Intel Core i7-8700K vs Intel Core i9-7960X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Core i7-8700K or Intel Core i7-8700K – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Core i7-8700K features 6 processor cores and has the capability to manage 12 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2017 and belongs to the 8 generation of the Intel Core i7 series.
To use the Intel Core i7-8700K, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 1151-2 socket.
The Intel Core i9-7960X features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 32 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q4/2017 and belongs to the 7 generation of the Intel Core i9 series.
To use the Intel Core i9-7960X, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 2066 socket.
Intel Core i 8000 Group Intel Core i 7000X
8 Generation 7
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Core i7-8700K Name Intel Core i9-7960X
Intel Core i7 Family Intel Core i9
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i7-8700K has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i7-8700K is 3.7 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.7 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The Intel Core i9-7960X has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Core i9-7960X is 2.8 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.2 GHz.
12 Threads 32
6x Cores 16x
6 CPU Cores 16
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking Yes
4.7 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.2 GHz
3.7 GHz Frequency 2.8 GHz
4.3 GHz Turbo Frequency (all cores) None
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Core i7-8700K has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short.
Specifically, the Intel Core i7-8700K uses the Intel UHD Graphics 630, which has 192 texture shaders
and 24 execution units.
The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.
The Intel Core i9-7960X does not have integrated graphics.
192 Shaders --
Q4/2017 Release date --
14 nm Technology --
12 Direct X --
64.0 GB Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Max. displays --
24 Execution units --
0.35 GHz GPU frequency --
9.5 Generation --
1.2 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU name
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
Decode / Encode VP8 --
Decode VC-1 --
Decode / Encode JPEG --
No AV1 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
Decode / Encode AVC --
Decode / Encode h264 --
Decode / Encode VP9 --
Decode / Encode h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 4 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 85.4 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
DDR4-2666 Memory type DDR4-2666
No ECC No
128.0 GB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
2 Memory channels 4
42.7 GB/s Bandwidth 85.4 GB/s
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 95 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 165 W watts.
95 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 165 W
-- Tjunction max --
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Core i7-8700K is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 12.0 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The Intel Core i9-7960X is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 22.0 MB cache.
Q4/2017 Release date Q4/2017
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512
14 nm Technology 14 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
370 $ Release price 1699 $
Coffee Lake S Architecture Skylake X
12.0 MB L3-Cache 22.0 MB
Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11 Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
-- Part Number --
LGA 1151-2 Socket LGA 2066
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
 
 

Benchmarks

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
59374
59374
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
27445
27445

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
27022
27022
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
13770
13770

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
22189
22189
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
8960
8960

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
13468
13468
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
6693
6693

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
11810
11810
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
6750
6750

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
8088
8088
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
3709
3709

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
5330
5330
Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
4763
4763

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
3161
3161
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1447
1447

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1486
1486
Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
1394
1394

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1242
1242
Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
1121
1121

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
1209
1209
Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
1103
1103

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
232.4
232.4
Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
111.4
111.4

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
208
208
Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
184
184

Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.8 GHz
34.7
34.7
Intel Core i7-8700K
6C 12T @ 3.7 GHz
16.0
16.0