Core i3-1115GRE
VS
Core i7-9700K

Core i3-1115GRE vs Core i7-9700K

Intel

Core i3-1115GRE

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2020
VS
Intel

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. The Core i3-1115GRE is positioned at rank #1009 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-1115GRE

#996
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
2162%
#997
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
2130%
#998
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1956%
#999
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1947%
#1000
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1929%
#1002
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1863%
#1003
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1786%
#1004
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1783%
#1005
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1735%
#1008
Pentium A1020
MSRP: $86|Avg: $86
100%
#1009
Core i3-1115GRE
MSRP: $338|Avg: $480
100%
#1010
Core i7-4702MQ
MSRP: $383|Avg: $50
100%
#1011
Pentium N4200
MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89
99%
#1012
Pentium J2900
MSRP: $94|Avg: $20
98%
#1013
Celeron T1700
MSRP: $80|Avg: $5
97%
#1014
Celeron T3500
MSRP: $80|Avg: $10
97%
#1015
A12-9720P
MSRP: $200|Avg: $25
97%
#1016
Core i5-4300M
MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A
96%
#1017
Celeron 1005M
MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A
96%
#1018
Athlon 64 X2 TK-42
MSRP: $60|Avg: $10
95%
#1019
Athlon Neo MV-40
MSRP: $100|Avg: $5
94%
#1020
Core i7-4860EQ
MSRP: $434|Avg: $80
94%
#1021
Pentium SU2700
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
93%
#1022
A4-1250
MSRP: $100|Avg: $30
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-9700K

#259
Core i3-9100TE
MSRP: $122|Avg: $60
106%
#260
Core i5-12500T
MSRP: $302|Avg: $214
106%
#261
Core i9-13900
MSRP: $549|Avg: $599
105%
#262
Core i7-11700
MSRP: $323|Avg: $274
105%
#262
Core i7-8700K
MSRP: $359|Avg: $160
53%
#263
Core i9-13900T
MSRP: $549|Avg: $570
104%
#264
Processor 300T
MSRP: $82|Avg: $82
103%
#265
Athlon 3000G
MSRP: $49|Avg: $60
103%
#266
Athlon 220GE
MSRP: $65|Avg: $60
103%
#267
Ryzen 9 3900X
MSRP: $499|Avg: $441
102%
#268
Core i5-10500
MSRP: $200|Avg: $178
102%
#269
Celeron G6900T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $50
102%
#270
Core i9-10850K
MSRP: $453|Avg: $300
102%
#271
Core i9-13900E
MSRP: $554|Avg: $554
101%
#272
Core i9-9820X
MSRP: $889|Avg: $280
101%
#273
Core i9-9900X
MSRP: $989|Avg: $300
100%
#274
Ryzen 7 1800X
MSRP: $499|Avg: $120
45%
#274
Core i7-9700K
MSRP: $385|Avg: $200
100%
#275
Core i3-10320
MSRP: $154|Avg: $140
99%
#276
Core i5-9600KF
MSRP: $262|Avg: $150
99%
#277
Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE
MSRP: $180|Avg: $180
98%
#278
Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $116
43%
#278
Core i7-14701TE
MSRP: $392|Avg: $390
98%
#279
Ryzen Threadripper 1920X
MSRP: $799|Avg: $265
40%
#279
Core i9-11900KF
MSRP: $513|Avg: $349
98%
#280
Athlon Silver 3050GE
MSRP: $75|Avg: $65
97%
#280
Core i7-7820X
MSRP: $599|Avg: $198
40%
#281
Core i7-9700E
MSRP: $259|Avg: $180
97%
#282
Core i7-11700K
MSRP: $399|Avg: $350
97%
#283
Ryzen Threadripper 1920
MSRP: $799|Avg: $200
38%
#283
Ryzen 7 PRO 3700
MSRP: $329|Avg: $330
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-9700K delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-1115GRE in both compute-intensive tasks (103.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i3-1115GRECore i7-9700K
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($480)
More affordable ($200)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) / 10 nm)
✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: The Core i7-9700K leads not only in performance but also in value. It is effectively 58% cheaper ($200 vs $480) while identifying as the stronger performer.
InsightCore i3-1115GRECore i7-9700K
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+653%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($480)
More affordable ($200)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-1115GRE and Core i7-9700K

Intel

Core i3-1115GRE

The Core i3-1115GRE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 September 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1449. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, LPDDR4X. Passmark benchmark score: 4,588 points. Launch price was $338.

Intel

Core i7-9700K

The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.

Processing Power

The Core i3-1115GRE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-9700K offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i3-1115GRE versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K — a 22.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i3-1115GRE uses the Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Core i7-9700K uses Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-1115GRE scores 4,588 against the Core i7-9700K's 14,397 — a 103.3% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-1115GRE vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K.

FeatureCore i3-1115GRECore i7-9700K
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
8 / 8+300%
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz
4.9 GHz+26%
Base Clock
2.2 GHz
3.6 GHz+64%
L3 Cache
6 MB (total)
12 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache
1.25 MB (per core)+400%
256K (per core)
Process
10 nm-29%
14 nm
Architecture
Tiger Lake-U (2020−2021)
Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)
PassMark
4,588
14,397+214%
Geekbench 6 Single
1,175
Geekbench 6 Multi
2,233
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-1115GRE uses the FCBGA1449 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-9700K uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Core i7-9700K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 4 (Core i3-1115GRE) vs 16 (Core i7-9700K) — the Core i7-9700K offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core i3-1115GRE) and Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K).

FeatureCore i3-1115GRECore i7-9700K
Socket
FCBGA1449
LGA1151
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB
128 GB+100%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
4
16+300%
🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i3-1115GRE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Core i3-1115GRE) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K). Both include integrated graphics Intel UHD Graphics (Core i3-1115GRE) and UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

FeatureCore i3-1115GRECore i7-9700K
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel UHD Graphics
UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
Yes
No
Virtualization
Yes
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Desktop
💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-1115GRE launched at $338 MSRP, while the Core i7-9700K debuted at $385. At current prices ($480 vs $200), the Core i7-9700K is $280 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-1115GRE delivers 9.6 pts/$ vs 72.0 pts/$ for the Core i7-9700K — making the Core i7-9700K the 153.1% better value option.

FeatureCore i3-1115GRECore i7-9700K
MSRP
$338-12%
$385
Avg Price (30d)
$480
$200-58%
Performance per Dollar
9.6
72.0+650%
Release Date
2020
2018