PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i5-11600T

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $112 less on MSRP ($262 MSRP vs $374 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 55.1 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($262 MSRP vs $374 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Core i7-9700KF needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (6,455 vs 7,072).

Core i7-9700KF

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 55.1 PassMark/$ ($374 MSRP vs $262 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11600T.

Core i5-11600T

2021

Core i7-9700KF

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $112 less on MSRP ($262 MSRP vs $374 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 55.1 vs 38.1 PassMark/$ ($262 MSRP vs $374 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD 750, while Core i7-9700KF needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +37.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (6,455 vs 7,072).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.1 vs 55.1 PassMark/$ ($374 MSRP vs $262 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-11600T can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-11600T.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700KF better than Core i5-11600T?

Yes. Core i7-9700KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 37.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 9.6% better Geekbench multi-core, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-9700KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 37.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-9700KF is the better fit. You are getting 9.6% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i7-9700KF is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i5-11600T makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i7-9700KF is 42.7% more expensive on MSRP at $374 MSRP versus $262 MSRP, and it gives you a 37.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i5-11600T is also 44.7% better value on MSRP (55.1 vs 38.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible LGA1200 + DDR4 setup, Core i5-11600T can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i5-11600T is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i5-11600T Benchmark Check

Core i7-9700KF Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
1080p
low	188 FPS	334 FPS
medium	150 FPS	293 FPS
high	122 FPS	245 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	278 FPS
medium	117 FPS	219 FPS
high	94 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	143 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	175 FPS
medium	59 FPS	139 FPS
high	47 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	93 FPS

Open Core i5-11600T Open Core i7-9700KF

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
1080p
low	185 FPS	356 FPS
medium	158 FPS	356 FPS
high	149 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	130 FPS	318 FPS
1440p
low	170 FPS	356 FPS
medium	145 FPS	356 FPS
high	137 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	149 FPS	337 FPS
medium	128 FPS	281 FPS
high	121 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	223 FPS

Open Core i5-11600T Open Core i7-9700KF

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
1080p
low	361 FPS	356 FPS
medium	361 FPS	356 FPS
high	361 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	356 FPS
1440p
low	361 FPS	356 FPS
medium	361 FPS	356 FPS
high	361 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	356 FPS
4K
low	361 FPS	356 FPS
medium	332 FPS	356 FPS
high	282 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	349 FPS

Open Core i5-11600T Open Core i7-9700KF

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
1080p
low	361 FPS	356 FPS
medium	361 FPS	356 FPS
high	361 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	356 FPS
1440p
low	361 FPS	356 FPS
medium	361 FPS	356 FPS
high	361 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	356 FPS
4K
low	361 FPS	356 FPS
medium	361 FPS	356 FPS
high	361 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	347 FPS	356 FPS

Open Core i5-11600T Open Core i7-9700KF

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-11600T and Core i7-9700KF

Core i5-11600T

The Core i5-11600T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 14,447 points. Launch price was $149.

Core i7-9700KF

The Core i7-9700KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 14,250 points. Launch price was $374.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-11600T packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-9700KF offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-11600T versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700KF — a 17.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700KF (base: 1.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i5-11600T uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-9700KF uses Coffee Lake (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-11600T scores 14,447 against the Core i7-9700KF's 14,250 — a 1.4% lead for the Core i5-11600T. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,856 vs 1,659, a 11.2% lead for the Core i5-11600T that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 6,455 vs 7,072 (9.1% advantage for the Core i7-9700KF). Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 8+33%
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.9 GHz+20%
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	3.6 GHz+112%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)
PassMark	14,447+1%	14,250
Geekbench 6 Single	1,856+12%	1,659
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,455	7,072+10%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-11600T uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-9700KF uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-11600T) vs 16 (Core i7-9700KF) — the Core i5-11600T offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H470,Z490,B560,Z590 (Core i5-11600T) and LGA1151 (Core i7-9700KF).

Feature	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
Socket	LGA1200	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	20+25%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700KF has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i5-11600T supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i5-11600T includes integrated graphics (UHD 750), while the Core i7-9700KF requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-11600T targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i5-11600T rivals Ryzen 5 5600G.

Feature	Core i5-11600T	Core i7-9700KF
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD 750	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-11600T launched at $262 MSRP, while the Core i7-9700KF debuted at $374. On MSRP ($262 vs $374), the Core i5-11600T is $112 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-11600T delivers 55.1 pts/$ vs 38.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-9700KF — making the Core i5-11600T the 36.5% better value option.