Intel Core i9-7900X vs Intel Core i5-11600KF

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-7900X vs Intel Core i5-11600KF tests and see which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, video editing, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like RealBench, Furmark, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, PCMark 10, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, MATLAB, Prime95, AIDA64, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, Blender, SuperPi, Blender, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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 i5-11600KF or Intel Core i9-7900X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7900X

56%

Core i5-11600KF

56%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7900X

57%

Core i5-11600KF

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	100.3	95.1
Valorant	114.0	108.0
Cyberpunk 2077	63.8	60.5
Apex Legends	107.2	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	85.5	81.0
Overwatch	92.3	87.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	78.7	74.6
DOOM Eternal	57.0	54.0
Warzone	88.9	84.3
Assassin's Creed	95.8	90.8
Valheim	94.6	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 tested computers not only did they have 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-7900X

29%

Core i5-11600KF

42%

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 i5-11600KF is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7900X since it has less power consumption: 140W 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses 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 find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, 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 i9-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Cinbench 15 Single-core	188	197
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2194	1886
Cinbench 20 Single-core	461	460
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5286	4227
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1222	1201
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14998	11189

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

	Intel Core i9-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Single-Core	2579	2680
Multi-Core	21477	20410

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

	Intel Core i9-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Single-Core	1237	1605
Multi-Core	12083	6942

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 i9-7900X	Intel Core i5-11600KF
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Skylake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	10	11
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 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	13.75 MB	12 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 i5-11600KF is 15% better than Core i9-7900X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7900X has 4 more core than Core i5-11600KF. 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 i9-7900X is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600KF is better: 11
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. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-7900X and Intel Core i5-11600KF before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-7900X - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-7900X specs and review.

Intel Core i5-11600KF - all data

• Overwatch gaming benchmark
• Fortnite gaming benchmark
• GTA 5 gaming benchmark
• Apex Legends gaming benchmark
• Assassin's Creed gaming benchmark
• Roblox gaming benchmark
• Cyberpunk 2077 gaming benchmark
• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-11600KF specs and review.