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 $3,605 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 86.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 280W, a 185W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper 3990X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 79,889).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +42.7% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅450% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($3,990 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌194.7% higher power demand at 280W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,605 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 86.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 280W, a 185W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper 3990X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +42.7% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅450% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 79,889).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.0 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($3,990 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌194.7% higher power demand at 280W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 3990X better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 3990X 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 42.7% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 256 MB vs 12 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the better fit. You are getting 454.9% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 2033.3% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is 936.4% more expensive on MSRP at $3,990 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 42.7% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 86.8% better value on paper (37.4 vs 20.0 PassMark/$), 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 Threadripper 3990X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 256 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 64 cores / 128 threads instead of 8/8. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 3990X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	308 FPS	181 FPS
medium	278 FPS	152 FPS
high	231 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	157 FPS
medium	221 FPS	125 FPS
high	178 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	85 FPS
medium	140 FPS	72 FPS
high	108 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	360 FPS	584 FPS
medium	321 FPS	503 FPS
high	291 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	330 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	491 FPS
medium	282 FPS	433 FPS
high	258 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	308 FPS
medium	221 FPS	275 FPS
high	208 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	204 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	360 FPS	681 FPS
medium	360 FPS	563 FPS
high	360 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	428 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	582 FPS
medium	360 FPS	488 FPS
high	360 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	368 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	424 FPS
medium	360 FPS	338 FPS
high	360 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	360 FPS	942 FPS
medium	360 FPS	842 FPS
high	360 FPS	724 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	639 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	777 FPS
medium	360 FPS	677 FPS
high	360 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	502 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	540 FPS
medium	360 FPS	489 FPS
high	360 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	373 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 3990X

The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 79,889 points. Launch price was $3,999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X has 56 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — a 13% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X's 79,889 — a 138.9% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 256 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	64 / 128+700%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+14%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+24%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	256 MB+2033%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	14,397	79,889+455%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	64,366
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	22,045

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 88 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X) — the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X offers 72 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and TRX40 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Socket	LGA1151	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	88+450%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs true (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 3990X rivals Core i9-10980XE.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X debuted at $3990. On MSRP ($385 vs $3990), the Core i7-9700K is $3605 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 20.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — making the Core i7-9700K the 60.5% better value option.