Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 vs Intel Core i7-9700K

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 vs Intel Core i7-9700K tests and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like PassMark, SuperPi, 7zip, UserBenchmark, Prime95, AIDA64, Blender, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, Gears 5, Handbrake, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, MATLAB.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i7-9700K or Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4.

Summary benchmark results

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

Xeon E5-2697R v4

55%

Core i7-9700K

54%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon E5-2697R v4 is 1% better than Core i7-9700K. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon E5-2697R v4

61%

Core i7-9700K

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	96.4
Valorant	123.4	109.5
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	61.3
Apex Legends	116.0	103.0
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	82.2
Overwatch	100.0	88.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.2	75.6
DOOM Eternal	61.7	54.8
Warzone	96.3	85.4
Assassin's Creed	103.7	92.0
Valheim	102.5	90.9

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 tested computers not only did they have 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. 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

Xeon E5-2697R v4

20%

Core i7-9700K

46%

To make a final 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 i7-9700K is more energy efficient than the Xeon E5-2697R v4 since it has less power consumption: 145W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores 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 check whether the software 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 Xeon E5-2697R v4	Intel Core i7-9700K
Cinbench 15 Single-core	108	214
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3177	1520
Cinbench 20 Single-core	240	481
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7475	3656
Cinbench 23 Single-core	641	1246
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18061	9214

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

	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4	Intel Core i7-9700K
Single-Core	1916	2879
Multi-Core	18383	14607

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

	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4	Intel Core i7-9700K
Single-Core	910	1320
Multi-Core	20218	8237

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 Xeon E5-2697R v4	Intel Core i7-9700K
Announcement date	January 01, 2021	October 01, 2018
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2011-3	FCLGA1151-2
Core name	Broadwell	Coffee Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	4	9
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	2.3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	18	8
Threads	36	8
Bus rate	9.6 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	4130 millions	5600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	145 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4 1600/1866/2133/2400	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	15 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	45 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-9700K is 36% better than Xeon E5-2697R v4 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon E5-2697R v4 has 10 more core than Core i7-9700K. 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 Xeon E5-2697R v4 is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-9700K is better: 11
However, it should be realized that all the figures that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 and Intel Core i7-9700K before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 specs and review.

• Intel Core i7-9700K specs and review.