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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 21,481).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 120.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.4% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $206 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 220.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.4% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $206 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 220.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 21,481).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 120.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8500G better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 5 8500G is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 27.4% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 49.2% 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, Ryzen 5 8500G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 27.4% 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, Ryzen 5 8500G is the better fit. You are getting 49.2% 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 8500G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 8500G is $206 cheaper on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 27.4% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 220.9% better value on MSRP (120.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 8500G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2018), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 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 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

Ryzen 5 8500G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	308 FPS	267 FPS
medium	278 FPS	238 FPS
high	231 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	231 FPS
medium	221 FPS	186 FPS
high	178 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	159 FPS
medium	140 FPS	130 FPS
high	108 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	360 FPS	455 FPS
medium	321 FPS	371 FPS
high	291 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	394 FPS
medium	282 FPS	338 FPS
high	258 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	287 FPS
medium	221 FPS	251 FPS
high	208 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	360 FPS	537 FPS
medium	360 FPS	537 FPS
high	360 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	537 FPS
medium	360 FPS	537 FPS
high	360 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	497 FPS
medium	360 FPS	418 FPS
high	360 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	293 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 8500G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	360 FPS	537 FPS
medium	360 FPS	537 FPS
high	360 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	537 FPS
medium	360 FPS	537 FPS
high	360 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	537 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	537 FPS
medium	360 FPS	519 FPS
high	360 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 5 8500G

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 8500G

The Ryzen 5 8500G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,481 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 8500G 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 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8500G — a 2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 5 8500G's 21,481 — a 39.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8500G.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	14,397	21,481+49%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,310
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,500
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 8500G — the Ryzen 5 8500G supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 8500G supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 14 (Ryzen 5 8500G) — the Core i7-9700K offers 2 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and A620,B650,B650E,X670,X670E,B840,B850,X870,X870E (Ryzen 5 8500G).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
Socket	LGA1151	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16+14%	14

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 8500G). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Radeon 740M (Ryzen 5 8500G) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 5 8500G targets General Use. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 8500G rivals Core i5-13400.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 8500G
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Radeon 740M
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	General Use

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8500G debuted at $179. On MSRP ($385 vs $179), the Ryzen 5 8500G is $206 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 120.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8500G — making the Ryzen 5 8500G the 105% better value option.