Core i7-9700E vs Ryzen 5 5500U

Core i7-9700E vs Ryzen 5 5500U Performance Spectrum

Core i7-9700E

8 / 8

12,575

0.0%

12,736

+1.3%

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Core i7-9700E vs Ryzen 5 5500U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i7-9700E vs Ryzen 5 5500U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i7-9700E

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,800 vs 6,900).
❌Launch MSRP is still $259 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 5500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 5500U

2021

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700E across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5500U better than Core i7-9700E?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i7-9700E is ahead with a 12.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5500U pulls ahead with 1.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Core i7-9700E also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5500U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 5500U is still the faster CPU overall, but Core i7-9700E is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen 5 5500U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $259 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The compromise is that Core i7-9700E is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 12.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700E is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (48.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 5500U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i7-9700E vs Ryzen 5 5500U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i7-9700E

The Core i7-9700E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 12,575 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 5500U

The Ryzen 5 5500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,736 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700E packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5500U offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-9700E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i7-9700E versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500U — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700E (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-9700E uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5500U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700E scores 12,575 against the Ryzen 5 5500U's 12,736 — a 1.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5500U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 6,800 vs 6,900 (1.5% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5500U). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,172 vs 1,100, a 6.3% lead for the Core i7-9700E that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 6,802 vs 5,200 (26.7% advantage for the Core i7-9700E). L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700E vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5500U.

Feature	Core i7-9700E	Ryzen 5 5500U
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+10%	4 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+24%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	12,575	12,736+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	6,800	6,900+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,172+7%	1,100
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,802+31%	5,200

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700E uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5500U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700E versus DDR4 3200 MHz on the Ryzen 5 5500U — the Ryzen 5 5500U supports 20% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-9700E supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700E) vs 12 (Ryzen 5 5500U) — the Core i7-9700E offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: H310,B360,H370,Q370,Z370,Z390 (Core i7-9700E) and FP6 (Ryzen 5 5500U).

Feature	Core i7-9700E	Ryzen 5 5500U
Socket	LGA1151	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4 3200 MHz+20%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+33%	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: Yes (Core i7-9700E) vs true (Ryzen 5 5500U). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700E) and AMD Radeon Graphics (Vega 7) (Ryzen 5 5500U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500U targets Mobile.