Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 7401

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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EPYC 7401

24 Cores48 Thrd155 WWMax: 3 GHz2017

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

55,280

+284.0%

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

Ryzen 7 7700X

Ryzen 7 8840HX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5955WX

Ryzen 9 9950X3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

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

✅Better for gaming: +9.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,115 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 155W, a 60W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7401 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 55,280).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7401

2017

Why buy it

✅+284% higher PassMark.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
289.6% HIGHER MSRP
$1,500 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌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 7401

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,115 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 155W, a 60W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7401 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+284% higher PassMark.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 55,280).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7401, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
289.6% HIGHER MSRP
$1,500 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌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 Core i7-9700K better than EPYC 7401?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7401 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 streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7401 is the better fit. You are getting 284% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 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?

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-9700K is $1,115 cheaper on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 9.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that EPYC 7401 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 284% better PassMark. It is also 1.5% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 36.9 PassMark/$), 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 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 7401 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	308 FPS	187 FPS
medium	278 FPS	165 FPS
high	231 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	153 FPS
medium	221 FPS	127 FPS
high	178 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	71 FPS
medium	140 FPS	63 FPS
high	108 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7401

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	360 FPS	207 FPS
medium	321 FPS	188 FPS
high	291 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	131 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	178 FPS
medium	282 FPS	163 FPS
high	258 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	112 FPS
medium	221 FPS	103 FPS
high	208 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	75 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7401

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	360 FPS	620 FPS
medium	360 FPS	518 FPS
high	360 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	399 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	517 FPS
medium	360 FPS	432 FPS
high	360 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	325 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	383 FPS
medium	360 FPS	308 FPS
high	360 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7401

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
1080p
low	360 FPS	834 FPS
medium	360 FPS	758 FPS
high	360 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	667 FPS
medium	360 FPS	584 FPS
high	360 FPS	500 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	475 FPS
medium	360 FPS	427 FPS
high	360 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	320 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7401

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 7401

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 7401

The EPYC 7401 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 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 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: 55,280 points. Launch price was $1,850.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC 7401 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the EPYC 7401 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3 GHz on the EPYC 7401 — a 48.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 7401 uses Naples (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 7401's 55,280 — a 117.4% lead for the EPYC 7401. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7401.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	24 / 48+200%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+63%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 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	55,280+284%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 7401 uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 2666 on the EPYC 7401 — the EPYC 7401 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7401 supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (EPYC 7401). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (EPYC 7401) — the EPYC 7401 offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and SP3 (EPYC 7401).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
Socket	LGA1151	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	2666+66550%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+6553500%	2048
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the EPYC 7401 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC 7401 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7401
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the EPYC 7401 debuted at $1500. On MSRP ($385 vs $1500), the Core i7-9700K is $1115 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 36.9 pts/$ for the EPYC 7401 — making the Core i7-9700K the 1.5% better value option.