Intel Core i5-11600KF vs Intel Core i7-9700K Comparison

The Intel Core i7-9700K and the Intel Core i5-11600KF represent two distinct approaches to desktop performance within Intel’s lineup. The i7-9700K relies on eight full cores without simultaneous multithreading, while the i5-11600KF offers six cores with twelve threads. The benchmark data reveals a clear overall winner, though a specific niche remains for the older chip.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded measurements show a dominant performance across nearly every workload for the Intel Core i5-11600KF. Out of 19 head-to-head comparisons, the i5-11600KF wins 18, leaving the i7-9700K with a single victory. The margin of victory is often substantial, particularly in multi-threaded and encryption-heavy tasks.

In Cinebench tests, the i5-11600KF’s advantage is consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i5-11600KF scores 1663 against the i7-9700K’s 1233, a delta of -25.9% from the i7-9700K’s perspective. The single-core result follows the same pattern: 234 versus 174, a -25.6% difference. This gap persists across newer Cinebench versions. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows a score of 6931 for the i5-11600KF versus 5139 for the i7-9700K, again a -25.9% delta. Single-core R20 results are 978 versus 725, a -25.9% gap. Cinebench R23 repeats this trend with multi-core scores of 16503 against 12238 (-25.8%) and single-core scores of 2329 against 1727 (-25.8%). The similarity in these percentage deltas indicates a consistent architectural efficiency advantage for Rocket Lake per clock.

Geekbench results also favor the i5-11600KF, though by smaller margins. Multi-core scores are 8688 versus 7799, a -10.2% difference. Single-core scores are 1904 versus 1639, a -13.9% gap. These smaller deltas suggest that the i7-9700K’s eight physical cores help narrow the gap in mixed workloads that do not scale perfectly with threads.

The Passmark suite reveals the largest disparities. Passmark data encryption shows a massive win for the i5-11600KF: 12198 versus 4590, a -62.4% delta. This indicates significantly better support for AES and related instructions. Integer math also shows a wide gap, 64195 versus 41411, a -35.5% delta, which points to the i5-11600KF handling arithmetic-heavy code much faster. Passmark multi-thread scores are 19513 versus 14414, a -26.1% delta, while single-thread scores are 3327 versus 2865, a -13.9% delta.

Other Passmark tests confirm the trend. Data compression results are 242730 versus 208062, a -14.3% delta. Floating point math is 38129 versus 35498, a -6.9% delta. Physics simulation scores 954 versus 880, a -7.8% delta. Random string sorting is 27767 versus 25756, a -7.2% delta. The i7-9700K’s sole win comes in Passmark extended instructions, scoring 18088 against 17619, a modest 2.7% delta. This single victory suggests that certain legacy or specialized instruction sequences still favor the Coffee Lake architecture.

The overall average benchmark score reflects the same outcome. The i7-9700K averages 20271, while the i5-11600KF averages 19723, placing the i7-9700K slightly higher in aggregate despite losing the head-to-head tests. This is because the i7-9700K’s average includes the full benchmark suite from the database, which may weight certain tests differently than the head-to-head selection. Percentile rankings are nearly identical: the i7-9700K sits at the 74th percentile, and the i5-11600KF at the 73rd.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core Cinebench R23 score?

A: The Intel Core i5-11600KF scores 2329 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is 25.8% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700K’s score of 1727.

Q: How much faster is the i5-11600KF in Passmark data encryption?

A: The i5-11600KF scores 12198 in Passmark data encryption, which is 62.4% higher than the i7-9700K’s 4590. This is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head results.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the i7-9700K beats the i5-11600KF?

A: Yes, in Passmark extended instructions, the i7-9700K scores 18088, which is 2.7% higher than the i5-11600KF’s 17619.

Q: What is the difference in their average benchmark scores?

A: The i7-9700K has an average benchmark score of 20271, while the i5-11600KF has an average of 19723. The i7-9700K is slightly ahead by 2.7% in this aggregate measure.

Q: How do their thread counts affect multi-threaded Passmark scores?

A: The i5-11600KF has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the i7-9700K has 8 cores and 8 threads. In Passmark multi-thread, the i5-11600KF scores 19513, which is 26.1% higher than the i7-9700K’s 14414.

Q: Which processor has a higher Passmark single-thread score?

A: The i5-11600KF’s Passmark single-thread score is 3327, which is 13.9% higher than the i7-9700K’s 2865.

Where Each One Wins

The i5-11600KF is the clear winner for the vast majority of tasks. Its advantage in Cinebench R20, R23, and Passmark integer math makes it the preferred choice for content creation, 3D rendering, and general productivity software that benefits from high IPC and simultaneous multithreading. The massive 62.4% lead in data encryption makes it far superior for disk encryption, VPN tunnels, and any security-related workload that relies on AES-NI. The 35.5% lead in integer math also suggests better performance in spreadsheet calculations, code compilation, and other logic-heavy applications.

The i7-9700K’s only head-to-head win is in Passmark extended instructions. This niche advantage suggests that for very specific legacy instruction sequences or specialized scientific code that uses those particular extended instruction sets, the i7-9700K may hold a slight edge. However, this is a narrow use case, and the 2.7% delta is small compared to the i5-11600KF’s leads elsewhere. The i7-9700K also has a slightly higher average benchmark score and percentile ranking, which reflects its overall standing in the broader database, but does not translate into a practical win in the direct comparisons.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several fundamental specifications. The i7-9700K has 8 cores and 8 threads, while the i5-11600KF has 6 cores and 12 threads. This means the i7-9700K has more physical cores, but the i5-11600KF has more logical threads. Base clocks are 3.60 GHz for the i7-9700K and 3.90 GHz for the i5-11600KF, while boost clocks are identical at 4.90 GHz for both.

Thermal design power differs significantly: the i7-9700K is rated at 95 watts, while the i5-11600KF is rated at 125 watts. The sockets are different as well, with the i7-9700K using Intel Socket 1151 and the i5-11600KF using Intel Socket 1200. Memory bandwidth also diverges: the i7-9700K supports 42.7 GB/s, while the i5-11600KF supports 51.2 GB/s. Both support DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode.

PCIe connectivity is different. The i7-9700K provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes, while the i5-11600KF provides Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the i5-11600KF has no integrated graphics, indicated by the “F” suffix. The die sizes also vary, with the i7-9700K at 180.3 mm² and the i5-11600KF at 276 mm².

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two is significant. The i7-9700K is built on Coffee Lake, with the codename Coffee Lake and the generation designation Core i7 (Coffee Lake Refresh). The i5-11600KF uses the Rocket Lake architecture, codename Rocket Lake, from the Core i5 (Rocket Lake-S) generation. Both are manufactured on the same 14 nm process node by Intel, but the design philosophies differ.

Cache layouts are distinct. The i7-9700K has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, while the i5-11600KF has 80 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core. Both share 12 MB of L3 cache. The larger per-core caches on the i5-11600KF contribute to its higher single-thread performance.

The memory bandwidth difference is also architectural. The i7-9700K’s 42.7 GB/s is lower than the i5-11600KF’s 51.2 GB/s, which helps the newer chip in memory-intensive workloads. The PCIe Gen 4 support on the i5-11600KF provides double the bandwidth per lane compared to the i7-9700K’s Gen 3, which matters for fast NVMe storage and high-end graphics cards.

Both processors have unlocked multipliers, allowing overclocking. The i7-9700K was released on 2018-10-18, while the i5-11600KF launched on 2021-03-15, a gap that explains the architectural improvements. Both are marked as end-of-life in production status. The i7-9700K has a launch MSRP of $385, while the i5-11600KF has a launch MSRP of $237. Neither supports ECC memory, and both target the desktop market segment.