Intel Core i7-5960X vs Intel Core i5-9600K

Processor comparisons 25-03-2021

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i7-5960X vs Intel Core i5-9600K tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, PCMark 10, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Blender, Handbrake, SuperPi, 3DMark, MATLAB, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, Gears 5, VeraCrypt, Furmark, Prime95, RealBench.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-9600K or Intel Core i7-5960X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-5960X

53%

Core i5-9600K

53%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-5960X

55%

Core i5-9600K

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Control, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.0	94.5
Valorant	110.2	107.4
Cyberpunk 2077	61.7	60.1
Apex Legends	103.6	101.0
Call of Duty Warzone	82.6	80.6
Overwatch	89.2	87.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.0	74.1
DOOM Eternal	55.1	53.7
Warzone	85.9	83.8
Assassin's Creed	92.6	90.2
Valheim	91.5	89.1

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i7-5960X

26%

Core i5-9600K

48%

To make a final choice 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 i5-9600K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-5960X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can 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 i7-5960X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1360	1165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	464	481
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3423	2624
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1106	1276
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7691	7301

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

	Intel Core i7-5960X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Single-Core	1966	2761
Multi-Core	12668	10894

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

	Intel Core i7-5960X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Single-Core	1095	1396
Multi-Core	8786	6386

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-5960X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Announcement date	April 01, 2014	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Haswell E	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	5	9
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	6
Bus rate	0 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	22 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4130 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4 1600/1866/2133	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	68 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	20 MB	9 MB
Overclocking	No	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 i5-9600K is 18% better than Core i7-5960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-5960X has 2 more core than Core i5-9600K. 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 i7-5960X is better: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-9600K is better: 15
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-5960X and Intel Core i5-9600K before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-5960X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-5960X specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-9600K specs and review.