Intel Core i9-7980XE vs Intel Core i7-11700K

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-7980XE vs Intel Core i7-11700K and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, programming, rendering, machine learning. Here you can find all information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Prime95, PassMark, SuperPi, Furmark, WPrime, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, Handbrake, 7zip, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-11700K or Intel Core i9-7980XE.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-7980XE

58%

Core i7-11700K

58%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-7980XE

60%

Core i7-11700K

56%

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 the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, 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: Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	107.0	100.2
Valorant	121.6	113.8
Cyberpunk 2077	68.1	63.7
Apex Legends	114.3	107.0
Call of Duty Warzone	91.2	85.4
Overwatch	98.5	92.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.9	78.5
DOOM Eternal	60.8	56.9
Warzone	94.9	88.8
Assassin's Creed	102.2	95.6
Valheim	100.9	94.5

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 comparisons 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. Therefore, 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-7980XE

23%

Core i7-11700K

47%

To make a finishing resolution 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 i7-11700K is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7980XE as it consumes less power: 165W 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn 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 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 i9-7980XE	Intel Core i7-11700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	184	262
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3455	2507
Cinbench 20 Single-core	446	612
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7671	5618
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1281	1596
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28196	14869

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	Intel Core i7-11700K
Single-Core	2490	3562
Multi-Core	29612	27126

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

	Intel Core i9-7980XE	Intel Core i7-11700K
Single-Core	1158	1793
Multi-Core	18658	11929

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 i9-7980XE	Intel Core i7-11700K
Announcement date	April 01, 2017	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA1200
Core name	Skylake	Rocket Lake-S
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	11
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	5 MHz
Frequency	2.6 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	18	8
Threads	36	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s	12 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	8200 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	64 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		4 MB
L3 cache	24.75 MB	16 MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 i7-11700K is 27% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 10 more core than Core i7-11700K. 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 i9-7980XE is better: 21
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-11700K is better: 13
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-7980XE and Intel Core i7-11700K before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-11700K specs and review.