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: +22.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 3 5300G needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 100.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 3 5300G

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $255 less on MSRP ($130 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 168.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 100.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($130 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,050 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 3 5300G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 3 5300G needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Costs $255 less on MSRP ($130 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 168.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 100.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($130 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 100.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $130 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,050 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 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 Ryzen 3 5300G?

Yes. Core i7-9700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 10.3% better PassMark, 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 22.3% more average FPS across 4 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 10.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i7-9700K is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 3 5300G makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i7-9700K is 196.2% more expensive on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $130 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 5300G is also 168.4% better value on MSRP (100.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 3 5300G can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 3 5300G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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

Ryzen 3 5300G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
1080p
low	308 FPS	211 FPS
medium	278 FPS	164 FPS
high	231 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	174 FPS
medium	221 FPS	134 FPS
high	178 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	72 FPS
medium	140 FPS	59 FPS
high	108 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 5300G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
1080p
low	360 FPS	323 FPS
medium	321 FPS	268 FPS
high	291 FPS	237 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	282 FPS
medium	282 FPS	237 FPS
high	258 FPS	213 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	182 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	220 FPS
medium	221 FPS	192 FPS
high	208 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	136 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 5300G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
1080p
low	360 FPS	326 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	326 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	326 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	237 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 5300G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
1080p
low	360 FPS	326 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	326 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	326 FPS
medium	360 FPS	326 FPS
high	360 FPS	326 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 5300G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 3 5300G

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.

Ryzen 3 5300G

The Ryzen 3 5300G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 April 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 13,050 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 3 5300G offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 3 5300G — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 5300G uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 3 5300G's 13,050 — a 9.8% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 8 MB on the Ryzen 3 5300G.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+17%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	4 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Cezanne (2021−2025)
PassMark	14,397+10%	13,050

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 5300G uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
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 (Ryzen 3 5300G). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 3 5300G requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 5300G
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 5300G debuted at $130. On MSRP ($385 vs $130), the Ryzen 3 5300G is $255 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 100.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 5300G — making the Ryzen 3 5300G the 91.4% better value option.