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 $172 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $557 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-14901E across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 30,298).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 54.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $557 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Core i9-14901E

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +55.8% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 45.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 54.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($557 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
44.7% HIGHER MSRP
$557 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i9-14901E

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $172 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $557 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +55.8% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 45.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 54.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($557 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-14901E across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 30,298).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 54.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $557 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
44.7% HIGHER MSRP
$557 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-14901E better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i9-14901E is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 55.8% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 110.4% 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 i9-14901E is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 55.8% 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 i9-14901E is the better fit. You are getting 110.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-14901E is the smarter buy today. Core i9-14901E is 44.7% more expensive on MSRP at $557 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 55.8% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 45.5% better value on MSRP (54.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 i9-14901E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 200% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 i9-14901E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	308 FPS	273 FPS
medium	278 FPS	254 FPS
high	231 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	256 FPS
medium	221 FPS	214 FPS
high	178 FPS	166 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	148 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	175 FPS
medium	140 FPS	147 FPS
high	108 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	97 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-14901E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	360 FPS	757 FPS
medium	321 FPS	677 FPS
high	291 FPS	549 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	479 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	659 FPS
medium	282 FPS	594 FPS
high	258 FPS	491 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	395 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	369 FPS
medium	221 FPS	337 FPS
high	208 FPS	317 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-14901E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	360 FPS	757 FPS
medium	360 FPS	653 FPS
high	360 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	481 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	720 FPS
medium	360 FPS	587 FPS
high	360 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	435 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	508 FPS
medium	360 FPS	437 FPS
high	360 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	331 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-14901E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-14901E
1080p
low	360 FPS	757 FPS
medium	360 FPS	757 FPS
high	360 FPS	757 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	729 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	757 FPS
medium	360 FPS	750 FPS
high	360 FPS	656 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	576 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	629 FPS
medium	360 FPS	563 FPS
high	360 FPS	499 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	436 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-14901E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i9-14901E

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 i9-14901E

The Core i9-14901E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Julho 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,298 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i9-14901E's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.6 GHz on the Core i9-14901E — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-14901E (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-14901E uses Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i9-14901E's 30,298 — a 71.2% lead for the Core i9-14901E. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 36 MB (total) on the Core i9-14901E.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-14901E
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.6 GHz+14%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	36 MB (total)+200%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)
PassMark	14,397	30,298+110%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,894
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	14,262

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-14901E 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 i9-14901E — the Core i9-14901E supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i9-14901E 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 i9-14901E) — the Core i9-14901E offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Intel 600 Series,Intel 700 Series (Core i9-14901E).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-14901E
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

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs Yes (Core i9-14901E). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Core i9-14901E) — 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 i9-14901E
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Intel UHD Graphics 770
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i9-14901E debuted at $557. On MSRP ($385 vs $557), the Core i7-9700K is $172 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 54.4 pts/$ for the Core i9-14901E — making the Core i9-14901E the 37% better value option.