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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 19,739).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 135.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $146 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $239 less on MSRP ($146 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 261.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 135.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($146 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

2024

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $239 less on MSRP ($146 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 261.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 135.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($146 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 19,739).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 135.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $146 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 37.1% 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 PRO 5655G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.6% 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, Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G is the better fit. You are getting 37.1% 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 5655G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G is $239 cheaper on MSRP at $146 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 261.5% better value on MSRP (135.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 5655G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 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 5655G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
1080p
low	308 FPS	177 FPS
medium	278 FPS	148 FPS
high	231 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	150 FPS
medium	221 FPS	124 FPS
high	178 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	81 FPS
medium	140 FPS	72 FPS
high	108 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
1080p
low	360 FPS	345 FPS
medium	321 FPS	291 FPS
high	291 FPS	260 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	306 FPS
medium	282 FPS	265 FPS
high	258 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	204 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	236 FPS
medium	221 FPS	209 FPS
high	208 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	161 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
1080p
low	360 FPS	493 FPS
medium	360 FPS	493 FPS
high	360 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	490 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	493 FPS
medium	360 FPS	441 FPS
high	360 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	343 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	365 FPS
medium	360 FPS	313 FPS
high	360 FPS	276 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	216 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
1080p
low	360 FPS	493 FPS
medium	360 FPS	493 FPS
high	360 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	493 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	493 FPS
medium	360 FPS	493 FPS
high	360 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	493 FPS
medium	360 FPS	455 FPS
high	360 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	355 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G

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 5655G

The Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 May 2024 (1 year 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: 19,739 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G 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 5655G — 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 PRO 5655G uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G's 19,739 — a 31.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
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	19,739+37%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
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 5 PRO 5655G). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G
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 5 PRO 5655G debuted at $146. On MSRP ($385 vs $146), the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G is $239 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 135.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G — making the Ryzen 5 PRO 5655G the 113.3% better value option.