Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 7552

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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EPYC 7552

48 Cores96 Thrd200 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

57,414

+298.8%

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Ryzen 7 9700X

Ryzen 9 5900XT

Ryzen 9 7900X3D

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

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

✅Costs $3,640 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $4,025 MSRP).
✅Delivers 162.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 14.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $4,025 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 200W, a 105W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7552 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌No 3D V-Cache or similar L3 advantage, which matters in CPU-limited gaming (12 MB vs 192 MB).
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 57,414).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7552, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

EPYC 7552

2019

Why buy it

✅Massive L3 cache advantage with 192 MB vs 12 MB, which is a real win in CPU-limited gaming.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($4,025 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌110.5% higher power demand at 200W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

EPYC 7552

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,640 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $4,025 MSRP).
✅Delivers 162.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 14.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $4,025 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 200W, a 105W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7552 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Massive L3 cache advantage with 192 MB vs 12 MB, which is a real win in CPU-limited gaming.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌No 3D V-Cache or similar L3 advantage, which matters in CPU-limited gaming (12 MB vs 192 MB).
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 57,414).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7552, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 14.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($4,025 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌110.5% higher power demand at 200W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7552 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7552 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 7552 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.8% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 192 MB vs 12 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7552 is the better fit. You are getting 298.8% better PassMark, backed by 48 cores and 96 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1500% larger total L3 cache (192 MB vs 12 MB).

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

EPYC 7552 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. EPYC 7552 is 945.5% more expensive on MSRP at $4,025 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.8% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 162.2% better value on paper (37.4 vs 14.3 PassMark/$), 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?

EPYC 7552 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 192 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 48 cores / 96 threads instead of 8/8. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 7552 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
1080p
low	308 FPS	181 FPS
medium	278 FPS	158 FPS
high	231 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	152 FPS
medium	221 FPS	128 FPS
high	178 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	79 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 7552

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
1080p
low	360 FPS	236 FPS
medium	321 FPS	211 FPS
high	291 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	142 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	194 FPS
medium	282 FPS	177 FPS
high	258 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	120 FPS
medium	221 FPS	112 FPS
high	208 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7552

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
1080p
low	360 FPS	587 FPS
medium	360 FPS	492 FPS
high	360 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	365 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	492 FPS
medium	360 FPS	419 FPS
high	360 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	318 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	371 FPS
medium	360 FPS	298 FPS
high	360 FPS	265 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	215 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7552

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
1080p
low	360 FPS	890 FPS
medium	360 FPS	809 FPS
high	360 FPS	694 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	601 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	705 FPS
medium	360 FPS	615 FPS
high	360 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	499 FPS
medium	360 FPS	448 FPS
high	360 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	340 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7552

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 7552

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 7552

The EPYC 7552 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 August 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 48 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 192 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Eight-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 57,414 points. Launch price was $4,025.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC 7552 offers 48 cores / 96 threads — the EPYC 7552 has 40 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.3 GHz on the EPYC 7552 — a 39% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 7552 uses Zen 2 (2017−2020) (7 nm, 14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 7552's 57,414 — a 119.8% lead for the EPYC 7552. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 192 MB (total) on the EPYC 7552.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	48 / 96+500%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+48%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+64%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	192 MB (total)+1500%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 14 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
PassMark	14,397	57,414+299%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 7552 uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 3200 on the EPYC 7552 — the EPYC 7552 supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7552 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (EPYC 7552). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (EPYC 7552) — the EPYC 7552 offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and SP3 (EPYC 7552).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
Socket	LGA1151	SP3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	3200+79900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
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 7552 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC 7552 rivals Xeon Platinum 8362.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7552
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 7552 debuted at $4025. On MSRP ($385 vs $4025), the Core i7-9700K is $3640 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 14.3 pts/$ for the EPYC 7552 — making the Core i7-9700K the 89.6% better value option.