A new P-N junction device model is presented. It consists of two numerical unidimensional macroscopic models. The first is a drift-diffusion model. The second is an energy model accounting for the carrier energy relaxation effects. Because device optimization requires systematic investigations, the computing time is of paramount importance and, so an accurate comparison between these two models was undertaken under both static steady-state and dynamic 94 GHz conditions in order to point out the relative interest of the energy model. This study is mainly devoted to silicon millimetre-wave IMPAlTs. This comparison has highlighted the superiority of the energy model for the description of low field transport phenomena. But as IMPATT RF properties are mainly governed by high field transport, the RF power levels predicted by the two models have been found to be similar. Moreover it has shown that the energy model tends to underestimate both the efficiency and the diode terminal negative resistance level. This parasitic effect is inherent to the description of the carrier generation process by impact ionization which in this model is assumed to be governed by the carrier energy.