Core i7-9700K vs EPYC Embedded 8224P

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

EPYC Embedded 8224P

24 Cores48 Thrd160 WWMax: 3 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

48,869

+239.4%

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 $470 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $855 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 160W, a 65W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC Embedded 8224P needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC Embedded 8224P across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 48,869).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC Embedded 8224P, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 57.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $855 MSRP).

EPYC Embedded 8224P

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.9% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 52.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 57.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($855 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
122.1% HIGHER MSRP
$855 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌68.4% higher power demand at 160W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

EPYC Embedded 8224P

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $470 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $855 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 160W, a 65W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC Embedded 8224P needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +34.9% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 52.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 57.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($855 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on SP6 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC Embedded 8224P across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 48,869).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC Embedded 8224P, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 57.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $855 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
122.1% HIGHER MSRP
$855 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌68.4% higher power demand at 160W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC Embedded 8224P better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC Embedded 8224P 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 Embedded 8224P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 34.9% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC Embedded 8224P is the better fit. You are getting 239.4% 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 Embedded 8224P is the smarter buy today. EPYC Embedded 8224P is 122.1% more expensive on MSRP at $855 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 34.9% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 52.8% better value on MSRP (57.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 Embedded 8224P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with SP6 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 Embedded 8224P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
1080p
low	308 FPS	157 FPS
medium	278 FPS	129 FPS
high	231 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	140 FPS
medium	221 FPS	112 FPS
high	178 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	67 FPS
medium	140 FPS	57 FPS
high	108 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC Embedded 8224P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
1080p
low	360 FPS	392 FPS
medium	321 FPS	348 FPS
high	291 FPS	284 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	227 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	330 FPS
medium	282 FPS	299 FPS
high	258 FPS	252 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	193 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	204 FPS
medium	221 FPS	187 FPS
high	208 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	128 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC Embedded 8224P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
1080p
low	360 FPS	858 FPS
medium	360 FPS	771 FPS
high	360 FPS	745 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	668 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	662 FPS
medium	360 FPS	576 FPS
high	360 FPS	548 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	487 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	434 FPS
medium	360 FPS	343 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	250 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC Embedded 8224P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
1080p
low	360 FPS	1018 FPS
medium	360 FPS	908 FPS
high	360 FPS	770 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	824 FPS
medium	360 FPS	708 FPS
high	360 FPS	597 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	597 FPS
medium	360 FPS	521 FPS
high	360 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	372 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC Embedded 8224P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC Embedded 8224P

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 Embedded 8224P

The EPYC Embedded 8224P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Siena (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.55 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: SP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 160 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 48,869 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC Embedded 8224P offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the EPYC Embedded 8224P has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3 GHz on the EPYC Embedded 8224P — a 48.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.55 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC Embedded 8224P uses Siena (2023−2024) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC Embedded 8224P's 48,869 — a 109% lead for the EPYC Embedded 8224P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC Embedded 8224P.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	24 / 48+200%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+63%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+41%	2.55 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-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Siena (2023−2024)
PassMark	14,397	48,869+239%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC Embedded 8224P uses SP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 4800 on the EPYC Embedded 8224P — the EPYC Embedded 8224P supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC Embedded 8224P supports up to 1152 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 160% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 6 (EPYC Embedded 8224P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 96 (EPYC Embedded 8224P) — the EPYC Embedded 8224P offers 80 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and SP6 (EPYC Embedded 8224P).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
Socket	LGA1151	SP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	4800+119900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+11650744%	1152
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	96+500%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the EPYC Embedded 8224P 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 Embedded 8224P). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the EPYC Embedded 8224P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC Embedded 8224P rivals Xeon Platinum 8452Y.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC Embedded 8224P
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 Embedded 8224P debuted at $855. On MSRP ($385 vs $855), the Core i7-9700K is $470 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 57.2 pts/$ for the EPYC Embedded 8224P — making the EPYC Embedded 8224P the 41.8% better value option.