Intel Core i7-6900K vs Intel Core i7-9700KF

Processor comparisons   25-03-2021
   If there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-6900K vs Intel Core i7-9700KF and see which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, machine learning, programming, rendering. Here you can find all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, AIDA64, MATLAB, Furmark, RealBench, WPrime, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-9700KF or Intel Core i7-6900K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6900K

54%

Core i7-9700KF

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6900K

55%

Core i7-9700KF

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.2	96.5
Valorant	110.4	109.6
Cyberpunk 2077	61.8	61.4
Apex Legends	103.8	103.1
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	82.2
Overwatch	89.4	88.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.2	75.6
DOOM Eternal	55.2	54.8
Warzone	86.1	85.5
Assassin's Creed	92.7	92.1
Valheim	91.6	91.0

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6900K

24%

Core i7-9700KF

48%

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 i7-9700KF is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6900K since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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

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 i7-6900K	Intel Core i7-9700KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	207	214
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1439	1520
Cinbench 20 Single-core	484	467
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3668	3295
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1151	1246
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	11326	9214

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

	Intel Core i7-6900K	Intel Core i7-9700KF
Single-Core	2405	2977
Multi-Core	13871	14718

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

	Intel Core i7-6900K	Intel Core i7-9700KF
Single-Core	1016	1376
Multi-Core	8971	8311

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6900K	Intel Core i7-9700KF
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	April 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2011-3	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Broadwell E	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	9
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	8
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2800 millions	2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	20 MB	12 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 i7-9700KF is 11% better than Core i7-6900K 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 i7-6900K is better: 18
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-9700KF is better: 13
However, it should be realized that all the data in the table above 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 i7-6900K and Intel Core i7-9700KF before making a selection which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-6900K - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-6900K specs and review.

Intel Core i7-9700KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-9700KF specs and review.