Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 7351

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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EPYC 7351

16 Cores32 Thrd155 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2017

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

23,226

+61.3%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

Ryzen 9 7945HX3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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

✅Draws 95W instead of 155W, a 60W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7351 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7351 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,226).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7351, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while EPYC 7351 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 7351

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌63.2% higher power demand at 155W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

EPYC 7351

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 95W instead of 155W, a 60W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7351 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 7351 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,226).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7351, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while EPYC 7351 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌63.2% higher power demand at 155W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7351 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7351 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 7351 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.8% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7351 is the better fit. You are getting 61.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

EPYC 7351 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. EPYC 7351 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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

EPYC 7351 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7351
1080p
low	308 FPS	183 FPS
medium	278 FPS	160 FPS
high	231 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	151 FPS
medium	221 FPS	126 FPS
high	178 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	70 FPS
medium	140 FPS	62 FPS
high	108 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7351

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7351
1080p
low	360 FPS	353 FPS
medium	321 FPS	321 FPS
high	291 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	219 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	305 FPS
medium	282 FPS	279 FPS
high	258 FPS	239 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	187 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	190 FPS
medium	221 FPS	176 FPS
high	208 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7351

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7351
1080p
low	360 FPS	581 FPS
medium	360 FPS	513 FPS
high	360 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	396 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	513 FPS
medium	360 FPS	428 FPS
high	360 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	323 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	381 FPS
medium	360 FPS	305 FPS
high	360 FPS	269 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	219 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7351

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7351
1080p
low	360 FPS	581 FPS
medium	360 FPS	581 FPS
high	360 FPS	581 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	569 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	581 FPS
medium	360 FPS	581 FPS
high	360 FPS	504 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	425 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	477 FPS
medium	360 FPS	430 FPS
high	360 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	323 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7351

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 7351

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 7351

The EPYC 7351 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Naples (2017−2018) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 170 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 23,226 points. Launch price was $1,100.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC 7351 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7351 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 2.9 GHz on the EPYC 7351 — a 51.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 7351 uses Naples (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 7351's 23,226 — a 46.9% lead for the EPYC 7351. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7351.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7351
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+69%	2.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Naples (2017−2018)
PassMark	14,397	23,226+61%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 7351 uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7351
Socket	LGA1151	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (EPYC 7351). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the EPYC 7351 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.