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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 6900HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,040).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 6900HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Ryzen 9 6900HS

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 9 6900HS

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 6900HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,040).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 6900HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 6900HS better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 9 6900HS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 60% 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 6900HS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.3% 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 6900HS is the better fit. You are getting 60% 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 9 6900HS is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 9 6900HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 9 6900HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018), a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 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 should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 6900HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	308 FPS	251 FPS
medium	278 FPS	234 FPS
high	231 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	220 FPS
medium	221 FPS	186 FPS
high	178 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	154 FPS
medium	140 FPS	131 FPS
high	108 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	360 FPS	441 FPS
medium	321 FPS	370 FPS
high	291 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	287 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	370 FPS
medium	282 FPS	323 FPS
high	258 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	247 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	255 FPS
medium	221 FPS	229 FPS
high	208 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	186 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	360 FPS	576 FPS
medium	360 FPS	564 FPS
high	360 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	388 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	576 FPS
medium	360 FPS	510 FPS
high	360 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	355 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	432 FPS
medium	360 FPS	368 FPS
high	360 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	262 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 6900HS
1080p
low	360 FPS	576 FPS
medium	360 FPS	576 FPS
high	360 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	576 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	576 FPS
medium	360 FPS	576 FPS
high	360 FPS	576 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	513 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	536 FPS
medium	360 FPS	489 FPS
high	360 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 6900HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 9 6900HS

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 6900HS

The Ryzen 9 6900HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,040 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 9 6900HS's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 9 6900HS — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 6900HS uses Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 9 6900HS's 23,040 — a 46.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 6900HS. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 6900HS.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 6900HS
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	4.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Rembrandt-H (Zen 3+) (2022)
PassMark	14,397	23,040+60%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	13,445
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,854
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,732

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 6900HS uses FP7 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-4800 on the Ryzen 9 6900HS — the Ryzen 9 6900HS supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. 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. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 6900HS) — the Ryzen 9 6900HS offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and FP7 (Ryzen 9 6900HS).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 6900HS
Socket	LGA1151	FP7
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 6900HS). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Radeon 680M (Ryzen 9 6900HS) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.