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 $1,614 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 165W, a 70W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i9-7980XE needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-7980XE across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 29,634).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).

Core i9-7980XE

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.6% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+106.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅175% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌73.7% higher power demand at 165W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core i9-7980XE

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,614 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 152.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 14.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 165W, a 70W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core i9-7980XE needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.6% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+106.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅175% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-7980XE across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 29,634).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,999 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌73.7% higher power demand at 165W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-7980XE better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Core i9-7980XE is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.6% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data and 105.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-7980XE is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.6% 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 i9-7980XE is the better fit. You are getting 105.8% better PassMark, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 106.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-7980XE is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i9-7980XE is 419.2% more expensive on MSRP at $1,999 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.6% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 152.3% better value on paper (37.4 vs 14.8 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Core i7-9700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 i9-7980XE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	308 FPS	167 FPS
medium	278 FPS	147 FPS
high	231 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	140 FPS
medium	221 FPS	120 FPS
high	178 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	78 FPS
medium	140 FPS	71 FPS
high	108 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-7980XE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	360 FPS	470 FPS
medium	321 FPS	405 FPS
high	291 FPS	355 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	321 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	411 FPS
medium	282 FPS	361 FPS
high	258 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	265 FPS
medium	221 FPS	232 FPS
high	208 FPS	220 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	190 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-7980XE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	360 FPS	636 FPS
medium	360 FPS	530 FPS
high	360 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	567 FPS
medium	360 FPS	479 FPS
high	360 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	377 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	431 FPS
medium	360 FPS	354 FPS
high	360 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-7980XE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
1080p
low	360 FPS	741 FPS
medium	360 FPS	741 FPS
high	360 FPS	697 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	741 FPS
medium	360 FPS	680 FPS
high	360 FPS	578 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	501 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	532 FPS
medium	360 FPS	479 FPS
high	360 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	365 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core i9-7980XE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core i9-7980XE

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 i9-7980XE

The Core i9-7980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 29,634 points. Launch price was $1,999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i9-7980XE offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Core i9-7980XE has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-7980XE — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (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 i9-7980XE uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core i9-7980XE's 29,634 — a 69.2% lead for the Core i9-7980XE. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-7980XE.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	18 / 36+125%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+38%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24.75 MB (total)+106%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	14,397	29,634+106%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-7980XE uses LGA2066 (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. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 4 (Core i9-7980XE). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 44 (Core i9-7980XE) — the Core i9-7980XE offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
Socket	LGA1151	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	44+175%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-7980XE supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core i9-7980XE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Core i9-7980XE targets Workstation.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core i9-7980XE
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Core i9-7980XE debuted at $1999. On MSRP ($385 vs $1999), the Core i7-9700K is $1614 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 14.8 pts/$ for the Core i9-7980XE — making the Core i7-9700K the 86.4% better value option.