Intel Core i7-7900X vs Intel Core i5-11600KF

Processor comparisons 23-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i7-7900X vs Intel Core i5-11600KF and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, PassMark, Prime95, 7zip, SuperPi, Gears 5, WPrime, Blender, AIDA64, Handbrake, MATLAB, Blender, Furmark, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600KF or Intel Core i7-7900X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-7900X

55%

Core i5-11600KF

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-11600KF is 1% better than Core i7-7900X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-7900X

57%

Core i5-11600KF

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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 small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.5	95.1
Valorant	114.2	108.0
Cyberpunk 2077	63.9	60.5
Apex Legends	107.3	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	85.6	81.0
Overwatch	92.5	87.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.8	74.6
DOOM Eternal	57.1	54.0
Warzone	89.1	84.3
Assassin's Creed	95.9	90.8
Valheim	94.8	89.7

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: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 i7-7900X

32%

Core i5-11600KF

42%

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 i5-11600KF is more energy efficient than the Core i7-7900X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 125W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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

If 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 includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, 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 i7-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	225	197
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2318	1886
Cinbench 20 Single-core	518	460
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5234	4227
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1295	1201
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12538	11189

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

	Intel Core i7-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Single-Core	2583	2680
Multi-Core	19299	20410

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

	Intel Core i7-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Single-Core	1370	1605
Multi-Core	12235	6942

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Skylake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	11
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8400 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	125 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		3 MB
L3 cache	13.75 MB	12 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 i5-11600KF is 15% better than Core i7-7900X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-7900X has 4 more core than Core i5-11600KF. 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 i7-7900X is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600KF is better: 11
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-7900X and Intel Core i5-11600KF before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i7-7900X - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-7900X specs and review.

Intel Core i5-11600KF - all data

• Overwatch gaming benchmark
• Fortnite gaming benchmark
• GTA 5 gaming benchmark
• Apex Legends gaming benchmark
• Assassin's Creed gaming benchmark
• Roblox gaming benchmark
• Cyberpunk 2077 gaming benchmark
• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-11600KF specs and review.