Intel Core i7-11700K vs Intel Core i9-9990XE

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-11700K vs Intel Core i9-9990XE and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis 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 joint testing in software tests such as Gears 5, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, RealBench, 3DMark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, 7zip, UserBenchmark, Furmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, PassMark, Blender, SuperPi, AIDA64, Blender.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9990XE or Intel Core i7-11700K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-11700K

58%

Core i9-9990XE

59%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9990XE is 1% better than Core i7-11700K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-11700K

56%

Core i9-9990XE

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.2	104.6
Valorant	113.8	118.9
Cyberpunk 2077	63.7	66.6
Apex Legends	107.0	111.7
Call of Duty Warzone	85.4	89.1
Overwatch	92.2	96.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.5	82.0
DOOM Eternal	56.9	59.4
Warzone	88.8	92.7
Assassin's Creed	95.6	99.8
Valheim	94.5	98.6

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 i7-11700K

47%

Core i9-9990XE

16%

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 i7-11700K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9990XE as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 260W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was 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 machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. 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 software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 i7-11700K	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	262	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2507	3215
Cinbench 20 Single-core	612	455
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5618	7457
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1596	1115
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14869	22765

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

	Intel Core i7-11700K	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Single-Core	3562	3072
Multi-Core	27126	31845

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

	Intel Core i7-11700K	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Single-Core	1793	1308
Multi-Core	11929	16263

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 even in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-11700K	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Announcement date	January 20, 2021	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	LGA2066
Core name	Rocket Lake-S	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	9
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	5.2 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	4.2 MHz
Cores	8	14
Threads	16	28
Bus rate	12 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8200 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	260 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	64 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	16 MB	32 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
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 i9-9990XE is 14% better than Core i7-11700K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9990XE has 6 more core than Core i7-11700K. 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 i7-11700K is better: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9990XE is better: 24
However, it should be understood that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-11700K and Intel Core i9-9990XE before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i7-11700K specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9990XE specs and review.