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 i7-11700K

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,303 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Delivers 583.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.1 vs 8.9 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 200W, a 75W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Xeon E5-2679 v4 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 50 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2679 v4, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2679 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+212.5% larger total L3 cache (50 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,131 vs 24,362).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.9 vs 61.1 PassMark/$ ($2,702 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌60% higher power demand at 200W vs 125W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-11700K

2021

Xeon E5-2679 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,303 less on MSRP ($399 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Delivers 583.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.1 vs 8.9 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $2,702 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 200W, a 75W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 750, while Xeon E5-2679 v4 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+212.5% larger total L3 cache (50 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 50 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2679 v4, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,131 vs 24,362).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 8.9 vs 61.1 PassMark/$ ($2,702 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
❌60% higher power demand at 200W vs 125W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-11700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-11700K better than Xeon E5-2679 v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2679 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-11700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-11700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.0% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11700K is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i7-11700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-11700K is $2,303 cheaper on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $2,702 MSRP, and it gives you a 18.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 583.7% better value on MSRP (61.1 vs 8.9 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core i7-11700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2016), more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 20/40, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i7-11700K Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2679 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
1080p
low	302 FPS	182 FPS
medium	265 FPS	160 FPS
high	223 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	247 FPS	151 FPS
medium	195 FPS	127 FPS
high	160 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	70 FPS
medium	136 FPS	62 FPS
high	105 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Xeon E5-2679 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
1080p
low	609 FPS	364 FPS
medium	529 FPS	331 FPS
high	454 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	600 FPS	313 FPS
medium	493 FPS	284 FPS
high	421 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	404 FPS	195 FPS
medium	342 FPS	178 FPS
high	320 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	120 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Xeon E5-2679 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
1080p
low	609 FPS	603 FPS
medium	609 FPS	603 FPS
high	609 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	571 FPS	603 FPS
1440p
low	609 FPS	603 FPS
medium	609 FPS	590 FPS
high	549 FPS	559 FPS
ultra	471 FPS	505 FPS
4K
low	586 FPS	447 FPS
medium	485 FPS	363 FPS
high	428 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	274 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Xeon E5-2679 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
1080p
low	609 FPS	603 FPS
medium	609 FPS	603 FPS
high	609 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	609 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	609 FPS	603 FPS
medium	609 FPS	603 FPS
high	609 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	609 FPS	462 FPS
4K
low	609 FPS	527 FPS
medium	565 FPS	472 FPS
high	510 FPS	418 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	359 FPS

Open Core i7-11700K Open Xeon E5-2679 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-11700K and Xeon E5-2679 v4

Core i7-11700K

The Core i7-11700K 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 24,362 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E5-2679 v4

The Xeon E5-2679 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 50 MB. L2 cache: 5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 24,131 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-11700K packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2679 v4 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon E5-2679 v4 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-11700K versus 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2679 v4 — a 41% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-11700K uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2679 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11700K scores 24,362 against the Xeon E5-2679 v4's 24,131 — a 1% lead for the Core i7-11700K. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-11700K vs 50 MB on the Xeon E5-2679 v4.

Feature	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	20 / 40+150%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+52%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+44%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	50 MB+213%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	5 MB+900%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	24,362	24,131
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,732	—
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,000
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	12,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-11700K uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2679 v4 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2679 v4 supports up to 1536 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-11700K) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2679 v4). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i7-11700K) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2679 v4) — the Xeon E5-2679 v4 offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z590,B560 (Core i7-11700K) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2679 v4).

Feature	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	1536 GB+1100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	40+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-11700K supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700K) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2679 v4). The Core i7-11700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 750), while the Xeon E5-2679 v4 requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Core i7-11700K	Xeon E5-2679 v4
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 750	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-11700K launched at $399 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2679 v4 debuted at $2702. On MSRP ($399 vs $2702), the Core i7-11700K is $2303 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-11700K delivers 61.1 pts/$ vs 8.9 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2679 v4 — making the Core i7-11700K the 149% better value option.