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 $24 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 46,828).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 206.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
6.2% HIGHER MSRP
$409 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $24 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 206.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 114.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($409 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 46,828).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 114.5 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $409 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
6.2% HIGHER MSRP
$409 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 96.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 225.3% 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 PRO 7945 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 96.4% 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 PRO 7945 is the better fit. You are getting 225.3% 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 PRO 7945 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 is 6.2% more expensive on MSRP at $409 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 96.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 206.2% better value on MSRP (114.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 7945 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 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 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 PRO 7945 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
1080p
low	308 FPS	269 FPS
medium	278 FPS	244 FPS
high	231 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	260 FPS
medium	221 FPS	212 FPS
high	178 FPS	168 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	180 FPS
medium	140 FPS	147 FPS
high	108 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	98 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
1080p
low	360 FPS	660 FPS
medium	321 FPS	567 FPS
high	291 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	368 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	555 FPS
medium	282 FPS	495 FPS
high	258 FPS	384 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	306 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	313 FPS
medium	221 FPS	283 FPS
high	208 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	214 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
1080p
low	360 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	360 FPS	1118 FPS
high	360 FPS	1041 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	940 FPS
medium	360 FPS	836 FPS
high	360 FPS	754 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	574 FPS
medium	360 FPS	495 FPS
high	360 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
1080p
low	360 FPS	1171 FPS
medium	360 FPS	1015 FPS
high	360 FPS	981 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	854 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	1019 FPS
medium	360 FPS	888 FPS
high	360 FPS	762 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	639 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	754 FPS
medium	360 FPS	658 FPS
high	360 FPS	569 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

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 PRO 7945

The Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 46,828 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.4 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 — a 9.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945's 46,828 — a 105.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.4 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	14,397	46,828+225%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	28,905
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,206
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	16,832

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 — the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 28 (Ryzen 9 PRO 7945) — the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and AMD X670E,AMD X670,AMD B650E,AMD B650,AMD A620 (Ryzen 9 PRO 7945).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
Socket	LGA1151	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	28+75%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs true (Ryzen 9 PRO 7945). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 9 PRO 7945) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 rivals Core i9-13900.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 7945
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 debuted at $409. On MSRP ($385 vs $409), the Core i7-9700K is $24 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 114.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 — making the Ryzen 9 PRO 7945 the 101.5% better value option.