Intel Core i9-11900KF vs Intel Core i9-7940X

Processor comparisons 18-03-2021

   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-11900KF vs Intel Core i9-7940X and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, PassMark, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Prime95, Handbrake, Blender, Blender, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Furmark, PCMark 10, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7940X or Intel Core i9-11900KF.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-11900KF

58%

Core i9-7940X

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-11900KF

54%

Core i9-7940X

58%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.8	103.4
Valorant	110.0	117.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.6	65.8
Apex Legends	103.4	110.5
Call of Duty Warzone	82.5	88.2
Overwatch	89.1	95.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.9	81.1
DOOM Eternal	55.0	58.8
Warzone	85.8	91.7
Assassin's Creed	92.4	98.7
Valheim	91.3	97.6

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 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. So 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 i9-11900KF

45%

Core i9-7940X

25%

To make a final resolution 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 i9-11900KF is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7940X as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can 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 i9-11900KF	Intel Core i9-7940X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	281	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2549	2849
Cinbench 20 Single-core	630	607
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5668	5465
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1636	1578
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16310	15728

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

	Intel Core i9-11900KF	Intel Core i9-7940X
Single-Core	3763	2533
Multi-Core	27884	26889

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

	Intel Core i9-11900KF	Intel Core i9-7940X
Single-Core	1722	1263
Multi-Core	8613	15127

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 in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-11900KF	Intel Core i9-7940X
Announcement date	February 21, 2021	April 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	FCLGA2066
Core name	Rocket Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	7
Turbo Frequency	5.3 MHz	4.3 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	8	14
Threads	16	28
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	50 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	16 MB	19.25 MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 i9-11900KF is 11% better than Core i9-7940X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7940X has 6 more core than Core i9-11900KF. 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 i9-11900KF is better: 17
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7940X is better: 18
However, it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-11900KF and Intel Core i9-7940X before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-11900KF specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7940X specs and review.