Intel Core i7-9800X vs Intel Core i5-11600K

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i7-9800X vs Intel Core i5-11600K tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A thorough review 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 joint testing in special test applications like Furmark, PCMark 10, Gears 5, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Blender, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, Handbrake, PassMark, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, SuperPi, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, WPrime, VeraCrypt.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11600K or Intel Core i7-9800X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-9800X

55%

Core i5-11600K

56%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-11600K is 1% better than Core i7-9800X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-9800X

56%

Core i5-11600K

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.2	95.2
Valorant	112.7	108.1
Cyberpunk 2077	63.1	60.6
Apex Legends	106.0	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	84.5	81.1
Overwatch	91.3	87.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.8	74.6
DOOM Eternal	56.4	54.1
Warzone	87.9	84.3
Assassin's Creed	94.7	90.8
Valheim	93.6	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 computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-9800X

28%

Core i5-11600K

43%

To make a finishing choice 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 i5-11600K is more energy efficient than the Core i7-9800X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, 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 learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-9800X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core		199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core		1905
Cinbench 20 Single-core		465
Cinbench 20 Multi-core		4270
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1271	1213
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	13067	11302

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

	Intel Core i7-9800X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	2664	2707
Multi-Core	18347	20616

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

	Intel Core i7-9800X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	1393	1621
Multi-Core	10972	7012

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 in your computer. 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 in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-9800X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Skylake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	11
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	5600 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 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	16.5 MB	12 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 i5-11600K is 2% better than Core i7-9800X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-9800X has 2 more core than Core i5-11600K. 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 i7-9800X is better: 19
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 14
Although it should be understood that all the data in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i7-9800X and Intel Core i5-11600K before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-9800X - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-9800X specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.