Core i7-9700K vs Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

6 Cores6 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2010

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

+190.0%

Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

6 / 6

4,965

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

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

✅Better for gaming: +167.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

2010

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,965 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +167.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,965 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 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 Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)?

Yes. Core i7-9700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 167.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 190% 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 167.8% 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 190% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 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 $385 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 167.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2010), 100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/6. 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

Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)
1080p
low	308 FPS	124 FPS
medium	278 FPS	124 FPS
high	231 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	124 FPS
medium	221 FPS	113 FPS
high	178 FPS	88 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	62 FPS
medium	140 FPS	56 FPS
high	108 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)
1080p
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	321 FPS	124 FPS
high	291 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	124 FPS
medium	282 FPS	124 FPS
high	258 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	124 FPS
medium	221 FPS	117 FPS
high	208 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	72 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)
1080p
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	360 FPS	124 FPS
high	360 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	360 FPS	124 FPS
high	360 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	124 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	360 FPS	124 FPS
high	360 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	124 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)
1080p
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	360 FPS	124 FPS
high	360 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	124 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	360 FPS	124 FPS
high	360 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	124 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	124 FPS
medium	360 FPS	124 FPS
high	360 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	124 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

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.

Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)

The Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Thuban (2010) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,965 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.3 GHz on the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) — a 39% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) uses Thuban (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)'s 4,965 — a 97.4% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 6
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+48%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+100%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm-69%	45 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Thuban (2010)
PassMark	14,397+190%	4,965

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)
Socket	LGA1151	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (Phenom II X6 1055T (95W)). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Phenom II X6 1055T (95W) requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.