Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 9224

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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EPYC 9224

24 Cores48 Thrd200 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2022

Popular choices:

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Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

48,573

+237.4%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

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 $1,440 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,825 MSRP).
✅Delivers 40.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 26.6 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,825 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 200W, a 105W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 9224 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 48,573).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9224, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while EPYC 9224 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

EPYC 9224

2022

Why buy it

✅+237.4% 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.
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 26.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,825 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 9224

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,440 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,825 MSRP).
✅Delivers 40.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 26.6 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,825 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 200W, a 105W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 9224 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+237.4% 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.
✅Newer platform on SP5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 48,573).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 9224, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while EPYC 9224 moves to SP5 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 26.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,825 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 9224 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 9224 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 9224 is the better fit. You are getting 237.4% 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?

EPYC 9224 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. EPYC 9224 is 374.0% more expensive on MSRP at $1,825 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 237.4% better PassMark. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 40.5% better value on paper (37.4 vs 26.6 PassMark/$), 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 9224 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018), a healthier platform with SP5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 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 9224 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
1080p
low	308 FPS	168 FPS
medium	278 FPS	139 FPS
high	231 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	146 FPS
medium	221 FPS	118 FPS
high	178 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	69 FPS
medium	140 FPS	59 FPS
high	108 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 9224

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
1080p
low	360 FPS	500 FPS
medium	321 FPS	439 FPS
high	291 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	422 FPS
medium	282 FPS	377 FPS
high	258 FPS	313 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	260 FPS
medium	221 FPS	237 FPS
high	208 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	175 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 9224

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
1080p
low	360 FPS	644 FPS
medium	360 FPS	527 FPS
high	360 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	426 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	501 FPS
medium	360 FPS	408 FPS
high	360 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	323 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	371 FPS
medium	360 FPS	289 FPS
high	360 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	207 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 9224

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
1080p
low	360 FPS	850 FPS
medium	360 FPS	781 FPS
high	360 FPS	675 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	594 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	680 FPS
medium	360 FPS	601 FPS
high	360 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	491 FPS
medium	360 FPS	441 FPS
high	360 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	333 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 9224

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 9224

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 9224

The EPYC 9224 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 10 November 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Genoa (2022−2023) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: SP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 48,573 points. Launch price was $1,825.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC 9224 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the EPYC 9224 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.7 GHz on the EPYC 9224 — a 27.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 9224 uses Genoa (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 9224's 48,573 — a 108.5% lead for the EPYC 9224. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 9224.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	24 / 48+200%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+32%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+44%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Genoa (2022−2023)
PassMark	14,397	48,573+237%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 9224 uses SP5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 4800 on the EPYC 9224 — the EPYC 9224 supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 9224 supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 12 (EPYC 9224). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (EPYC 9224) — the EPYC 9224 offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and SP5 (EPYC 9224).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
Socket	LGA1151	SP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	4800+119900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+2184433%	6144
RAM Channels	2	12+500%
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. Only the EPYC 9224 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (EPYC 9224). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the EPYC 9224 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC 9224 rivals Xeon Platinum 8468X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 9224
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the EPYC 9224 debuted at $1825. On MSRP ($385 vs $1825), the Core i7-9700K is $1440 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 26.6 pts/$ for the EPYC 9224 — making the Core i7-9700K the 33.7% better value option.