Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel Core i9-9960X

Processor comparisons 12-06-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-11980HK vs Intel Core i9-9960X and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, rendering, programming, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, VeraCrypt, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, PCMark 10, Blender, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, RealBench, Handbrake, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, 3DMark, PassMark, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9960X 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 i9-9960X

59%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9960X is 1% better than Core i9-11980HK. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-11980HK

55%

Core i9-9960X

60%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	98.4	106.4
Valorant	111.8	120.9
Cyberpunk 2077	62.6	67.7
Apex Legends	105.1	113.6
Call of Duty Warzone	83.9	90.7
Overwatch	90.6	97.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.2	83.4
DOOM Eternal	55.9	60.5
Warzone	87.2	94.3
Assassin's Creed	93.9	101.6
Valheim	92.8	100.3

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: 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 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 i9-9960X

24%

To make a final 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 i9-11980HK is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9960X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 can use only one core to run, and all the advantages 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 i9-11980HK	Intel Core i9-9960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	200
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2704	2872
Cinbench 20 Single-core	668	457
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6009	6671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1735	1086
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17294	22943

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

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	Intel Core i9-9960X
Single-Core	3989	2684
Multi-Core	29565	30816

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

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	Intel Core i9-9960X
Single-Core	1599	1230
Multi-Core	10219	18032

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-11980HK	Intel Core i9-9960X
Announcement date	February 21, 2021	January 01, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1787	FCLGA2066
Core name	Tiger Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	11	9
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	8	16
Threads	16	32
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	10 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	9800 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	3200
Memory bandwidth	51.2 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	24 MB	22 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 i9-11980HK is 6% better than Core i9-9960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9960X has 8 more core than Core i9-11980HK. 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: 15
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9960X is better: 20
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-11980HK and Intel Core i9-9960X before making a selection which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

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 i9-9960X specs and review.