Intel Core i7-10700K vs Intel Core i9-9900K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-10700K vs Intel Core i9-9900K and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, streaming, rendering, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as MATLAB, Handbrake, AIDA64, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, PCMark 10, RealBench, Furmark, 7zip, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, PassMark, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   And how good the processors are in games:

Last Man Standing
Grand Theft Auto V
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Death Stranding
Apex Legends
Fallout 76
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Overwatch
Rainbow Six Siege
Watch Dogs Legion
Halo Infinite
Valorant
Valheim
Borderlands 3
Fortnite
Red Dead Redemption 2
Cyberpunk 2077
DOOM: Eternal

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9900K or Intel Core i7-10700K.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-10700K

55%

Core i9-9900K

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-10700K

55%

Core i9-9900K

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Control, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Hitman 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	98.2	98.2
Valorant	111.6	111.6
Cyberpunk 2077	62.5	62.5
Apex Legends	104.9	104.9
Call of Duty Warzone	83.7	83.7
Overwatch	90.4	90.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.0	77.0
DOOM Eternal	55.8	55.8
Warzone	87.0	87.0
Assassin's Creed	93.7	93.7
Valheim	92.6	92.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-10700K

34%

Core i9-9900K

45%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-9900K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-10700K as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i9-9900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	228	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2344	2245
Cinbench 20 Single-core	524	518
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5292	4995
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1309	1284
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12678	12450

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	3051	2947
Multi-Core	19514	18753

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	1298	1301
Multi-Core	9987	9986

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-10700K	Intel Core i9-9900K
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Comet Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	9
Turbo Frequency	5.1 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	6800 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	16 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-10700K is 5% better than Core i9-9900K in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-10700K is better: 15
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9900K is better: 3
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-10700K and Intel Core i9-9900K before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-10700K specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9900K specs and review.