I reviewed felt a little outdated for this one reason
photographer wearing an f-stop Tilopa 50L DuraDiamond
I'm an outdoors photographer, and this f-stop backpack has gone on every photography trip with me for many years – here's my long-term review
The cover art of co-op game Split Fiction
I rode a dragon, sizzled as a sausage, and won a dance-off with a monkey in Split Fiction, and that’s not even the half of it
Audioengine A2+ speakers viewed from the front
I tested Audioengine's tiny wireless speakers with a beautiful design and surprisingly impressive audio performance
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
I really wanted to like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, but it broke my heart and it shouldn't have to break yours, too
The cover art of co-op game A Way Out
A Way Out is a gritty co-op game that challenged me to make the right choice in a world full of bad ones