Intel Core i7-9700KF vs Intel Core i9-10980HK

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i7-9700KF vs Intel Core i9-10980HK tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as MATLAB, SuperPi, Furmark, UserBenchmark, 7zip, Blender, RealBench, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Prime95, AIDA64, Gears 5, Handbrake, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-10980HK or Intel Core i7-9700KF.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-9700KF

54%

Core i9-10980HK

55%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10980HK is 1% better than Core i7-9700KF. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-9700KF

54%

Core i9-10980HK

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. Therefore, if you think 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: Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World, Half-Life: Alyx, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Control, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.5	97.2
Valorant	109.6	110.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.4	61.9
Apex Legends	103.1	103.9
Call of Duty Warzone	82.2	82.9
Overwatch	88.8	89.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.6	76.2
DOOM Eternal	54.8	55.2
Warzone	85.5	86.2
Assassin's Creed	92.1	92.8
Valheim	91.0	91.7

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 computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-9700KF

48%

Core i9-10980HK

106%

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 i9-10980HK is more energy efficient than the Core i7-9700KF since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 45W. 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses 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 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 i7-9700KF	Intel Core i9-10980HK
Cinbench 15 Single-core	214	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1520	1627
Cinbench 20 Single-core	467	507
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3295	3643
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1246	1136
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	9214	11013

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

	Intel Core i7-9700KF	Intel Core i9-10980HK
Single-Core	2977	2913
Multi-Core	14718	16588

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

	Intel Core i7-9700KF	Intel Core i9-10980HK
Single-Core	1376	1437
Multi-Core	8311	9056

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-9700KF	Intel Core i9-10980HK
Announcement date	April 01, 2019	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCBGA1440
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	10
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	2.4 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	8	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	2100 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	45 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	12 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 i7-9700KF is 33% better than Core i9-10980HK 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 i7-9700KF is better: 4
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-10980HK is better: 26
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i7-9700KF and Intel Core i9-10980HK before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

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.

Intel Core i9-10980HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-10980HK specs and review.