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 i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.2% higher average FPS across 29 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 15,441).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Core i7-11600H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Core i7-11600H

2021

Why buy it

✅+7.3% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 29 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i7-11600H

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.2% higher average FPS across 29 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+7.3% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 15,441).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Core i7-11600H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 29 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-11600H better than Core i7-9700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9700K is ahead with a 21.2% average FPS lead across 29 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11600H pulls ahead with 7.3% better PassMark. Core i7-11600H also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-11600H is the better fit. You are getting 7.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-11600H is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i7-11600H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 7.3% better PassMark. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Core i7-11600H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. 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 i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Core i7-11600H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
1080p
low	308 FPS	169 FPS
medium	278 FPS	151 FPS
high	231 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	144 FPS
medium	221 FPS	122 FPS
high	178 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	81 FPS
medium	140 FPS	75 FPS
high	108 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-11600H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
1080p
low	360 FPS	386 FPS
medium	321 FPS	386 FPS
high	291 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	296 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	386 FPS
medium	282 FPS	347 FPS
high	258 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	261 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	272 FPS
medium	221 FPS	235 FPS
high	208 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	182 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-11600H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
1080p
low	360 FPS	386 FPS
medium	360 FPS	386 FPS
high	360 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	364 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	386 FPS
medium	360 FPS	386 FPS
high	360 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	351 FPS
medium	360 FPS	300 FPS
high	360 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	197 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-11600H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
1080p
low	360 FPS	386 FPS
medium	360 FPS	386 FPS
high	360 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	386 FPS
medium	360 FPS	386 FPS
high	360 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	386 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	386 FPS
medium	360 FPS	386 FPS
high	360 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	344 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-11600H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i7-11600H

Core i7-9700K

The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) 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. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.

Core i7-11600H

The Core i7-11600H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake H45 (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,441 points. Launch price was $395.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-11600H offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-11600H — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-11600H uses Tiger Lake H45 (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i7-11600H's 15,441 — a 7% lead for the Core i7-11600H. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i7-11600H.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+7%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+44%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	10 nm SuperFin-29%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Tiger Lake H45 (2021)
PassMark	14,397	15,441+7%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,903

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-11600H uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 20 (Core i7-11600H) — the Core i7-11600H offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and HM570,QM580,WM590 (Core i7-11600H).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core i7-11600H supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-11600H). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and UHD Graphics (Core i7-11600H) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i7-11600H targets Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-11600H rivals Ryzen 5 5600H.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-11600H
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Gaming Laptop