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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $2 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $387 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 125W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 18,561).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 48.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $387 MSRP).

Core i7-10700K

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 28.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 48.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($387 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
0.5% HIGHER MSRP
$387 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌31.6% higher power demand at 125W vs 95W.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i7-10700K

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $2 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $387 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 125W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 28.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 48.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($387 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-10700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 18,561).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 48.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $387 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
0.5% HIGHER MSRP
$387 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌31.6% higher power demand at 125W vs 95W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-10700K better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i7-10700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 31.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 28.9% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-10700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 31.4% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-10700K is the better fit. You are getting 28.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-10700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-10700K is 0.5% more expensive on MSRP at $387 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 28.3% better value on MSRP (48.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core i7-10700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Core i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Core i7-10700K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
1080p
low	308 FPS	302 FPS
medium	278 FPS	265 FPS
high	231 FPS	223 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	247 FPS
medium	221 FPS	195 FPS
high	178 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	170 FPS
medium	140 FPS	136 FPS
high	108 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	92 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-10700K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
1080p
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	321 FPS	464 FPS
high	291 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	407 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	464 FPS
medium	282 FPS	464 FPS
high	258 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	405 FPS
medium	221 FPS	342 FPS
high	208 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-10700K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
1080p
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	360 FPS	464 FPS
high	360 FPS	464 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	360 FPS	464 FPS
high	360 FPS	464 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	360 FPS	464 FPS
high	360 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-10700K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
1080p
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	360 FPS	464 FPS
high	360 FPS	464 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	360 FPS	464 FPS
high	360 FPS	464 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	464 FPS
medium	360 FPS	464 FPS
high	360 FPS	464 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-10700K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i7-10700K

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.

Core i7-10700K

The Core i7-10700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,561 points. Launch price was $400.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i7-10700K's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.1 GHz on the Core i7-10700K — a 4% clock advantage for the Core i7-10700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-10700K uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i7-10700K's 18,561 — a 25.3% lead for the Core i7-10700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i7-10700K.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	14,397	18,561+29%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	14,144
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,290
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,404

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-10700K uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Intel 400 Series,Intel 500 Series (Core i7-10700K).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs Yes (Core i7-10700K). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-10700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i7-10700K targets Gaming/Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i7-10700K rivals Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-10700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Desktop	Gaming/Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i7-10700K debuted at $387. On MSRP ($385 vs $387), the Core i7-9700K is $2 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 48.0 pts/$ for the Core i7-10700K — making the Core i7-10700K the 24.8% better value option.