Intel Core i9-13900K vs Intel Core i9-7980XE

Processor comparisons   28-08-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-13900K vs Intel Core i9-7980XE and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Handbrake, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, Blender, SuperPi, Furmark, PassMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 7zip, Prime95, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7980XE or Intel Core i9-13900K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-13900K

68%

Core i9-7980XE

58%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-13900K is 14% better than Core i9-7980XE. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-13900K

64%

Core i9-7980XE

60%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs 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 final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Control, DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	114.3	107.0
Valorant	129.9	121.6
Cyberpunk 2077	72.7	68.1
Apex Legends	122.1	114.3
Call of Duty Warzone	97.4	91.2
Overwatch	105.2	98.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	89.6	83.9
DOOM Eternal	64.9	60.8
Warzone	101.3	94.9
Assassin's Creed	109.1	102.2
Valheim	107.8	100.9

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 i9-13900K

66%

Core i9-7980XE

23%

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 i9-13900K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7980XE since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU turns on all cores and threads 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 software 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 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 i9-13900K	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	531	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5603	3455
Cinbench 20 Single-core	887	446
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	12458	7671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	3150	1281
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	35852	28196

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

	Intel Core i9-13900K	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	2879	2490
Multi-Core	61110	29612

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

	Intel Core i9-13900K	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	2502	1158
Multi-Core	25761	18658

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 later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-13900K	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Announcement date	December 13, 2022	April 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1700	FCLGA2066
Core name	Raptor Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	13	9
Turbo Frequency	5.8 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	4.3 MHz	2.6 MHz
Cores	24	18
Threads	32	36
Bus rate	16 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	14200 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	165 W
Memory type	Up to DDR5 5600 MT/s Up to DDR4 3200 MT/s	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency	6500
Memory bandwidth	89.6 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache	2 MB
L2 cache	8 MB
L3 cache	36 MB	24.75 MB
Overclocking	yes	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-13900K is 39% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-13900K has 6 more core than Core i9-7980XE. 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 i9-13900K is better: 35
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7980XE is better: 2
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-13900K and Intel Core i9-7980XE before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-13900K - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-13900K specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.