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

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 18,400).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 61.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌458.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 226V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 226V

2024

Why buy it

✅+27.8% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $85 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 95W, a 78W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Core i7-9700K

2018

Core Ultra 5 226V

2024

Why buy it

✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+27.8% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $85 less on MSRP ($300 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 64.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($300 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 95W, a 78W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 18,400).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 61.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $300 MSRP).
❌458.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 226V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 226V better than Core i7-9700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9700K is ahead with a 0.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 226V pulls ahead with 27.8% better PassMark. Core i7-9700K also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 226V is the better fit. You are getting 27.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 226V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 226V is $85 cheaper on MSRP at $300 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 27.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 64.0% better value on MSRP (61.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 Ultra 5 226V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2018), a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 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 Ultra 5 226V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core Ultra 5 226V
1080p
low	308 FPS	180 FPS
medium	278 FPS	145 FPS
high	231 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	148 FPS
medium	221 FPS	117 FPS
high	178 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	83 FPS
medium	140 FPS	71 FPS
high	108 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core Ultra 5 226V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core Ultra 5 226V
1080p
low	360 FPS	212 FPS
medium	321 FPS	176 FPS
high	291 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	181 FPS
medium	282 FPS	154 FPS
high	258 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	137 FPS
medium	221 FPS	122 FPS
high	208 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	100 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core Ultra 5 226V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core Ultra 5 226V
1080p
low	360 FPS	460 FPS
medium	360 FPS	460 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	460 FPS
medium	360 FPS	460 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	424 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	460 FPS
medium	360 FPS	384 FPS
high	360 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core Ultra 5 226V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Core Ultra 5 226V
1080p
low	360 FPS	460 FPS
medium	360 FPS	460 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	460 FPS
medium	360 FPS	460 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	460 FPS
medium	360 FPS	460 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	408 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Core Ultra 5 226V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Core Ultra 5 226V

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 Ultra 5 226V

The Core Ultra 5 226V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,400 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-9700K and Core Ultra 5 226V share an identical 8-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 226V — a 8.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 5 226V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Core Ultra 5 226V's 18,400 — a 24.4% lead for the Core Ultra 5 226V. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 226V.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core Ultra 5 226V
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 8
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+9%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+71%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+900%
Process	14 nm	3 nm-79%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	14,397	18,400+28%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,041
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,962
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 5 226V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus LPDDR5X-8533 on the Core Ultra 5 226V — the Core Ultra 5 226V 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 16 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (Core Ultra 5 226V) — the Core i7-9700K offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and SoC (Core Ultra 5 226V).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Core Ultra 5 226V
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	LPDDR5X-8533+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+700%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+100%	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Core Ultra 5 226V 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 Arc 130V (Core Ultra 5 226V) — 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 Ultra 5 226V
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Arc 130V
Unlocked	Yes	No
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 Ultra 5 226V debuted at $300. On MSRP ($385 vs $300), the Core Ultra 5 226V is $85 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 61.3 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 5 226V — making the Core Ultra 5 226V the 48.5% better value option.