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: +241.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+500% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 2 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Pentium Gold 4415U needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 4415U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Pentium Gold 4415U

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,229 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Pentium Gold 4415U

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +241.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+500% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 2 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Pentium Gold 4415U needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Pentium Gold 4415U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,229 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 12 MB).
❌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 Pentium Gold 4415U?

Yes. Core i7-9700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 241.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 345.9% 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, Core i7-9700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 241.0% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-9700K is the better fit. You are getting 345.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 500% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 2 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 at an unclear MSRP at $385 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 241.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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), 500% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 2 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 2/4. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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

Pentium Gold 4415U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Pentium Gold 4415U
1080p
low	308 FPS	81 FPS
medium	278 FPS	81 FPS
high	231 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	80 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	81 FPS
medium	221 FPS	81 FPS
high	178 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	64 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	67 FPS
medium	140 FPS	55 FPS
high	108 FPS	42 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	33 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Pentium Gold 4415U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Pentium Gold 4415U
1080p
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	321 FPS	81 FPS
high	291 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	65 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	81 FPS
medium	282 FPS	80 FPS
high	258 FPS	73 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	56 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	67 FPS
medium	221 FPS	58 FPS
high	208 FPS	40 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	28 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Pentium Gold 4415U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Pentium Gold 4415U
1080p
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	360 FPS	81 FPS
high	360 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	360 FPS	81 FPS
high	360 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	360 FPS	81 FPS
high	360 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Pentium Gold 4415U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Pentium Gold 4415U
1080p
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	360 FPS	81 FPS
high	360 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	81 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	360 FPS	81 FPS
high	360 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	81 FPS
medium	360 FPS	81 FPS
high	360 FPS	81 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	81 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Pentium Gold 4415U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Pentium Gold 4415U

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.

Pentium Gold 4415U

The Pentium Gold 4415U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,229 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Pentium Gold 4415U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 2.2 GHz on the Pentium Gold 4415U — a 76.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Pentium Gold 4415U uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Pentium Gold 4415U's 3,229 — a 126.7% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 2 MB on the Pentium Gold 4415U.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Pentium Gold 4415U
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+300%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+123%	2.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+57%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+500%	2 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	14,397+346%	3,229

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Pentium Gold 4415U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Pentium Gold 4415U
Socket	LGA1151	BGA1356
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (Pentium Gold 4415U). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Pentium Gold 4415U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.