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

✅Costs $114 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 9 3900X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 3900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 32,517).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 65.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 3900X.

Ryzen 9 3900X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +74.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 74.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 65.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike Core i7-9700K.

Trade-offs

❌
29.6% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 9 3900X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $114 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 9 3900X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +74.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 74.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 65.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike Core i7-9700K.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 3900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 32,517).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 65.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 3900X.

Trade-offs

❌
29.6% HIGHER MSRP
$499 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 3900X better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 9 3900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 74.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 125.9% 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 9 3900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 74.1% 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 9 3900X is the better fit. You are getting 125.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 9 3900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 3900X is 29.6% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 74.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 74.3% better value on MSRP (65.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 9 3900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 9 3900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	308 FPS	209 FPS
medium	278 FPS	170 FPS
high	231 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	114 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	171 FPS
medium	221 FPS	131 FPS
high	178 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	92 FPS
medium	140 FPS	77 FPS
high	108 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	49 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	360 FPS	781 FPS
medium	321 FPS	654 FPS
high	291 FPS	510 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	447 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	648 FPS
medium	282 FPS	552 FPS
high	258 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	369 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	380 FPS
medium	221 FPS	326 FPS
high	208 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	258 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	360 FPS	813 FPS
medium	360 FPS	794 FPS
high	360 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	707 FPS
medium	360 FPS	583 FPS
high	360 FPS	522 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	459 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	503 FPS
medium	360 FPS	403 FPS
high	360 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	292 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 3900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
1080p
low	360 FPS	813 FPS
medium	360 FPS	813 FPS
high	360 FPS	813 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	813 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	813 FPS
medium	360 FPS	813 FPS
high	360 FPS	714 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	619 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	669 FPS
medium	360 FPS	594 FPS
high	360 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 3900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 9 3900X

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 9 3900X

The Ryzen 9 3900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 32,517 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 3900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 3900X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 3900X — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 3900X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 9 3900X's 32,517 — a 77.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 3900X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 3900X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+7%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	14,397	32,517+126%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,300
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	12,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 3900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 3900X) — the Ryzen 9 3900X offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and X570,B550 (Ryzen 9 3900X).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 3900X). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 9 3900X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 9 3900X targets Workstation.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 3900X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
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 9 3900X debuted at $499. On MSRP ($385 vs $499), the Core i7-9700K is $114 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 65.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 3900X — making the Ryzen 9 3900X the 54.2% better value option.