Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i9-9900KF

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Core i9-9900KF and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Handbrake, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, Blender, SuperPi, Furmark, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Prime95, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9900KF or Intel Core i7-6950X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6950X

55%

Core i9-9900KF

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Core i9-9900KF

55%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Control, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	97.5
Valorant	113.0	110.8
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	62.0
Apex Legends	106.2	104.1
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	83.1
Overwatch	91.5	89.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	76.4
DOOM Eternal	56.5	55.4
Warzone	88.1	86.4
Assassin's Creed	94.9	93.1
Valheim	93.8	92.0

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Core i9-9900KF

48%

To make a final resolution 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 i9-9900KF is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, programming, video rendering or video editing, 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 performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i7-6950X	Intel Core i9-9900KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	2245
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	518
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	4995
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	1284
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	12450

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i9-9900KF
Single-Core	2377	2970
Multi-Core	17125	18847

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i9-9900KF
Single-Core	1204	1383
Multi-Core	11187	9304

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Core i9-9900KF
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	April 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Broadwell E	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	9
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	20	16
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		8600 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	25 MB	16 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 i9-9900KF is 16% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 2 more core than Core i9-9900KF. 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 i7-6950X is better: 16
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9900KF is better: 16
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Core i9-9900KF before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.

Intel Core i9-9900KF - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9900KF specs and review.