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 $614 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 22.1 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 180W, a 85W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper 1950 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 22,077).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

2017

Why buy it

✅+53.3% higher PassMark.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌89.5% higher power demand at 180W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $614 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 69.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 22.1 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 180W, a 85W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper 1950 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+53.3% higher PassMark.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 22,077).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌89.5% higher power demand at 180W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700K better than Ryzen Threadripper 1950?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1950 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-9700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is the better fit. You are getting 53.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-9700K is $614 cheaper on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it gives you a 1.6% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 53.3% better PassMark. It is also 69.2% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 22.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i7-9700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 Threadripper 1950 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	308 FPS	173 FPS
medium	278 FPS	153 FPS
high	231 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	139 FPS
medium	221 FPS	117 FPS
high	178 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	65 FPS
medium	140 FPS	59 FPS
high	108 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	360 FPS	336 FPS
medium	321 FPS	304 FPS
high	291 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	287 FPS
medium	282 FPS	264 FPS
high	258 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	182 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	184 FPS
medium	221 FPS	169 FPS
high	208 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	115 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	360 FPS	552 FPS
medium	360 FPS	505 FPS
high	360 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	407 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	531 FPS
medium	360 FPS	439 FPS
high	360 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	341 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	401 FPS
medium	360 FPS	318 FPS
high	360 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	360 FPS	552 FPS
medium	360 FPS	552 FPS
high	360 FPS	552 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	487 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	552 FPS
medium	360 FPS	535 FPS
high	360 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	416 FPS
medium	360 FPS	382 FPS
high	360 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	295 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen Threadripper 1950

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 Threadripper 1950

The Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,077 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 — a 42% 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 Threadripper 1950 uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1950's 22,077 — a 42.1% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+53%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	14,397	22,077+53%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,780
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	10,100

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 uses SP3r2 (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. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950) — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Socket	LGA1151	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	64+300%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 1950). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen Threadripper 1950 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 1950 rivals Core i9-7960X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
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 Threadripper 1950 debuted at $999. On MSRP ($385 vs $999), the Core i7-9700K is $614 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 22.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 — making the Core i7-9700K the 51.4% better value option.