Intel Core i9-9900KS vs Intel Core i5-11400

Processor comparisons   23-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i9-9900KS vs Intel Core i5-11400 and see which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming. Here you can find all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like 3DMark, Blender, Prime95, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, SuperPi, PCMark 10, Handbrake, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, Gears 5, PassMark, WPrime, VeraCrypt, 7zip, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-11400 or Intel Core i9-9900KS.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9900KS

55%

Core i5-11400

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9900KS

55%

Core i5-11400

55%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that 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, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.7	98.5
Valorant	111.0	111.9
Cyberpunk 2077	62.2	62.7
Apex Legends	104.4	105.2
Call of Duty Warzone	83.3	83.9
Overwatch	89.9	90.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.6	77.2
DOOM Eternal	55.5	56.0
Warzone	86.6	87.3
Assassin's Creed	93.3	94.0
Valheim	92.1	92.9

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: 2K, 4K or FullHD. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9900KS

35%

Core i5-11400

119%

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 i5-11400 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9900KS as it consumes less power: 127W vs. 65W. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU turns on all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 advantages 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 i9-9900KS	Intel Core i5-11400
Cinbench 15 Single-core	222	182
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2201	1743
Cinbench 20 Single-core	518	425
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5226	3904
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1284	1110
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12704	10336

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

	Intel Core i9-9900KS	Intel Core i5-11400
Single-Core	3018	2476
Multi-Core	19522	18858

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

	Intel Core i9-9900KS	Intel Core i5-11400
Single-Core	1368	2332
Multi-Core	9501	10287

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9900KS	Intel Core i5-11400
Announcement date	October 01, 2019	January 20, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCLGA1200
Core name	Coffee Lake	Rocket Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	11
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	4 MHz	2.6 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	5400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	127 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	50 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		3 MB
L3 cache	16 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 i9-9900KS is 35% better than Core i5-11400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9900KS has 2 more core than Core i5-11400. 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 i9-9900KS is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-11400 is better: 19
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9900KS and Intel Core i5-11400 before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-9900KS - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9900KS specs and review.

Intel Core i5-11400 - all data

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

• Intel Core i5-11400 specs and review.