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 $24 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 125W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-14700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 52,228).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 33 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i7-14700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Core i7-14700K

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +50.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 241.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
6.2% HIGHER MSRP
$409 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌31.6% higher power demand at 125W vs 95W.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i7-14700K

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $24 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 125W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +50.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 241.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 127.7 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-14700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 52,228).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 33 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 127.7 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i7-14700K moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
6.2% HIGHER MSRP
$409 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌31.6% higher power demand at 125W vs 95W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-14700K better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i7-14700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 50.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 262.8% 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 i7-14700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 50.0% 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 i7-14700K is the better fit. You are getting 262.8% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 28 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-14700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-14700K is 6.2% more expensive on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 50.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 241.5% better value on MSRP (127.7 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 i7-14700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 175% larger total L3 cache (33 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 28 threads instead of 8/8. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i7-14700K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
1080p
low	308 FPS	349 FPS
medium	278 FPS	332 FPS
high	231 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	223 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	291 FPS
medium	221 FPS	246 FPS
high	178 FPS	185 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	195 FPS
medium	140 FPS	164 FPS
high	108 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	111 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-14700K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
1080p
low	360 FPS	687 FPS
medium	321 FPS	581 FPS
high	291 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	440 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	594 FPS
medium	282 FPS	525 FPS
high	258 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	347 FPS
medium	221 FPS	314 FPS
high	208 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	261 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-14700K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
1080p
low	360 FPS	647 FPS
medium	360 FPS	530 FPS
high	360 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	591 FPS
medium	360 FPS	492 FPS
high	360 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	437 FPS
medium	360 FPS	382 FPS
high	360 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	295 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-14700K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
1080p
low	360 FPS	951 FPS
medium	360 FPS	865 FPS
high	360 FPS	750 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	674 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	802 FPS
medium	360 FPS	716 FPS
high	360 FPS	620 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	547 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	565 FPS
medium	360 FPS	513 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	402 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i7-14700K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i7-14700K

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 i7-14700K

The Core i7-14700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 17 October 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 20 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 52,228 points. Launch price was $319.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-14700K offers 20 cores / 28 threads — the Core i7-14700K has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.6 GHz on the Core i7-14700K — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-14700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-14700K uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i7-14700K's 52,228 — a 113.6% lead for the Core i7-14700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 33 MB (total) on the Core i7-14700K.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	20 / 28+150%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.6 GHz+14%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+6%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	33 MB (total)+175%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	14,397	52,228+263%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	36,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	21,500

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-14700K uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-5600 on the Core i7-14700K — the Core i7-14700K supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-14700K supports up to 192 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 20 (Core i7-14700K) — the Core i7-14700K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Z790,H770,B760,Z690,H670,B660,H610 (Core i7-14700K).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-14700K). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i7-14700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i7-14700K targets High-End Gaming/Creation.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i7-14700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	High-End Gaming/Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i7-14700K debuted at $409. On MSRP ($385 vs $409), the Core i7-9700K is $24 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 127.7 pts/$ for the Core i7-14700K — making the Core i7-14700K the 109.4% better value option.