Intel Core i9-7940X vs Intel Core i9-11900K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i9-7940X vs Intel Core i9-11900K and decide which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, RealBench, Gears 5, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, PCMark 10, SuperPi, PassMark, AIDA64, Prime95, Blender, 7zip.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-11900K or Intel Core i9-7940X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7940X

58%

Core i9-11900K

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7940X

58%

Core i9-11900K

57%

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. Therefore, if you think 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: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	103.4	100.9
Valorant	117.5	114.6
Cyberpunk 2077	65.8	64.2
Apex Legends	110.5	107.8
Call of Duty Warzone	88.2	86.0
Overwatch	95.2	92.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.1	79.1
DOOM Eternal	58.8	57.3
Warzone	91.7	89.4
Assassin's Creed	98.7	96.3
Valheim	97.6	95.2

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 i9-7940X

25%

Core i9-11900K

52%

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 i9-11900K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7940X as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 125W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 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 i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-11900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	188	284
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2849	2575
Cinbench 20 Single-core	607	636
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5465	5725
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1578	1653
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	15728	16475

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

	Intel Core i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-11900K
Single-Core	2533	3801
Multi-Core	26889	28166

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

	Intel Core i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-11900K
Single-Core	1263	1961
Multi-Core	15127	12631

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 newer the processor, 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, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-11900K
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	February 21, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Skylake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	11
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	5.3 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	14	8
Threads	28	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography		14 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	9800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 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		4 MB
L3 cache	19.25 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 i9-11900K is 11% better than Core i9-7940X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7940X has 6 more core than Core i9-11900K. 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 i9-7940X is better: 18
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-11900K is better: 17
However, it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i9-7940X and Intel Core i9-11900K before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-7940X specs and review.

Intel Core i9-11900K - all data

• Call of Duty: Warzone gaming benchmark
• Apex Legends gaming benchmark
• GTA 5 gaming benchmark
• Valorant gaming benchmark
• Red Dead Redemption 2 gaming benchmark
• Roblox gaming benchmark
• Overwatch gaming benchmark
• Fortnite gaming benchmark
• Assassin's Creed gaming benchmark
• DOOM Eternal gaming benchmark
• PUBG gaming benchmark
• Cyberpunk 2077 gaming benchmark

• Intel Core i9-11900K specs and review.