Core i7-9700K vs Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

Intel

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

VS
AMD

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2018

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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: +4.2% higher average FPS across 5 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 PRO 2700 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 15,342).
  • Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
  • Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 51.3 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
  • 46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

2018

Why buy it

  • +6.6% higher PassMark.
  • +33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
  • Costs $86 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
  • Delivers 37.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 51.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($299 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 5 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 PRO 2700 better than Core i7-9700K?
It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-9700K is ahead with a 4.2% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 pulls ahead with 6.6% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 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 PRO 2700 is the better fit. You are getting 6.6% 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 PRO 2700 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 is $86 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 6.6% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.2% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 37.2% better value on MSRP (51.3 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 2700 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
1080p
low308 FPS176 FPS
medium278 FPS154 FPS
high231 FPS128 FPS
ultra182 FPS104 FPS
1440p
low270 FPS145 FPS
medium221 FPS122 FPS
high178 FPS97 FPS
ultra143 FPS78 FPS
4K
low170 FPS66 FPS
medium140 FPS59 FPS
high108 FPS47 FPS
ultra95 FPS37 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
1080p
low360 FPS336 FPS
medium321 FPS297 FPS
high291 FPS265 FPS
ultra259 FPS237 FPS
1440p
low324 FPS307 FPS
medium282 FPS278 FPS
high258 FPS246 FPS
ultra225 FPS215 FPS
4K
low249 FPS225 FPS
medium221 FPS207 FPS
high208 FPS193 FPS
ultra179 FPS168 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
1080p
low360 FPS384 FPS
medium360 FPS384 FPS
high360 FPS384 FPS
ultra360 FPS384 FPS
1440p
low360 FPS384 FPS
medium360 FPS384 FPS
high360 FPS384 FPS
ultra360 FPS337 FPS
4K
low360 FPS384 FPS
medium360 FPS319 FPS
high360 FPS281 FPS
ultra318 FPS226 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
1080p
low360 FPS384 FPS
medium360 FPS384 FPS
high360 FPS384 FPS
ultra360 FPS384 FPS
1440p
low360 FPS384 FPS
medium360 FPS384 FPS
high360 FPS384 FPS
ultra360 FPS384 FPS
4K
low360 FPS384 FPS
medium360 FPS384 FPS
high360 FPS384 FPS
ultra360 FPS332 FPS

Technical Specifications

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

Intel

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.

AMD

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

The Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 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 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 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: 15,342 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 — a 17.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700's 15,342 — a 6.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700.

FeatureCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
Cores / Threads
8 / 8
8 / 16
Boost Clock
4.9 GHz+20%
4.1 GHz
Base Clock
3.6 GHz+12%
3.2 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
15,342+7%
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Memory & Platform

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

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

FeatureCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
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 PRO 2700 debuted at $299. On MSRP ($385 vs $299), the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 is $86 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 51.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 — making the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 the 31.4% better value option.

FeatureCore i7-9700KRyzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP
$385
$299-22%
Performance per Dollar
37.4
51.3+37%
Release Date
2018
2018