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 $312 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $697 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900HK across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 27,217).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i9-13900HK moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Core i9-13900HK

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +38.9% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
81% HIGHER MSRP
$697 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i9-13900HK

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $312 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $697 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +38.9% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1744 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅75% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-13900HK across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 27,217).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core i9-13900HK moves to FCBGA1744 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌
81% HIGHER MSRP
$697 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-13900HK better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i9-13900HK is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 38.9% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 89% 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 i9-13900HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 38.9% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-13900HK is the better fit. You are getting 89% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-13900HK is the smarter buy today. Core i9-13900HK is 81.0% more expensive on MSRP at $697 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 38.9% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 4.4% better value on MSRP (39.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 i9-13900HK is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with FCBGA1744 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 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 i9-13900HK Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
1080p
low	308 FPS	262 FPS
medium	278 FPS	253 FPS
high	231 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	223 FPS
medium	221 FPS	192 FPS
high	178 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	154 FPS
medium	140 FPS	132 FPS
high	108 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-13900HK

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
1080p
low	360 FPS	636 FPS
medium	321 FPS	543 FPS
high	291 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	554 FPS
medium	282 FPS	492 FPS
high	258 FPS	416 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	357 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	325 FPS
medium	221 FPS	296 FPS
high	208 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	246 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-13900HK

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
1080p
low	360 FPS	648 FPS
medium	360 FPS	530 FPS
high	360 FPS	467 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	591 FPS
medium	360 FPS	491 FPS
high	360 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	370 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	434 FPS
medium	360 FPS	374 FPS
high	360 FPS	339 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	290 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-13900HK

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
1080p
low	360 FPS	680 FPS
medium	360 FPS	680 FPS
high	360 FPS	680 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	672 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	680 FPS
medium	360 FPS	680 FPS
high	360 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	552 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	555 FPS
medium	360 FPS	504 FPS
high	360 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	394 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-13900HK

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i9-13900HK

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 i9-13900HK

The Core i9-13900HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200, DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 27,217 points. Launch price was $697.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i9-13900HK offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i9-13900HK has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.4 GHz on the Core i9-13900HK — a 9.7% clock advantage for the Core i9-13900HK (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-13900HK uses Raptor Lake-H (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i9-13900HK's 27,217 — a 61.6% lead for the Core i9-13900HK. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-13900HK.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	14 / 20+75%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.4 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+38%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24 MB (total)+100%
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-H (2023−2024)
PassMark	14,397	27,217+89%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,629

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-13900HK uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-5200 on the Core i9-13900HK — the Core i9-13900HK supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-9700K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 96 GB — 28.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 28 (Core i9-13900HK) — the Core i9-13900HK offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Mobile (Core i9-13900HK).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+33%	96 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-13900HK supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Iris Xe Graphics 96EU (Core i9-13900HK) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-13900HK
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Iris Xe Graphics 96EU
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i9-13900HK debuted at $697. On MSRP ($385 vs $697), the Core i7-9700K is $312 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 39.0 pts/$ for the Core i9-13900HK — making the Core i9-13900HK the 4.3% better value option.