Intel’s Core i9-9900K or more recently the 9900KS is often advertised as the best gaming CPU. However, the latter costs a hefty sum. On the other hand, you’ve got the cheaper Core i7-8700K and the 9700K with the same base specifications but a much lower price. So, how much do they vary with respect to the performance? Let’s find out.
A wide variety of games were tested ranging from third-person action to FPS. CPU intensive games such as Cities: Skylines were also included in the test. The results might surprise you. Starting off with a fairly new title – Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Both the processors give a similar FPS with Core i9 leading with a marginal 2 average FPS over the Core i7.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
105
103
1% Low
76
72
0.1% Low
67
65
Cities: Skylines
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
48
47
1% Low
29
27
0.1% Low
17
16
Moving on to a more CPU intensive title – Cities: Skylines, Again both the CPUs perform almost identical at 1080p ultra settings.
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
121
112
1% Low
84
82
0.1% Low
71
67
Far Cry 5
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
153
150
1% Low
124
117
0.1% Low
117
106
Sid Meier’s Civilization VI is the first game with the Core i9 showing a notable difference in performance, leading the i7-8700K by 9 FPS (~10%). Looking at the lows however, the deltas are marginal at best and FPS in excess of 100+ frames per sec doesn’t really add much value to the chip.
The Witcher 3
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
212
209
1% Low
127
132
0.1% Low
109
104
Total War: War Hammer II
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
95
94
1% Low
50
47
0.1% Low
43
38
In Far Cry 5, The Witcher 3 and War Hammer, the difference between the two CPUs is negligibly low, ranging from 2-3 FPS while in GTA V the average frame rates are slightly higher for the Core i9. Still, nothing significant and the lows are more or less identical.
GTA V
Intel Core i9-9900K
Intel Core i7-8700K
AVG FPS
127
123
1% Low
87
85
0.1% Low
79
68
So let’s cut to the chase. Do you really need a $480 Intel Core i9-9900K for gaming? Strictly speaking, if your usage is for purely gaming purposes, then the Core i7-8700K or the more recently launched AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is more than enough to do the job. But if you extend your workflow with content creation, an i9 would really cut down the render times as the higher core counts and the extra cache come into the picture. But then again, with the release of the Ryzen 3000 processors, the 3700X and the 3900X are much better choices.
1 COMMENT
Using a z370 board which will power limit a 9900k(low FPS )is a good way to fry the VRMs the actual TDP of the 9900k is way more than Intel advertises…
Using a z370 board which will power limit a 9900k(low FPS )is a good way to fry the VRMs the actual TDP of the 9900k is way more than Intel advertises…