Intel Core i7-7700K vs Intel Core i5-9400F

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i7-7700K vs Intel Core i5-9400F tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here you can find useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis 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 special testing software like Blender, 7zip, 3DMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, SuperPi, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Handbrake, Prime95, VeraCrypt, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, AIDA64, RealBench, PCMark 10, PassMark, WPrime.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-9400F or Intel Core i7-7700K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-7700K

52%

Core i5-9400F

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-7700K

53%

Core i5-9400F

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. 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 final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.7	93.5
Valorant	106.5	106.2
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	59.5
Apex Legends	100.1	99.8
Call of Duty Warzone	79.9	79.7
Overwatch	86.3	86.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.5	73.3
DOOM Eternal	53.3	53.1
Warzone	83.1	82.8
Assassin's Creed	89.5	89.2
Valheim	88.4	88.2

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. 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 i7-7700K

49%

Core i5-9400F

51%

To make a finishing 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 i5-9400F is more energy efficient than the Core i7-7700K since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 65W. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i7-7700K	Intel Core i5-9400F
Cinbench 15 Single-core	200	177
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	995	987
Cinbench 20 Single-core	466	423
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2257	2407
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1216	1115
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	6055	4981

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

	Intel Core i7-7700K	Intel Core i5-9400F
Single-Core	2791	2464
Multi-Core	9750	9559

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

	Intel Core i7-7700K	Intel Core i5-9400F
Single-Core	1412	1001
Multi-Core	5637	5360

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-7700K	Intel Core i5-9400F
Announcement date	October 01, 2016	January 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop, Laptop
Socket	LGA 1151	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Kaby Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	9
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	4.2 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	6
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	1760 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2133/2400, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	64 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	8 MB	9 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 i7-7700K is 30% better than Core i5-9400F in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-9400F has 2 more core than Core i7-7700K. 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 i7-7700K is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-9400F is better: 9
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-7700K and Intel Core i5-9400F before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-7700K specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-9400F specs and review.