Intel Core i9-7940X vs Intel Core i9-9900K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-7940X vs Intel Core i9-9900K and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, 7zip, RealBench, Furmark, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Blender, Handbrake, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, PassMark, Gears 5, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9900K 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 i9-9900K

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-7940X is 5% better than Core i9-9900K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7940X

58%

Core i9-9900K

55%

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 play games. Because this processor costs 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 summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Control, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	103.4	98.2
Valorant	117.5	111.6
Cyberpunk 2077	65.8	62.5
Apex Legends	110.5	104.9
Call of Duty Warzone	88.2	83.7
Overwatch	95.2	90.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.1	77.0
DOOM Eternal	58.8	55.8
Warzone	91.7	87.0
Assassin's Creed	98.7	93.7
Valheim	97.6	92.6

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 i9-9900K

45%

To make a final 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 i9-9900K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7940X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes 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 make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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 i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	188	219
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2849	2245
Cinbench 20 Single-core	607	518
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5465	4995
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1578	1284
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	15728	12450

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

	Intel Core i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	2533	2947
Multi-Core	26889	18753

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

	Intel Core i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Single-Core	1263	1301
Multi-Core	15127	9986

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 in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-7940X	Intel Core i9-9900K
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	October 01, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Skylake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	7	9
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.6 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	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	19.25 MB	16 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 i9-9900K is 13% better than Core i9-7940X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7940X has 6 more core than Core i9-9900K. 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: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9900K is better: 9
However, it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-7940X and Intel Core i9-9900K before deciding which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-7940X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9900K specs and review.