Intel Core i7-11700 vs Intel Core i9-7940X

Processor comparisons   18-03-2021
   If you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-11700 vs Intel Core i9-7940X and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, video editing, streaming, rendering, programming. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like 7zip, WPrime, AIDA64, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Blender, Prime95, Blender, Handbrake, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, PCMark 10, SuperPi, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7940X or Intel Core i7-11700.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-11700

58%

Core i9-7940X

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-11700

55%

Core i9-7940X

58%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches 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: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, League of Legends (LOL), Control, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.7	103.4
Valorant	111.0	117.5
Cyberpunk 2077	62.2	65.8
Apex Legends	104.4	110.5
Call of Duty Warzone	83.3	88.2
Overwatch	89.9	95.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.6	81.1
DOOM Eternal	55.5	58.8
Warzone	86.6	91.7
Assassin's Creed	93.3	98.7
Valheim	92.2	97.6

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 participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 i7-11700

88%

Core i9-7940X

25%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-11700 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7940X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-11700	Intel Core i9-7940X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	257	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2457	2849
Cinbench 20 Single-core	600	607
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5506	5465
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1564	1578
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14572	15728

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

	Intel Core i7-11700	Intel Core i9-7940X
Single-Core	3491	2533
Multi-Core	26583	26889

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

	Intel Core i7-11700	Intel Core i9-7940X
Single-Core	1735	1263
Multi-Core	9531	15127

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest 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 i7-11700	Intel Core i9-7940X
Announcement date	January 20, 2021	April 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA2066
Core name	Rocket Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	7
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	2.5 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	8	14
Threads	16	28
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm
Transistors count	8200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	50 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	16 MB	19.25 MB
Overclocking	No	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 i9-7940X is 19% better than Core i7-11700 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7940X has 6 more core than Core i7-11700. 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 i7-11700 is better: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7940X is better: 23
Although it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-11700 and Intel Core i9-7940X before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-11700 specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7940X specs and review.