Intel Core i7-7900X vs Intel Core i9-9900K

Processor comparisons 23-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-7900X vs Intel Core i9-9900K and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as UserBenchmark, Gears 5, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, 7zip, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, RealBench, MATLAB, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, 3DMark, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9900K 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 i9-9900K

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-7900X

57%

Core i9-9900K

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.5	98.2
Valorant	114.2	111.6
Cyberpunk 2077	63.9	62.5
Apex Legends	107.3	104.9
Call of Duty Warzone	85.6	83.7
Overwatch	92.5	90.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.8	77.0
DOOM Eternal	57.1	55.8
Warzone	89.1	87.0
Assassin's Creed	95.9	93.7
Valheim	94.8	92.6

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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. 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 i9-9900K

45%

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 i9-9900K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-7900X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 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 i9-9900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	225	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2318	2245
Cinbench 20 Single-core	518	518
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5234	4995
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1295	1284
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12538	12450

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

	Intel Core i7-7900X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	2583	2947
Multi-Core	19299	18753

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

	Intel Core i7-7900X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	1370	1301
Multi-Core	12235	9986

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 in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest 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 i7-7900X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Skylake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	9
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	8
Threads	20	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8400 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	13.75 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 i9-9900K is 8% better than Core i7-7900X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-7900X has 2 more core than Core i9-9900K. 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: 22
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9900K is better: 8
However, it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-7900X and Intel Core i9-9900K before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

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 i9-9900K specs and review.