Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 4344P

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC 4344P

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 5.3 GHz2024

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

33,821

+134.9%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX

Ryzen 9 9950X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

About PassMark

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 4344P across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 33,821).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 4344P, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 28 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 102.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

EPYC 4344P

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.4% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 28 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Costs $56 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 174.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 102.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-9700K

2018

EPYC 4344P

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.4% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 28 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Costs $56 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 174.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 102.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 4344P across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 33,821).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 4344P, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 28 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 102.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 4344P better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 4344P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-9700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, EPYC 4344P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 20.4% more average FPS across 46 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 4344P is the better fit. You are getting 134.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

EPYC 4344P is the smarter buy today. EPYC 4344P is $56 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 20.4% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 174.9% better value on MSRP (102.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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?

EPYC 4344P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2018), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/8, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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

EPYC 4344P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
1080p
low	308 FPS	248 FPS
medium	278 FPS	231 FPS
high	231 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	218 FPS
medium	221 FPS	183 FPS
high	178 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	152 FPS
medium	140 FPS	127 FPS
high	108 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 4344P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
1080p
low	360 FPS	616 FPS
medium	321 FPS	516 FPS
high	291 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	525 FPS
medium	282 FPS	461 FPS
high	258 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	331 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	308 FPS
medium	221 FPS	276 FPS
high	208 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	228 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 4344P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
1080p
low	360 FPS	846 FPS
medium	360 FPS	846 FPS
high	360 FPS	846 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	846 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	846 FPS
medium	360 FPS	846 FPS
high	360 FPS	788 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	581 FPS
medium	360 FPS	499 FPS
high	360 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 4344P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
1080p
low	360 FPS	846 FPS
medium	360 FPS	846 FPS
high	360 FPS	846 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	846 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	846 FPS
medium	360 FPS	846 FPS
high	360 FPS	765 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	646 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	680 FPS
medium	360 FPS	599 FPS
high	360 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 4344P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 4344P

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.

EPYC 4344P

The EPYC 4344P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 May 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 33,821 points. Launch price was $329.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the EPYC 4344P's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.3 GHz on the EPYC 4344P — a 7.8% clock advantage for the EPYC 4344P (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 4344P uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 4344P's 33,821 — a 80.6% lead for the EPYC 4344P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 32 MB (total) on the EPYC 4344P.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.3 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	14,397	33,821+135%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	19,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,960
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,896

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 4344P uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-5200 on the EPYC 4344P — the EPYC 4344P supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 4344P 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 28 (EPYC 4344P) — the EPYC 4344P offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and B650,X670,X870 (EPYC 4344P).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
Socket	LGA1151	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	192 GB+50%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the EPYC 4344P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V, AMD-Vi (EPYC 4344P). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Radeon Graphics (EPYC 4344P) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, EPYC 4344P targets Entry Server. Direct competitor: EPYC 4344P rivals Xeon E-2468.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 4344P
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, AMD-Vi
Target Use	Desktop	Entry Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the EPYC 4344P debuted at $329. On MSRP ($385 vs $329), the EPYC 4344P is $56 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 102.8 pts/$ for the EPYC 4344P — making the EPYC 4344P the 93.3% better value option.