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: +14.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 18,155).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 58.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $311 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

2021

Why buy it

✅+26.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $74 less on MSRP ($311 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 58.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($311 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅+26.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $74 less on MSRP ($311 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 58.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($311 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 18,155).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 58.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $311 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE better than Core i7-9700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9700K is ahead with a 14.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE pulls ahead with 26.1% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE 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 PRO 5650GE is the better fit. You are getting 26.1% 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 PRO 5650GE is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE is $74 cheaper on MSRP at $311 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 26.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 14.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 56.1% better value on MSRP (58.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 5650GE 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 PRO 5650GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
1080p
low	308 FPS	184 FPS
medium	278 FPS	154 FPS
high	231 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	157 FPS
medium	221 FPS	128 FPS
high	178 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	84 FPS
medium	140 FPS	75 FPS
high	108 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
1080p
low	360 FPS	360 FPS
medium	321 FPS	303 FPS
high	291 FPS	273 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	237 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	319 FPS
medium	282 FPS	276 FPS
high	258 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	248 FPS
medium	221 FPS	218 FPS
high	208 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	172 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
1080p
low	360 FPS	454 FPS
medium	360 FPS	454 FPS
high	360 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	416 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	454 FPS
medium	360 FPS	412 FPS
high	360 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	341 FPS
medium	360 FPS	287 FPS
high	360 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	193 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
1080p
low	360 FPS	454 FPS
medium	360 FPS	454 FPS
high	360 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	454 FPS
medium	360 FPS	454 FPS
high	360 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	454 FPS
medium	360 FPS	433 FPS
high	360 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	329 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE

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 PRO 5650GE

The Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 18,155 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE 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 PRO 5650GE — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE's 18,155 — a 23.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+11%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+6%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB+33%
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	18,155+26%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	1,504
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,700

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Core i7-9700K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and AM4 (Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE debuted at $311. On MSRP ($385 vs $311), the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE is $74 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 58.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE — making the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE the 43.8% better value option.