Core i7-11700KF vs Core i9-7920X

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 i7-11700KF

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $825 less on MSRP ($374 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 224.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 63.7 vs 19.6 PassMark/$ ($374 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 140W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-7920X

2017

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,508 vs 23,811).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.6 vs 63.7 PassMark/$ ($1,199 MSRP vs $374 MSRP).

Core i7-11700KF

2021

Core i9-7920X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $825 less on MSRP ($374 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 224.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 63.7 vs 19.6 PassMark/$ ($374 MSRP vs $1,199 MSRP).
✅Draws 125W instead of 140W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-11700KF across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,508 vs 23,811).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 19.6 vs 63.7 PassMark/$ ($1,199 MSRP vs $374 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-11700KF better than Core i9-7920X?

Yes. Core i7-11700KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-11700KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11700KF is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i7-11700KF is the smarter buy today. Core i7-11700KF is $825 cheaper on MSRP at $374 MSRP versus $1,199 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 224.7% better value on MSRP (63.7 vs 19.6 PassMark/$), 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 i7-11700KF is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 12/24. 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 i7-11700KF Benchmark Check

Core i9-7920X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
1080p
low	301 FPS	163 FPS
medium	264 FPS	142 FPS
high	222 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	190 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	247 FPS	140 FPS
medium	195 FPS	119 FPS
high	159 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	76 FPS
medium	136 FPS	70 FPS
high	105 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	43 FPS

Open Core i7-11700KF Open Core i9-7920X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
1080p
low	595 FPS	352 FPS
medium	529 FPS	300 FPS
high	454 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	243 FPS
1440p
low	594 FPS	315 FPS
medium	493 FPS	274 FPS
high	421 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	361 FPS	215 FPS
4K
low	400 FPS	227 FPS
medium	342 FPS	201 FPS
high	320 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	162 FPS

Open Core i7-11700KF Open Core i9-7920X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
1080p
low	595 FPS	560 FPS
medium	595 FPS	468 FPS
high	595 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	567 FPS	366 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	507 FPS
medium	595 FPS	431 FPS
high	546 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	468 FPS	334 FPS
4K
low	582 FPS	390 FPS
medium	482 FPS	322 FPS
high	425 FPS	284 FPS
ultra	354 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i7-11700KF Open Core i9-7920X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
1080p
low	595 FPS	588 FPS
medium	595 FPS	588 FPS
high	595 FPS	588 FPS
ultra	595 FPS	588 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	588 FPS
medium	595 FPS	588 FPS
high	595 FPS	579 FPS
ultra	595 FPS	502 FPS
4K
low	595 FPS	531 FPS
medium	565 FPS	480 FPS
high	510 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	366 FPS

Open Core i7-11700KF Open Core i9-7920X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-11700KF and Core i9-7920X

Core i7-11700KF

The Core i7-11700KF 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: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 23,811 points. Launch price was $299.

Core i9-7920X

The Core i9-7920X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 September 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 23,508 points. Launch price was $1,199.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-11700KF packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i9-7920X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Core i9-7920X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i7-11700KF versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-7920X — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-11700KF (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i7-11700KF uses the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-7920X uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-11700KF scores 23,811 against the Core i9-7920X's 23,508 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i7-11700KF. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-11700KF vs 16.5 MB (total) on the Core i9-7920X.

Feature	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+14%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+24%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16.5 MB (total)+3%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Rocket Lake (2021)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	23,811+1%	23,508
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,011	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,287	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,874	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-11700KF uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i9-7920X uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	20	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-11700KF) / not specified (Core i9-7920X).

Feature	Core i7-11700KF	Core i9-7920X
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-11700KF launched at $374 MSRP, while the Core i9-7920X debuted at $1199. On MSRP ($374 vs $1199), the Core i7-11700KF is $825 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-11700KF delivers 63.7 pts/$ vs 19.6 pts/$ for the Core i9-7920X — making the Core i7-11700KF the 105.8% better value option.