Intel Core i7-7820X vs Intel Core i7-9800X Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data splits this comparison into two distinct territories. The Intel Core i7-9800X wins 6 of the 8 head-to-head benchmarks, while the Intel Core i7-7820X takes the remaining 2. The 9800X dominates every Cinebench test, from the older R15 through R20 and R23, in both single-core and multi-core workloads. That is a clean sweep of the rendering and 3D content creation suite. The 7820X, by contrast, wins both Geekbench tests, the multi-core by a substantial 4.7% margin and the single-core by a smaller 1.7%.

The use-case split is clear. For tasks that resemble Cinebench, which stresses sustained multi-threaded rendering and also measures single-thread responsiveness, the 9800X is the stronger part. The margins are consistent at 5.7% to 5.8% across all six Cinebench variants, suggesting a uniform advantage tied to clock speed or cache behavior rather than workload-specific quirks. The 7820X, however, pulls ahead in Geekbench, a suite that mixes memory latency, encryption, and integer and floating point workloads differently. The 4.7% multi-core lead in Geekbench is too large to ignore, which implies the 7820X has some advantage in that particular test environment, perhaps related to how its cache or memory subsystem handles the Geekbench instruction mix.

For a user focused on video rendering, 3D modeling, or other Cinebench-like tasks, the 9800X is the obvious choice. For general system responsiveness as measured by Geekbench, the 7820X actually has the edge, and the single-core Geekbench result reinforces that. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports a workload-dependent one.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i7-9800X has an average benchmark score of 4455, while the Intel Core i7-7820X scores 4321. The 9800X leads by roughly 3%.

Q: How do the two CPUs compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The 9800X scores 15416, beating the 7820X's 14576 by 5.8% in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test.

Q: Does the older 7820X win any benchmark at all?

A: Yes. The 7820X wins Geekbench multi-core with 7855 versus 7488, a 4.7% advantage, and Geekbench single-core with 1422 versus 1398, a 1.7% advantage.

Q: Are both CPUs on the same socket?

A: Yes, both use Intel Socket 2066, and both are built on the Skylake-X architecture with a 14 nm process node.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each?

A: Both are 8-core, 16-thread processors. The core and thread configuration is identical.

Q: Which CPU has more L3 cache?

A: The 9800X has 16.5 MB of shared L3 cache, while the 7820X has 11 MB of shared L3 cache. Both have 64 KB of L1 per core and 1 MB of L2 per core.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows a remarkably consistent pattern in Cinebench. The 9800X leads the 7820X by 5.7% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (1553 vs 1469) and by 5.8% in Cinebench R15 single-core (219 vs 207). That same 5.8% delta repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core (6474 vs 6121) and single-core (913 vs 863). Cinebench R23 continues the trend: multi-core 15416 vs 14576 and single-core 2176 vs 2057, both at 5.8%. The consistency of that 5.8% delta across every R20 and R23 test suggests a fixed performance factor, likely the base clock difference of 3.80 GHz versus 3.60 GHz, which is exactly a 5.6% increase, or the larger cache.

Then the data flips. Geekbench multi-core gives the 7820X a 4.7% win (7855 vs 7488), and Geekbench single-core gives it a 1.7% win (1422 vs 1398). The multi-core Geekbench margin is nearly as large as the 9800X's Cinebench margin, just in the opposite direction. This is not a case of one chip being universally faster; the benchmark suite matters enormously. The 9800X's larger L3 cache (16.5 MB vs 11 MB) and higher base clock do not help it in Geekbench, where the 7820X's lower TDP of 140 watts versus 165 watts may allow different boost behavior, or the Geekbench workload simply favors the 7820X's memory access patterns.

The average benchmark scores tell the overall story: 4455 for the 9800X versus 4321 for the 7820X, a 3.1% lead for the newer part. The percentile ranking is identical at 58 for both, meaning they sit at the same level relative to all CPUs in the database. The nearest rivals for the 9800X include the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE at 4470 average score (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 4750GE at 4411 (1% higher), and the Intel Core i7-12700TE at 4513 (1.3% higher). The 7820X's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5750G at 4296 (0.6% higher), the AMD EPYC 7232P at 4354 (0.8% lower), and the Intel Xeon E5-4669 v3 at 4285 (0.8% higher).

Specification Differences

The two CPUs share the same socket, architecture, process node, memory type, and memory bus, but several key specifications diverge. The base clock differs: the 9800X runs at 3.80 GHz, the 7820X at 3.60 GHz. The boost clock is identical at 4.50 GHz for both. TDP is another difference: the 9800X draws 165 watts, the 7820X 140 watts. The L3 cache is significantly larger on the 9800X at 16.5 MB shared versus 11 MB shared on the 7820X. PCIe lane count also varies: the 9800X provides Gen 3 with 44 lanes (CPU only), while the 7820X provides Gen 3 with 28 lanes (CPU only). Both have a quad-channel DDR4 memory bus with 85.3 GB/s bandwidth, and neither supports ECC memory. Both have unlocked multipliers. The 9800X was released in October 2018 with a launch MSRP of $589, while the 7820X was released in June 2017 with a launch MSRP of $599. Both are end-of-life desktop parts. The part numbers are SREZ9 for the 9800X and SR3L5 for the 7820X.

Architecture Differences

Both CPUs are built on the Skylake architecture, specifically the Skylake-X codename, on Intel's 14 nm process node. The core and thread counts are identical at 8 cores and 16 threads. L1 and L2 cache sizes are the same: 64 KB per core and 1 MB per core respectively. The architectural divergence lies in the L3 cache, where the 9800X offers 16.5 MB shared versus 11 MB shared on the 7820X. That 5.5 MB difference is the most prominent on-chip distinction. The generation labels differ: the 9800X is listed as Core i7 (X-Series 9th Gen), while the 7820X is Core i7 (X-Series 7th Gen). Despite the generation gap, the underlying microarchitecture is the same Skylake-X, so the performance delta likely comes from the cache increase, the base clock bump, and the additional PCIe lanes rather than a new core design. Neither chip includes integrated graphics. The memory controller is quad-channel DDR4 on both, with identical 85.3 GB/s bandwidth, so memory throughput is not a differentiator. The 9800X's higher TDP of 165 watts versus 140 watts suggests it is allowed to sustain higher clocks or feed the larger cache under load, which aligns with its Cinebench wins.

The Verdict

The data points to a split decision. The Intel Core i7-9800X is the better choice for Cinebench-style rendering workloads, winning all six Cinebench tests with margins of 5.7% to 5.8%. It also has a higher average benchmark score (4455 vs 4321), a larger L3 cache (16.5 MB vs 11 MB), a higher base clock (3.80 GHz vs 3.60 GHz), and more PCIe lanes (44 vs 28). If the workload is multi-threaded rendering, 3D modeling, or anything that scales like Cinebench, the 9800X is the clear pick from the recorded measurements.

The Intel Core i7-7820X, however, wins both Geekbench tests, with a 4.7% multi-core lead and a 1.7% single-core lead. For users whose applications resemble Geekbench's mixed workload, the 7820X is actually the faster processor despite its lower average score. Its lower TDP of 140 watts also means it draws less power under the same conditions, which could matter in thermally constrained systems. The 7820X's launch MSRP was $599, slightly higher than the 9800X's $589, but both are end-of-life parts, so the original pricing is mostly historical context.

The percentile rankings are identical at 58, and the nearest rival lists show both CPUs surrounded by mid-range Ryzen and Xeon parts with average scores within 1.3%. Neither chip is an outlier in the database; they are both solidly mid-pack performers. The final recommendation depends entirely on the target application. Rendering and content creation favor the 9800X. General-purpose computing as measured by Geekbench favors the 7820X. The 9800X's 6 wins out of 8 head-to-head tests and 3.1% higher average score give it the overall nod, but the 7820X's Geekbench dominance is a genuine counter-signal that should not be dismissed.