Intel Core i9-7920X vs Intel Core i5-11600K

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-7920X vs Intel Core i5-11600K 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 i5-11600K or Intel Core i9-7920X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7920X

57%

Core i5-11600K

56%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-7920X is 1% better than Core i5-11600K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7920X

57%

Core i5-11600K

54%

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 play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think 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 other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.0	95.2
Valorant	115.9	108.1
Cyberpunk 2077	64.9	60.6
Apex Legends	108.9	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	86.9	81.1
Overwatch	93.9	87.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.0	74.6
DOOM Eternal	57.9	54.1
Warzone	90.4	84.3
Assassin's Creed	97.4	90.8
Valheim	96.2	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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 i9-7920X

28%

Core i5-11600K

43%

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 i5-11600K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7920X since it has less power consumption: 140W vs. 125W. 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i9-7920X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	188	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2438	1905
Cinbench 20 Single-core	532	465
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6318	4270
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1400	1213
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17104	11302

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

	Intel Core i9-7920X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	2458	2707
Multi-Core	23494	20616

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

	Intel Core i9-7920X	Intel Core i5-11600K
Single-Core	1206	1621
Multi-Core	13717	7012

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 later. 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. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-7920X	Intel Core i5-11600K
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	2.9 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	12	6
Threads	24	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	16.5 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	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 i5-11600K is 25% better than Core i9-7920X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7920X has 6 more core than Core i5-11600K. 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 i9-7920X is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11600K is better: 10
Although it should be understood that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-7920X and Intel Core i5-11600K before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-7920X - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-7920X specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-11600K specs and review.