Core i7-4790K vs Core i9-7900X

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Aggregate performance score

Core i9-7900X
2017
10 cores / 20 threads, 140 Watt
13.69
+163%

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by a whopping 163% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking5041127
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation7.952.20
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesCore i9 (Desktop)Core i7 (Desktop)
Architecture codenameSkylake-X (2018)Devil's Canyon
Release date26 June 2017 (6 years ago)June 2014 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$999$339
Current price$540 (0.5x MSRP)$164 (0.5x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i9-7900X has 261% better value for money than i7-4790K.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores10 (Deca-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads208
Base clock speed3.3 GHz4 GHz
Boost clock speed4.5 GHz4.4 GHz
L1 cache64 KB (per core)64K (per core)
L2 cache1 MB (per core)256K (per core)
L3 cache14 MB (shared)8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography14 nm22 nm
Die sizeno data177 mm2
Maximum core temperature95 °C74 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °C72 °C
Number of transistorsno data1,400 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility+-
Unlocked multiplierYesYes

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration11
SocketSocket R4FCLGA1150
Power consumption (TDP)140 Watt88 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI++
AVX++
vPro++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
My WiFino data+
Turbo Boost Technology2.02.0
Hyper-Threading Technology++
TSX+-
Idle Statesno data+
Thermal Monitoringno data+
SIPPno data-
Turbo Boost Max 3.0+no data
FDIno data+
StatusDiscontinuedDiscontinued

Security technologies

Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXTno data+
EDB++
Secure Keyno data+
Identity Protectionno data+
OS Guardno data+
Anti-Theftno data+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K are enumerated here.

AMD-V++
VT-d++
VT-x++
EPTno data+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR3
Maximum memory size128 GB32 GB
Max memory channels42
Maximum memory bandwidth85 GB/s25.6 GB/s
ECC memory support--

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardN/AIntel HD Graphics 4600
Max video memoryno data2 GB
Quick Sync Videono data+
Clear Video HDno data+
Graphics max frequencyno data1.25 GHz
Execution Unitsno data20
InTru 3Dno data+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supportedno data3
eDPno data+
DisplayPortno data+
HDMIno data+
DVIno data+
VGAno data+

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4no data3840x2160@24Hz
Max resolution over eDPno data3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over DisplayPortno data3840x2160@60Hz
Max resolution over VGAno data1920x1200@60Hz

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectXno data11.2/12
OpenGLno data4.3

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K.

PCIe version3.03.0
PCI Express lanes4416

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i9-7900X 13.69
+163%
i7-4790K 5.21

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 163% based on our aggregate benchmark results.


Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

Benchmark coverage: 68%

i9-7900X 21169
+162%
i7-4790K 8066

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 162% in Passmark.

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i9-7900X 1431
+3%
i7-4790K 1389

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 3% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i9-7900X 8892
+102%
i7-4790K 4392

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 102% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.

Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core

Cinebench R10 is an ancient ray tracing benchmark for processors by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. Its single core version uses just one CPU thread to render a futuristic looking motorcycle.

Benchmark coverage: 20%

i9-7900X 7287
+11.8%
i7-4790K 6520

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 12% in Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core.

Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 10 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R10 using all the processor threads. Possible number of threads is limited by 16 in this version.

Benchmark coverage: 19%

i9-7900X 49738
+98.3%
i7-4790K 25082

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 98% in Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core.

3DMark06 CPU

3DMark06 is a discontinued DirectX 9 benchmark suite from Futuremark. Its CPU part contains two scenarios, one dedicated to artificial intelligence pathfinding, another to game physics using PhysX package.

Benchmark coverage: 19%

i9-7900X 12678
+33.7%
i7-4790K 9485

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 34% in 3DMark06 CPU.

wPrime 32

wPrime 32M is a math multi-thread processor test, which calculates square roots of first 32 million integer numbers. Its result is measured in seconds, so that the less is benchmark result, the faster the processor.

Benchmark coverage: 18%

i9-7900X 2.91
+104%
i7-4790K 5.94

Core i7-4790K outperforms Core i9-7900X by 104% in wPrime 32.

Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 11.5 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R11.5 which uses all the processor threads. A maximum of 64 threads is supported in this version.

Benchmark coverage: 17%

i9-7900X 24
+161%
i7-4790K 9

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 161% in Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core.

Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.

Benchmark coverage: 15%

i9-7900X 2148
+154%
i7-4790K 846

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 154% in Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core.

Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core

Cinebench R15 (standing for Release 15) is a benchmark made by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version (sometimes called Single-Thread) only uses a single processor thread to render a room full of reflective spheres and light sources.

Benchmark coverage: 15%

i9-7900X 193
+10.7%
i7-4790K 174

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 11% in Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core.

Cinebench 11.5 64-bit single-core

Cinebench R11.5 is an old benchmark by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version loads a single thread with ray tracing to render a glossy room full of crystal spheres and light sources.

Benchmark coverage: 14%

i9-7900X 2.2
+12.8%
i7-4790K 1.95

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 13% in Cinebench 11.5 64-bit single-core.

TrueCrypt AES

TrueCrypt is a discontinued piece of software that was widely used for on-the-fly-encryption of disk partitions, now superseded by VeraCrypt. It contains several embedded performance tests, one of them being TrueCrypt AES, which measures data encryption speed using AES algorithm. Result is encryption speed in gigabytes per second.

Benchmark coverage: 13%

i9-7900X 12.1
+142%
i7-4790K 5

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 142% in TrueCrypt AES.

WinRAR 4.0

WinRAR 4.0 is an outdated version of a popular file archiver. It contains an internal speed test, using 'Best' setting of RAR compression on large chunks of randomly generated data. Its results are measured in kilobytes per second.

Benchmark coverage: 13%

i9-7900X 5918
+6.9%
i7-4790K 5534

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 7% in WinRAR 4.0.

x264 encoding pass 2

x264 Pass 2 is a slower variant of x264 video compression that produces a variable bit rate output file, which results in better quality since the higher bit rate is used when it is needed more. Benchmark result is still measured in frames per second.  

Benchmark coverage: 13%

i9-7900X 121
+135%
i7-4790K 52

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 135% in x264 encoding pass 2.

x264 encoding pass 1

x264 version 4.0 is a video encoding benchmark uses MPEG 4 x264 compression method to compress a sample HD (720p) video. Pass 1 is a faster variant that produces a constant bit rate output file. Its result is measured in frames per second, which means how many frames of the source video file were encoded per second.  

Benchmark coverage: 13%

i9-7900X 217
+14.7%
i7-4790K 189

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 15% in x264 encoding pass 1.

Geekbench 2

Benchmark coverage: 5%

i9-7900X 26145
+89.7%
i7-4790K 13779

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 90% in Geekbench 2.

Geekbench 4.0 64-bit multi-core

Benchmark coverage: 2%

i9-7900X 27533
+65.7%
i7-4790K 16612

Core i9-7900X outperforms Core i7-4790K by 66% in Geekbench 4.0 64-bit multi-core.

Geekbench 4.0 64-bit single-core

Benchmark coverage: 2%

i9-7900X 4987
i7-4790K 5104
+2.3%

Core i7-4790K outperforms Core i9-7900X by 2% in Geekbench 4.0 64-bit single-core.

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 13.69 5.21
Recency 26 June 2017 on June 2014
Physical cores 10 4
Threads 20 8
Cost $999 $339
Chip lithography 14 nm 22 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 140 Watt 88 Watt

The Core i9-7900X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i7-4790K in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-7900X and Core i7-4790K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i9-7900X
Core i9-7900X
Intel Core i7-4790K
Core i7-4790K

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