▷ Core i9 9900k vs core i7 9700k vs core i7 8700k (comparative)

Once the Core i9 9900K and Core i7 9700K processors have been analyzed, it is time to analyze their performance, and put them in context against the top-of-the-range model of the previous generation, the Core i7 8700K. In this article we review its technical characteristics, as well as its benefits, consumption and temperature. Core i9 9900K vs Core i7 9700K vs Core i7 8700K.

Core i9 9900K vs Core i7 9700K vs Core i7 8700K

There is no better way to whet your appetite than to compare the specifications of the three processors, we have produced a summary table with the most relevant data:

characteristics
	Core i9 9900K	Core i7 9700K	Core i7 8700K
Socket	LGA 1151	LGA 1151	LGA 1151
Architecture	Coffee Lake Refresh	Coffee Lake Refresh	Coffee Lake
Cores / threads	8/16	8/8	6/12
Base / turbo	3.6 / 5 (GHz)	3.6 / 4.9 (GHz)	3.7 / 4.7 (GHz)
L3 cache	16 MB	12 MB	12 MB
Memory	DDR4 2666 dual chanel	DDR4 2666 dual chanel	DDR4 2666 dual chanel
TDP	95W	95W	95W

At the specifications level, all the processors are very similar, since they are based on the same Coffee Lake architecture, the difference is that the Core i9 9900K and Core i7 9700K are a slightly more evolved version, the only difference being the step. to a 14nm +++ Tri-Gate manufacturing process, compared to the 14nm + Tri-Gate of the Core i7 8700K. This advance has enabled Intel to offer higher clock speeds and thus better performance.

Apart from the above, the Core i9 9900K is the first LGA 1151 processor that offers 8 cores and 16 threads, with this Intel already has an excuse to introduce the Core i9 series on this platform, and with it raise the price as we will see more ahead. On the other hand, the Core i7 9700K becomes the first i7 in history without HyperThreading technology, which means it has 8 cores and 8 threads. As for the Core i7 8700K, we already know that it is a 6-core and 12-wire processor, a configuration that must perform very similarly to the Core i7 9700K.

All of them have a DDR4 2666 dual chanel memory controller, and a TDP of 95W, although the latter data is calculated with the base frequency and is not a true reflection of consumption.

Performance in synthetic tests

First, we analyze the performance of the three processors in the most popular synthetic tests, with which we will have very relevant data on their performance, without other components being able to limit the processor. Without further delay we leave you with the results.

Synthetic benchmarks
	Core i9 9900K	Core i7 9700K	Core i7 8700K
AIDA 64 reading	50822 MB / s	49863 MB / s	51131 MB / s
AIDA 64 script	51751 MB / s	52036 MB / s	51882 MB / s
Cinebench R15	2057	1507	1430
Fire strike	24902	18657	19286
Time Spy	11245	7552	7566
VRMark	11162	13456	11153
PCMark 8	4664	4493	4547

The Core i9 9900K is clearly the most powerful processor of the three, which is entirely logical considering its brutal specs. The dilemma we have with the Core i7 9700K and the Core i7 8700K, since both are a tug of war with one or the other advantage depending on the test. The latter confirms how well the 8/8 and 6/12 configurations are performing.

Gaming performance

We now turn to see the performance of both processors in games, remember that current games are not capable of taking advantage of more than 8 processing threads, so it is expected that the differences are quite small. The tests have been done with a GeForce GTX 1080Ti and 1080p, in this way we make sure that the bottleneck is the processor and not the graphics card.

1080p gaming (GTX 1080Ti)
	Core i9 9900K	Core i7 9700K	Core i7 8700K
Far Cry 5	127 FPS	103 FPS	122 FPS
Doom 4	195 FPS	133 FPS	151 FPS
Final Fantasy XV	140 FPS	124 FPS	138 FPS
Deus EX: Mankind Divided	96 FPS	111 FPS	113 FPS

The Core i9 9900K is a monster, capable of taking the Core i7 9700K almost 60 FPS ahead of Doom 4. This game makes the biggest difference, and it shows that Intel's new flagship processor is capable of making many more API draw calls than the rest of the models. The rest of the games are much more limited by the GPU, so that the difference between processors is much smaller.

Temperature and consumption

Finally, we look at the consumption and temperature data of the three processors. The consumption data corresponds to the complete equipment.

Consumption and temperature
	Core i9 9900K	Core i7 9700K	Core i7 8700K
Idle consumption	49 W	70 W	59 W
Load consumption	261 W	173 W	163 W
OC idle consumption	57 W	72 W	63 W
OC load consumption	291 W	186 W	212 W
Charging temperature	80 ºC	86 ºC	68 ºC
OC charging temperature	93 ºC	82 ºC	98 ºC

Much is said that the Intel architecture is already very much at the limit of its evolution and energy efficiency, something that is confirmed when we see that the Core i9 9900K reaches a consumption of 261W in stock and 291W in overclock. It is true that it is an 8-core and 16-wire processor at very high frequencies, but these figures represent almost 100W more than the Core i7 9700K.

This high consumption makes the Core i9 9900K very hot, even using a 240 mm watercooler it reaches 93ºC with overclock. Loading temperatures have improved over the overclocked Core i7 8700K, but have worsened in its stock configuration. Core i9 9900K and Core i7 9700K are processors with the IHS welded to the die, so it is not normal for them to heat up so much, this does not make us think that there is any problem with the solder… it seems that Intel has already forgotten how to solder processors after so long without doing it.

Data analysis and conclusion Core i9 9900K vs Core i7 9700K vs Core i7 8700K

The difficult moment arrives to make a final assessment of the data we have seen. First, it must be made clear that the Core i9 9900K is the most powerful mainstream processor on the market, as no other processor from Intel, let alone AMD, is capable of matching it in gross power. However, this performance advantage is achieved by actually consuming a lot of energy. To put us in context, the monstrous 32-core 64-core Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has a stock consumption of 318W, less than 30W more than an overclocked Core i9 9900K. It is true that we are talking about an overclocked silicon and one that is not, but it is also fair to say that we are comparing an 8-core processor with a 32-core processor and the difference in power consumption is not as great as you might think.. The worst thing about the Core i9 9900K is that its price is 610 euros, a clearly abusive price.

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The great dilemma we have in whether the Core i7 9700K or the previous Core i7 8700K is worth it, because as we can see the performance of both is an already weak strip for its great equality. The Core i8 8700K is currently priced at 460 euros, while the Core i9 9700K costs a whopping 473 euros. These prices are prohibitive right now and are highly inflated due to Intel's inability to keep up with demand. This means that we do not recommend either, but the Ryzen 7 2700X that performs very similarly in games and we can buy it for 340 euros.

Finally, Intel should review the solder used with its new processors, as it is not normal for a soldered chip to heat up to the point of exceeding 90ºC.