Core i7 9700k vs 8700k: Core i7-8700K vs Core i7-9700K [17-Benchmark Showdown]

Intel Core i7-9700K vs Intel Core i7-8700K

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Intel announced its range of 9th Generation Core processors at its Desktop Launch Event 2018, including the new eight-core Intel Core i7-9700K.

This will be the processor that high-end PC builders will want to buy, but how does it compare to its 8th generation predecessor, the Intel Core i7-8700K?

In this article we’ll compare how the two processors stack up against each other, and see if there’s a compelling reason to buy the new i7-9700K over the older, yet still very powerful i7-8700K.

Intel Core i7-9700K vs Intel Core i7-8700K price

The Intel Core i7-8700K launched last year for $359 (about £270, AU$460), which put it directly against AMD’s best Ryzen 7 processors including the $329 (£299, AU$469) AMD Ryzen 7 2700X.

Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7-9700K will cost $374 (around AU$530). In the UK, retailers have pitched it at a higher £500 price tag. The price after tax will be more like $399, if you’ll want the newer, and more powerful, i7-9700K. Of course, those looking to build a high-end gaming PC may already be ready to splurge on the best CPU.

Intel Core i7-9700K vs Intel Core i7-8700K: specifications

This is where things get a little confusing, as the Intel Core i7-9700K comes with two extra cores but a lower thread count than the Intel Core i7-8700K.

So, the Intel Core i7-9700K comes with eight-cores and eight-threads, 12MB cache and a TDP of 95W.

Meanwhile, the Intel Core i7-8700K features six-cores and 12 threads, 12MB cache and a 95W TDP.

The Intel Core i7-9700K is also rated with a base clock of 3.6GHz and can boost one its processor cores all the way to 4.9GHz. Comparatively, the Intel Core i7-8700K starts at a tick higher 3.7GHz base frequency, but can’t go nearly as fast with its maximum 4.7GHz boost clock.

However, it could be in overclocking where the Intel Core i7-9700K will really gain a lead over its predecessor. Thanks to its soldered integrated heat spreader (IHS), the Intel Core i7-9700K should be better at keeping the chip cool, allowing for better overclocks.

In theory, this purported gold-plated solder replacing the thermal paste Intel has used in the past will be a much more efficient heat transfer medium.

Intel Core i7-9700K vs Intel Core i7-8700K: should you upgrade?

So, should you upgrade from a Intel Core i7-8700K to a Intel Core i7-9700K? We won’t be able to give you a definitive answer until we’ve properly reviewed the new chip and spent time with it, but on paper at least it looks like the Intel Core i7-9700K is a decent upgrade for a reasonably higher price.

It doesn’t look like it does anything that will make the Intel Core i7-8700K obsolete any time soon, though. That may be good news for Intel Core i7-8700K owners, but disappointing for others.

Here’s our pick of the best processors money can buy

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Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he’s loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K — Red Dead Redemption 2 with GTX 1660 Benchmarks 1080p, 1440p, Ultrawide, 4K Comparison

GTX 1660 with

Intel Core i7-8700K @ 3.70GHz

Red Dead Redemption 2

GTX 1660 with

Intel Core i7-9700K @ 3. 60GHz

i7-8700K
i7-9700K

Multi-Thread Performance

15970 Pts

17589 Pts

Single-Thread Performance

2703 Pts

2834 Pts

Red Dead Redemption 2

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K in Red Dead Redemption 2 using GTX 1660 — CPU Performance comparison at Ultra, High, Medium, and Low Quality Settings with 1080p, 1440p, Ultrawide, 4K resolutions

i7-8700K
i7-9700K

Ultra Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	42.4 FPS
1080p	43.1 FPS
1440p	34.6 FPS
1440p	34. 8 FPS
2160p	22.0 FPS
2160p	22.2 FPS
w1440p	30.3 FPS
w1440p	30.5 FPS

High Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	75.9 FPS
1080p	77.0 FPS
1440p	63.7 FPS
1440p	64.0 FPS
2160p	43. 0 FPS
2160p	43.3 FPS
w1440p	56.8 FPS
w1440p	57.1 FPS

Medium Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	109.4 FPS
1080p	110.9 FPS
1440p	92.8 FPS
1440p	93.2 FPS
2160p	64.0 FPS
2160p	64. 5 FPS
w1440p	83.3 FPS
w1440p	83.7 FPS

Low Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	176.4 FPS
1080p	178.6 FPS
1440p	151.0 FPS
1440p	151.7 FPS
2160p	106.0 FPS
2160p	106.7 FPS
w1440p	136. 2 FPS
w1440p	136.9 FPS

i7-8700K

The i7-8700K has more threads. Larger programs are divided into threads (small sections) so that the processor can execute them simultaneously to get faster execution.
For some games, a cpu with a higher clock speed, or in a technical name IPC (Instructions per clock), has better results than other CPU’s with higher core count and lower core speed.

i7-9700K

The i7-9700K has more cores. The benefit of having more cores is that the system can handle more threads. Each core can handle a separate stream of data. This architecture greatly increases the performance of a system that is running concurrent applications.
The i7-9700K has a higher turbo clock boost. Turbo Boost is a CPU feature that will run CPU clock speed faster than its base clock, if certain conditions are present. It will enable older software that runs on fewer cores, to perform better on newer hardware. Since games are software too, it is also applicable to them.

Compare i7-8700K vs i7-9700K specifications

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Architecture

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
Codename	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Generation	Core i7 (Coffee Lake)	Core i7 (Coffee Lake Refresh)
Market	Desktop	Desktop
Memory Support	DDR4	DDR4
Part#	SR3QR	unknown
Production Status	Active	Active
Released	Oct 2017	Oct 2018

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Cache

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
Cache L1	64K (per core)	64K (per core)
Cache L2	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Cache L3	12MB (shared)	12MB (shared)

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Cores

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
# of Cores	6	8
# of Threads	12	8
Integrated Graphics	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630
SMP # CPUs	1	1

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Features

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
	MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4. 2 AVX AVX2 EIST Intel 64 XD bit VT-x VT-d HTT AES-NI TSX TXT CLMUL FMA3 F16C BMI1 BMI2 Boost 2.0	MMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.2 AVX AVX2 EIST Intel 64 XD bit VT-x VT-d HTT AES-NI TSX TXT CLMUL FMA3 F16C BMI1 BMI2 Boost 2.0

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Notes

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
	This processor comes with an unlocked BCLK multiplier, allowing users to set the multiplier value higher than shipped value, to facilitate better overclocking.	This processor comes with an unlocked BCLK multiplier, allowing users to set the multiplier value higher than shipped value, to facilitate better overclocking.

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Performance

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
Base Clock	100 MHz	100 MHz
Frequency	3. 7 GHz	3.6 GHz
Multiplier	37.0x	36.0x
Multiplier Unlocked	Yes	Yes
TDP	95 W	95 W
Turbo Clock	up to 4.7 GHz	up to 4.9 GHz
Voltage	variable	unknown

i7-8700K vs i7-9700K Physical

	i7-8700K	i7-9700K
Die Size	unknown	unknown
Foundry	Intel	Intel
Package	FC-LGA1151	FC-LGA14C
Process Size	14 nm	14 nm
Socket	Intel Socket 1151	Intel Socket 1151
Transistors	unknown	unknown
tCaseMax	72°C	72°C

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Intel Core i7 9700K vs i7 8700K:

performance comparison

Intel Core i7 9700K

Intel Core i7 8700K

Which is better: 8-core Intel Core i7 9700K at 3. 6 GHz or i7 8700K with 6 cores at 3.7 GHz? To find out, read our comparison test of these 14nm desktop processors in popular benchmarks, games and heavy applications.

Overview
Differences
Performance
Features
Comments

Overview

Overview and comparison of the main metrics from NanoReview

Single-threaded performance

Rating in tests using a single core

Core i7 9700K

Core i7 8700K

Multi-threaded performance

All-core benchmarks

Core i7 9700K

Core i7 8700K

Power Efficiency

Chip Power Efficiency

Core i7 9700K

Core i7 8700K

NanoReview rating

Final CPU score

Core i7 9700K

Core i7 8700K

Key differences

What are the main differences between 8700K and 9700K

Reasons to choose Intel Core i7 9700K

Has 2 more physical cores
Introduced 1 year later than rival
4% higher Turbo Boost frequency (4. 9 GHz vs 4.7 GHz)

Benchmark tests

Compare the results of processor tests in benchmarks

Cinebench R23 (single core)

Core i7 9700K
+6%

1291

Core i7 8700K

1222

Cinebench R23 (multi-core)

Core i7 9700K
+6%

9463

Core i7 8700K

8899

Passmark CPU (single core)

Core i7 9700K
+6%

2914

Core i7 8700K

2753

Passmark CPU (multi-core)

Core i7 9700K
+5%

14596

Core i7 8700K

13877

Geekbench 5 (single core)

Core i7 9700K
+4%

1293

Core i7 8700K

1243

Geekbench 5 (multi-core)

Core i7 9700K
+13%

7503

Core i7 8700K

6659

Add your Cinebench R23 results

Specifications

List of full specifications of Intel Core i7 9700K and i7 8700K

General information

Manufacturer	Intel	Intel
Release date	October 8, 2018	October 5, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Instruction set architecture	x86-64	x86-64
Codename	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Model number	i7-9700K	i7-8700K
Integrated graphics	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630

Processor

Performance Cores
Cores	8	6
threads	8	12
Frequency	3. 6 GHz	3.7 GHz
Max. frequency in Turbo Boost	4.9 GHz	4.7 GHz

General
Number of cores	8	6
Number of threads	8	12
Bus frequency	100 MHz	100 MHz
Multiplier	36x	37x
Tire speed	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Level 1 cache	64KB (per core)	64KB (per core)
Level 2 cache	256KB (per core)	256KB (per core)
Level 3 cache	12MB (shared)	12MB (shared)
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes

Process	14 nanometers	14 nanometers
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	95W
Socket	LGA-1151	LGA-1151
Critical temperature	100°C	100°C

Integrated graphics	Intel UHD Graphics 630	Intel UHD Graphics 630
GPU frequency	350 MHz	350 MHz
Boost GPU frequency	1200 MHz	1200 MHz
Shader blocks	192	192
TMUs	24	24
ROPs	3	3
Computer units	24	24
TGP	15W	15W
Max. resolution	4096×2304 — 60Hz	4096×2304 — 60Hz

iGPU FLOPS

Core i7 9700K

0.38 teraflops

Core i7 8700K

0.38 teraflops

9 0002

Memory support

Memory type	— DDR4-2666	— DDR4-2666
Max. size	128 GB	128 GB
Number of channels	2	2
Max. bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
ECC support	No	No

Other

Official site	Site Intel Core i7 9700K	Site Intel Core i7 8700K
PCI Express Version	3.0	3.0
Max. PCI Express lanes	16	16
Extended instructions	SSE4. 1, SSE4.2, AVX-2	SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX-2

Poll

What processor do you think is the best?

Core i7 9700K

43 (44.3%)

Core i7 8700K

54 (55.7%)

Total votes: 97 900 03

Competitors

1.
Intel Core i7 9700K and Apple M2

2.
Intel Core i7 9700K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

3.
Intel Core i7 9700K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X

4.
Intel Core i7 9700K and i5 12600K

5.
Intel Core i7 9700K and i5 12400F

6.
Intel Core i7 8700K and i5 12600K

7.
Intel Core i7 8700K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D

8.
Intel Core i7 8700K and i7 13700K

9.
Intel Core i7 8700K and i5 12400F

Compare other CPUs (540+)

Intel Core i7-9700K vs Intel Core i7-8700K

Main

&nbsp/&nbsp

CPU Comparison

&nbsp/&nbsp

Overall rating

Issued
Q4/2018

Issued
Q4/2017

Overall rating

What is better to choose Intel Core i7-9700K or Intel Core i7-8700K?

We have prepared a comparison to help you choose the best processor. Compare their characteristics and benchmark results.

Intel Core i7-9700K has a maximum frequency of 3.60 GHz. 8 cores. Power consumption 95 W. Released Q4/2018.

The

Intel Core i7-8700K has a maximum frequency of 3.70 GHz. 6 cores. Power consumption 95 W. Released Q4/2017.

Differences
Characteristics
Benchmarks (tests)
Reviews

Differences

Reasons to choose
Intel Core i7-9700K

Report a bug

Positions in benchmark results

General positions Intel Core i7-9700K CPU in popular benchmarks to compare with other models.

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

208 place
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

183 place
Cinebench R20 (Single Core)

170 place
Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

183 place
Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

83 place
Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

208 place
Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

307 place
Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

360 place
Monero Hashrate kH/s

70 place
iGPU — FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

675 place
Blender 2. 81 (bmw27)

141 place
Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

9 place
Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

121 place
Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (Single-Core)

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

108 place
Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (iGPU, OpenGL)

7 place
Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

309 place
Blender 3.1 Benchmark

8 place

Reasons to choose
Intel Core i7-8700K

Report a bug

Positions in benchmark results

General positions of Intel Core i7-8700K CPU in popular benchmarks, for comparison with other models.

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

221 place
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

188 place
Cinebench R20 (Single Core)

164 place
Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

181 place
Cinebench R15 (Single Core)

102 place
Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

221 place
Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

318 place
Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

413 place
iGPU — FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

674 place
Blender 2. 81 (bmw27)

130 place
Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core)

12 place
Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

126 place
Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (Single-Core)

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

112 place
Cinebench R11.5, 64bit (iGPU, OpenGL)

9 place
Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

347 place

Characteristics

Technical data

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

CPU group and family

Reference information on compared processors, series, generation and market segment.

Segment

Desktop / Server Desktop / Server
Series

Intel Core i7 Intel Core i7
Generation

9 8
CPU group

Intel Core i 9000 Intel Core i 8000
Previous model

— Intel Core i7-7700K
Successor

Intel Core i7-10700K Intel Core i7-9700KF

CPU specifications

Basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base and turbo frequency, cache size. These parameters indirectly speak about the speed of the processor, the higher they are, the better.

Frequency

3.60 GHz 3.70 GHz
CPU cores

8 6
Turbo (1 Core)

4.90 GHz 4.70 GHz
Threads

8 12
Hypertrading

No Yes
Acceleration

Yes Yes
Kernel architecture

normal normal

IGPU

Internal graphics does not affect CPU performance, performs the work of a graphics card in its absence or on mobile devices.

GPU

Intel UHD Graphics 630 Intel UHD Graphics 630
GPU frequency

0. 35 GHz 0.35 GHz
GPU (Turbo)

1.20 GHz 1.20 GHz
Processing units

24 24
Shaders

192 192
Max. GPU Memory

64GB 64GB
Max. displays

3 3
Generation

9.5 9.5
DirectX Version

12 12
Tech. process

14 nm 14 nm
Issue

Q4/2017 Q4/2017

Hardware codec support

Built-in codecs used to encode and decode content. Significantly speed up the work with the required operations.

h365 / HEVC (8 bit)

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
h365 / HEVC (10 bit)

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
h364

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
VP9

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
VP8

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
AV1

No No
AVC

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode
VC-1

Decode Decode
JPEG

Decode / Encode Decode / Encode

RAM & PCI Specifications

Types, number of channels of RAM supported by Intel Core i7-8700K and Intel Core i7-9700K. Higher or lower memory frequencies may be supported depending on motherboards.

Memory type

DDR4-2666 DDR4-2666
Maximum memory

128GB 128GB
ECC

No No
Memory channels

2 2
PCIe version

3.0 3.0
PCIe 9 lanes0003
16 16

Encryption

AES-NI

Yes Yes

Power Consumption

Compare the TDP requirements of Intel Core i7-9700K and Intel Core i7-8700K for cooling system selection. The TDP value refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

Technologies and extensions

Architecture, interfaces, instruction sets supported by Intel Core i7-9700K and Intel Core i7-9700K, virtualization technology and process technology.

Instruction set (ISA)

x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
Virtualization

VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
ISA Extensions

SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2 SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
Cash L3

12.00MB 12.00MB
Architecture

Coffee Lake S Refresh Coffee Lake S
Tech. process

14 nm 14 nm
Socket

LGA 1151-2 LGA 1151-2
Issue

Q4/2018 Q4/2017

Benchmarks (tests)

Benchmarks CPUs

Based on the results of several benchmarks, you can more accurately assess the performance difference between the Intel Core i7-9700K and the Intel Core i7-8700K.

Compare synthetic benchmarks and choose the best processor! Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Maxon’s Cinebench R23 MC is a cross-platform test suite for macOS and Windows that uses multi-core and hyper-threading.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core) yiding .

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 MC is a high load CPU benchmark for long running tasks on desktop or laptop using multi-core mode and hypertray dinga.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 SC pushes desktop or laptop compute modules to the limit and accurately captures key hardware performance parameters.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 MC maximizes desktop or laptop compute modules and accurately detects hardware performance in multi-core mode.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 SC is a popular cross-platform benchmark for desktop or mobile processors that is memory intensive.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 MC is a popular cross-platform benchmark for desktop or mobile processors, is memory intensive and multi-threaded .

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

iGPU — FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

iGPU — Internal GPU performance in games. GFLOPS indicates the number of billions of operations per second that the iGPU is capable of performing.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is an open source software that creates predefined 3D scenes and measures their execution time.

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Single-Core) ria for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Geekbench 3, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 3 MC using multi-core and hyper-trading, includes stress tests that simulate real 3D scenes arias for Windows, Mac , Linux, Ansroid, iOS

Intel Core i7-9700K

Intel Core i7-8700K

Cinebench R11.