Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel Core i7-11700KF

Processor comparisons   12-06-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel Core i7-11700KF tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough 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 joint testing in software tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, WPrime, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, Blender, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, AIDA64, PCMark 10, SuperPi, PassMark, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, RealBench.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-11700KF or Intel Core i9-11980HK.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-11980HK

58%

Core i7-11700KF

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-11980HK

55%

Core i7-11700KF

56%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	98.4	99.1
Valorant	111.8	112.6
Cyberpunk 2077	62.6	63.1
Apex Legends	105.1	105.9
Call of Duty Warzone	83.9	84.5
Overwatch	90.6	91.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.2	77.7
DOOM Eternal	55.9	56.3
Warzone	87.2	87.9
Assassin's Creed	93.9	94.6
Valheim	92.8	93.5

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 comparing 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. 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 i9-11980HK

82%

Core i7-11700KF

47%

To make a finishing decision 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 i9-11980HK is more energy efficient than the Core i7-11700KF since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. 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 programming, streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all threads and cores 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 check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i9-11980HK	Intel Core i7-11700KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	259
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2704	2482
Cinbench 20 Single-core	668	606
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6009	5562
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1735	1580
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17294	14720

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

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	Intel Core i7-11700KF
Single-Core	3989	3526
Multi-Core	29565	26855

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

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	Intel Core i7-11700KF
Single-Core	1599	1793
Multi-Core	10219	10909

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 later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	Intel Core i7-11700KF
Announcement date	February 21, 2021	January 20, 2021
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1787	FCLGA1200
Core name	Tiger Lake	Rocket Lake-S
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	11
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	16	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	12 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	8200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	125 W
Memory type	Up to 3200 MT/s	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	64 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	4 MB	4 MB
L3 cache	24 MB	16 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 i7-11700KF is 8% better than Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-11700KF is better: 16
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-11980HK and Intel Core i7-11700KF before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-11980HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-11980HK specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-11700KF specs and review.