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: +13.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 7 2700E needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 14,657).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 44.6 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.

Ryzen 7 2700E

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $56 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 44.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 7 2700E

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 7 2700E needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+1.8% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $56 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 19.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 44.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 14,657).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 44.6 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 2700E better than Core i7-9700K?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9700K is ahead with a 13.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 2700E pulls ahead with 1.8% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 2700E 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 7 2700E is the better fit. You are getting 1.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 2700E is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 2700E is $56 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 1.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 13.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 19.1% better value on MSRP (44.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 7 2700E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 7 2700E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
1080p
low	308 FPS	176 FPS
medium	278 FPS	154 FPS
high	231 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	145 FPS
medium	221 FPS	122 FPS
high	178 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	66 FPS
medium	140 FPS	59 FPS
high	108 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 2700E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
1080p
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	321 FPS	264 FPS
high	291 FPS	232 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	191 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	267 FPS
medium	282 FPS	242 FPS
high	258 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	174 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	194 FPS
medium	221 FPS	180 FPS
high	208 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	129 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 2700E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
1080p
low	360 FPS	366 FPS
medium	360 FPS	366 FPS
high	360 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	366 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	366 FPS
medium	360 FPS	366 FPS
high	360 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	366 FPS
medium	360 FPS	319 FPS
high	360 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 2700E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
1080p
low	360 FPS	366 FPS
medium	360 FPS	366 FPS
high	360 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	366 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	366 FPS
medium	360 FPS	366 FPS
high	360 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	366 FPS
medium	360 FPS	366 FPS
high	360 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 2700E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 7 2700E

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 7 2700E

The Ryzen 7 2700E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 14,657 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 2700E's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 2700E — a 20.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 2700E uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 7 2700E's 14,657 — a 1.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 2700E. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 2700E.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+23%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	14,397	14,657+2%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 2700E uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
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 7 2700E). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 7 2700E requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 2700E
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 7 2700E debuted at $329. On MSRP ($385 vs $329), the Ryzen 7 2700E is $56 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 44.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 2700E — making the Ryzen 7 2700E the 17.5% better value option.