Intel Core i9-9920X vs Intel Core i9-7960X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-9920X vs Intel Core i9-7960X tests and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or various benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, Gears 5, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, AIDA64, PassMark, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Handbrake, WPrime, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, 7zip, RealBench, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7960X or Intel Core i9-9920X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9920X

57%

Core i9-7960X

58%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-7960X is 1% better than Core i9-9920X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9920X

58%

Core i9-7960X

60%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.9	106.9
Valorant	116.9	121.4
Cyberpunk 2077	65.5	68.0
Apex Legends	109.9	114.2
Call of Duty Warzone	87.7	91.1
Overwatch	94.7	98.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.6	83.8
DOOM Eternal	58.4	60.7
Warzone	91.2	94.7
Assassin's Creed	98.2	102.0
Valheim	97.0	100.8

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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9920X

25%

Core i9-7960X

22%

To make a finishing choice 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 i9-9920X is more energy efficient than the Core i9-7960X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses 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 you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can 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 i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	197	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2245	3161
Cinbench 20 Single-core	455	611
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5179	5496
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1484	1103
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14791	22189

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

	Intel Core i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	2650	2605
Multi-Core	25286	27039

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

	Intel Core i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	1282	1113
Multi-Core	14563	18501

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i9-9920X	Intel Core i9-7960X
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	October 01, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA2066
Core name	Skylake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	7
Turbo Frequency	4.5 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.5 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	24	32
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	19.25 MB	22 MB
Overclocking	Yes	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 i9-9920X is 20% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7960X has 4 more core than Core i9-9920X. 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 i9-9920X is better: 10
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 21
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9920X and Intel Core i9-7960X before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-9920X specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.