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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 22,244).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Core i9-11980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.

Core i9-11980HK

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.8% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Core i7-9700K.

Trade-offs

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

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i9-11980HK

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.8% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Core i7-9700K.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-11980HK across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 22,244).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Core i9-11980HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-11980HK better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i9-11980HK is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 26.8% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 54.5% 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 i9-11980HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 26.8% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-11980HK is the better fit. You are getting 54.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-11980HK is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i9-11980HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 26.8% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 i9-11980HK is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 i9-11980HK Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
1080p
low	308 FPS	247 FPS
medium	278 FPS	230 FPS
high	231 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	220 FPS
medium	221 FPS	185 FPS
high	178 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	154 FPS
medium	140 FPS	131 FPS
high	108 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-11980HK

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
1080p
low	360 FPS	556 FPS
medium	321 FPS	533 FPS
high	291 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	408 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	544 FPS
medium	282 FPS	484 FPS
high	258 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	351 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	322 FPS
medium	221 FPS	291 FPS
high	208 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-11980HK

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
1080p
low	360 FPS	556 FPS
medium	360 FPS	556 FPS
high	360 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	556 FPS
medium	360 FPS	501 FPS
high	360 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	345 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	430 FPS
medium	360 FPS	369 FPS
high	360 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	260 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-11980HK

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
1080p
low	360 FPS	556 FPS
medium	360 FPS	556 FPS
high	360 FPS	556 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	556 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	556 FPS
medium	360 FPS	556 FPS
high	360 FPS	556 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	484 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	515 FPS
medium	360 FPS	462 FPS
high	360 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	352 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-11980HK

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i9-11980HK

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 i9-11980HK

The Core i9-11980HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-HK (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,244 points. Launch price was $583.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i9-11980HK's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5 GHz on the Core i9-11980HK — a 2% clock advantage for the Core i9-11980HK (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-11980HK uses Tiger Lake-HK (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i9-11980HK's 22,244 — a 42.8% lead for the Core i9-11980HK. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11980HK.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+38%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+100%
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-HK (2021)
PassMark	14,397	22,244+55%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	14,029
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,129
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,766

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK) — the Core i9-11980HK offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and HM570,WM590 (Core i9-11980HK).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
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

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-11980HK 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 i9-11980HK). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and UHD Graphics 32EUs (Core i9-11980HK) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i9-11980HK targets Enthusiast Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i9-11980HK rivals Ryzen 9 5900HX.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-11980HK
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 32EUs
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Enthusiast Gaming Laptop