Intel Core i9-9900 vs Intel Core i7-6950X

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-9900 vs Intel Core i7-6950X and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, streaming, programming, rendering. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Handbrake, WPrime, MATLAB, SuperPi, Blender, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, Furmark, 3DMark, 7zip, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, AIDA64, Prime95, RealBench, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-6950X or Intel Core i9-9900.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9900

55%

Core i7-6950X

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9900

55%

Core i7-6950X

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Control, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.1	99.4
Valorant	110.4	113.0
Cyberpunk 2077	61.8	63.3
Apex Legends	103.7	106.2
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	84.7
Overwatch	89.4	91.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.1	77.9
DOOM Eternal	55.2	56.5
Warzone	86.1	88.1
Assassin's Creed	92.7	94.9
Valheim	91.6	93.8

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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. 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 i9-9900

74%

Core i7-6950X

28%

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 i9-9900 is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 140W. 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 count 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 video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in 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 i9-9900	Intel Core i7-6950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	219	152
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1931	1819
Cinbench 20 Single-core	518	498
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4346	4827
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1284	1091
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12205	12713

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

	Intel Core i9-9900	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	2864	2377
Multi-Core	17110	17125

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

	Intel Core i9-9900	Intel Core i7-6950X
Single-Core	1454	1204
Multi-Core	8933	11187

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-9900	Intel Core i7-6950X
Announcement date	April 01, 2019	April 01, 2016
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	LGA2011-v3
Core name	Coffee Lake	Broadwell E
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	6
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	3.5 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	8	10
Threads	16	20
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	140 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4 2400/2133
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	25 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 i9-9900 is 3% better than Core i7-6950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-6950X has 2 more core than Core i9-9900. 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 i9-9900 is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-6950X is better: 18
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 entirely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9900 and Intel Core i7-6950X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-9900 - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9900 specs and review.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

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

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.