Intel Core i9-7960X vs Intel Core i7-5820K

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i9-7960X CPU1 vs CPU2 Intel Core i7-5820K
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i7-5820K

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Intel Core i9-7960X and the Intel Core i7-5820K and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Intel Core i9-7960X 16 core processor released in Q4/2017 with the Intel Core i7-5820K which has 6 CPU cores and was introduced in Q3/2014.
Intel Core i9 (78) Family Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition (24)
Intel Core i 7000X (9) CPU group Intel Core i 5000X (3)
7 Generation 5
Skylake X Architecture Haswell E
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
-- Predecessor Intel Core i7-4820K
Intel Core i9-9960X Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Core i9-7960X is a 16 core processor with a clock frequency of 2.80 GHz (4.20 GHz). The processor can compute 32 threads at the same time. The Intel Core i7-5820K clocks with 3.30 GHz (3.60 GHz), has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.

Intel Core i9-7960X Characteristic Intel Core i7-5820K
16 Cores 6
32 Threads 12
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking ? Yes
2.80 GHz Frequency 3.30 GHz
4.20 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 Core) 3.60 GHz
3.60 GHz Turbo Frequency (All Cores) 3.40 GHz

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

Intel Core i9-7960X Characteristic Intel Core i7-5820K
-- AI hardware --
-- AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

no iGPU GPU no iGPU
GPU frequency --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
-- GPU Generation --
Technology
Max. displays
-- Compute units --
-- Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory --
-- DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

no iGPU GPU no iGPU
No Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
No Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
No Codec h264 No
No Codec VP9 No
No Codec VP8 No
No Codec AV1 No
No Codec AVC No
No Codec VC-1 No
No Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

Up to 128 GB of memory in a maximum of 4 memory channels is supported by the Intel Core i9-7960X, while the Intel Core i7-5820K supports a maximum of 64 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 68.2 GB/s enabled.

Intel Core i9-7960X Characteristic Intel Core i7-5820K
DDR4-2666 Memory DDR4-2133
128 GB Max. Memory 64 GB
4 (Quad Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
85.4 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 68.2 GB/s
No ECC No
-- L2 Cache --
22.00 MB L3 Cache 15.00 MB
3.0 PCIe version 3.0
44 PCIe lanes 28
43.3 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth 27.6 GB/s

Thermal Management

The Intel Core i9-7960X has a TDP of 165 W. The TDP of the Intel Core i7-5820K is 140 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Intel Core i9-7960X Characteristic Intel Core i7-5820K
165 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 140 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. --

Technical details

The Intel Core i9-7960X has 22.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 14 nm. The cache of Intel Core i7-5820K is at 15.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 22 nm.

Intel Core i9-7960X Characteristic Intel Core i7-5820K
14 nm Technology 22 nm
Monolithic Chip design Monolithic
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 ISA extensions SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2
LGA 2066 Socket LGA 2011-3
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux
Q4/2017 Release date Q3/2014
1699 $ Release price 499 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Intel Core i9-7960X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 0 stars (0 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Intel Core i7-5820K to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 5.0 stars (2 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-7960X (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K (77%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 7 CPU benchmarks
Intel Core i9-7960X (91%)
Intel Core i7-5820K (46%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
1103 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
795 (72%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
22189 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
5700 (26%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
1121 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
923 (82%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
13468 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
5537 (41%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
1394 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
1086 (78%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
11810 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
5763 (49%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
27022 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
9854 (36%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
111.4 (34%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
331.7 (100%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 2.80 GHz
8088 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.30 GHz
2849 (35%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
184 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
139 (76%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
3161 (100%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
1085 (34%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
329 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
2301 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i9-7960X
16C 32T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5820K
6C 12T @ 3.40 GHz
88 (100%)

Devices using this processor

Intel Core i9-7960X Intel Core i7-5820K
Unknown Unknown

Popular comparisons containing this CPUs

1. Intel Core i7-5820KIntel Core i7-6700K Intel Core i7-5820K vs Intel Core i7-6700K
2. Intel Core i7-4790KIntel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-4790K vs Intel Core i7-5820K
3. Intel Xeon E5-2620 v3Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Xeon E5-2620 v3 vs Intel Core i7-5820K
4. Intel Core i7-5930KIntel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-5930K vs Intel Core i7-5820K
5. Intel Core i7-8700KIntel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-8700K vs Intel Core i7-5820K
6. Intel Core i7-5820KAMD FX-9590 Intel Core i7-5820K vs AMD FX-9590
7. Intel Core i7-3930KIntel Core i7-5820K Intel Core i7-3930K vs Intel Core i7-5820K
8. Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3Intel Core i7-5820K Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 vs Intel Core i7-5820K
9. Intel Core i7-5820KIntel Core i9-9900K Intel Core i7-5820K vs Intel Core i9-9900K
10. Intel Core i7-5820KAMD Ryzen 5 3600 Intel Core i7-5820K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600


back to index