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: +7.1% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 19,696).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 76.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600G

2021

Why buy it

✅+36.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $126 less on MSRP ($259 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 103.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($259 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 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 5 5600G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.1% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+36.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $126 less on MSRP ($259 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 103.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($259 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 19,696).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 76.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600G better than Core i7-9700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9700K is ahead with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600G pulls ahead with 36.8% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600G also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600G is the better fit. You are getting 36.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600G is $126 cheaper on MSRP at $259 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 36.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 103.4% better value on MSRP (76.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 5 5600G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. 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

Ryzen 5 5600G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	308 FPS	204 FPS
medium	278 FPS	174 FPS
high	231 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	174 FPS
medium	221 FPS	145 FPS
high	178 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	83 FPS
medium	140 FPS	75 FPS
high	108 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 5600G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	360 FPS	367 FPS
medium	321 FPS	302 FPS
high	291 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	325 FPS
medium	282 FPS	272 FPS
high	258 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	211 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	248 FPS
medium	221 FPS	211 FPS
high	208 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	155 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 5600G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	360 FPS	492 FPS
medium	360 FPS	477 FPS
high	360 FPS	440 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	390 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	492 FPS
medium	360 FPS	416 FPS
high	360 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	327 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	356 FPS
medium	360 FPS	302 FPS
high	360 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 5600G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
1080p
low	360 FPS	492 FPS
medium	360 FPS	492 FPS
high	360 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	492 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	492 FPS
medium	360 FPS	492 FPS
high	360 FPS	492 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	492 FPS
medium	360 FPS	492 FPS
high	360 FPS	478 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	412 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 5600G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 5 5600G

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 5 5600G

The Ryzen 5 5600G 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,696 points. Launch price was $259.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600G offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600G — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600G uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 5 5600G's 19,696 — a 31.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600G. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600G.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.9 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Cezanne (2021−2025)
PassMark	14,397	19,696+37%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600G uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600G) — the Ryzen 5 5600G offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and AMD 400 series,AMD 500 series (Ryzen 5 5600G).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600G). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Radeon Graphics (Vega 7) (Ryzen 5 5600G) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 5 5600G targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 5600G
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Radeon Graphics (Vega 7)
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600G debuted at $259. On MSRP ($385 vs $259), the Ryzen 5 5600G is $126 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 76.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600G — making the Ryzen 5 5600G the 68.1% better value option.