Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i7-8700K

Processor comparisons 20-01-2022

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Core i9-9980HK vs Intel Core i7-8700K tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, video editing, rendering, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, WPrime, RealBench, Blender, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, SuperPi, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PassMark, Blender, AIDA64, Prime95, MATLAB, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-8700K or Intel Core i9-9980HK.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9980HK

54%

Core i7-8700K

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9980HK

54%

Core i7-8700K

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. 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 final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Control, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Ghostrunner.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.7	95.7
Valorant	108.8	108.7
Cyberpunk 2077	60.9	60.9
Apex Legends	102.2	102.2
Call of Duty Warzone	81.6	81.6
Overwatch	88.1	88.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.0	75.0
DOOM Eternal	54.4	54.4
Warzone	84.8	84.8
Assassin's Creed	91.4	91.3
Valheim	90.3	90.3

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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9980HK

86%

Core i7-8700K

49%

To make a final resolution 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 i9-9980HK is more energy efficient than the Core i7-8700K as it consumes less power: 45W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores 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. Because 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 i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	208
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1607	1447
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	487
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3503	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1186	1209
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	8370	8960

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	2657	2760
Multi-Core	15065	13949

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8700K
Single-Core	1165	1402
Multi-Core	7554	7536

Comparison of specifications

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

	Intel Core i9-9980HK	Intel Core i7-8700K
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	October 01, 2017
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FCBGA1440	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	8
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	2.4 MHz	3.7 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	3200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.8 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-8700K is 35% better than Core i9-9980HK in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9980HK has 2 more core than Core i7-8700K. 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 i9-9980HK is better: 14
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-8700K is better: 8
Although it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i9-9980HK and Intel Core i7-8700K before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i9-9980HK - all data

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

• Intel Core i9-9980HK specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-8700K specs and review.