Core i7-9700K vs M2 Pro

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

M2 Pro

12 Cores12 Thrd36 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

21,939

+52.4%

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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M2 Pro across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 21,939).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while M2 Pro mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌163.9% higher power demand at 95W vs 36W.

M2 Pro

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.3% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 95W, a 59W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-9700K

2018

M2 Pro

2023

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.3% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 36W instead of 95W, a 59W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M2 Pro across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 21,939).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 24 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while M2 Pro mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌163.9% higher power demand at 95W vs 36W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 Pro better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. M2 Pro is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 15.3% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 52.4% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, M2 Pro is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 15.3% 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, M2 Pro is the better fit. You are getting 52.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB).

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

M2 Pro is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. M2 Pro is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 15.3% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

M2 Pro is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 100% larger total L3 cache (24 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. 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

M2 Pro Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
1080p
low	308 FPS	176 FPS
medium	278 FPS	142 FPS
high	231 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	141 FPS
medium	221 FPS	111 FPS
high	178 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	66 FPS
medium	140 FPS	56 FPS
high	108 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open M2 Pro

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
1080p
low	360 FPS	380 FPS
medium	321 FPS	327 FPS
high	291 FPS	269 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	324 FPS
medium	282 FPS	289 FPS
high	258 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	192 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	208 FPS
medium	221 FPS	188 FPS
high	208 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	128 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open M2 Pro

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
1080p
low	360 FPS	548 FPS
medium	360 FPS	548 FPS
high	360 FPS	548 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	545 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	548 FPS
medium	360 FPS	478 FPS
high	360 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	382 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	420 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open M2 Pro

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
1080p
low	360 FPS	548 FPS
medium	360 FPS	548 FPS
high	360 FPS	548 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	548 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	548 FPS
medium	360 FPS	548 FPS
high	360 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	476 FPS
medium	360 FPS	426 FPS
high	360 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	332 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open M2 Pro

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and M2 Pro

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.

M2 Pro

The M2 Pro is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 17 January 2023 (2 years ago). It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.42 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB. L2 cache: 36 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 36 MB + 24 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,939 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the M2 Pro offers 12 cores / 12 threads — the M2 Pro has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.5 GHz on the M2 Pro — a 33.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.42 GHz). The Core i7-9700K is built on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the M2 Pro's 21,939 — a 41.5% lead for the M2 Pro. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 24 MB on the M2 Pro.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	12 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+40%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+49%	2.42 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	24 MB+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	36 MB+14300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	—
PassMark	14,397	21,939+52%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,650
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	14,450

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the M2 Pro uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus LPDDR5-6400 on the M2 Pro — the M2 Pro supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-9700K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 0 (M2 Pro) — the Core i7-9700K offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Apple Silicon (M2 Pro).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
Socket	LGA1151	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	LPDDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+300%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs ARM Virtualization (M2 Pro). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Apple M2 Pro GPU (M2 Pro) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, M2 Pro targets Professional Laptop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	M2 Pro
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Apple M2 Pro GPU
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	ARM Virtualization
Target Use	Desktop	Professional Laptop