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 $764 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,149 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 280W, a 185W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 39,929).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +44.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
198.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,149 MSRPvs$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 PRO 3955WX

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $764 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,149 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 280W, a 185W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +44.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 39,929).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌
198.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,149 MSRPvs$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 PRO 3955WX better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX 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 PRO 3955WX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 44.2% 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 Threadripper PRO 3955WX is the better fit. You are getting 177.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 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 Threadripper PRO 3955WX is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX is 198.4% more expensive on MSRP at $1,149 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 44.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 7.6% better value on paper (37.4 vs 34.8 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 3955WX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/8, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 Threadripper PRO 3955WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
1080p
low	308 FPS	210 FPS
medium	278 FPS	170 FPS
high	231 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	186 FPS
medium	221 FPS	147 FPS
high	178 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	88 FPS
medium	140 FPS	74 FPS
high	108 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
1080p
low	360 FPS	557 FPS
medium	321 FPS	486 FPS
high	291 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	351 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	479 FPS
medium	282 FPS	424 FPS
high	258 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	296 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	299 FPS
medium	221 FPS	268 FPS
high	208 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	217 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
1080p
low	360 FPS	773 FPS
medium	360 FPS	638 FPS
high	360 FPS	569 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	494 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	600 FPS
medium	360 FPS	495 FPS
high	360 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	376 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	431 FPS
medium	360 FPS	344 FPS
high	360 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	243 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
1080p
low	360 FPS	998 FPS
medium	360 FPS	970 FPS
high	360 FPS	823 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	725 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	847 FPS
medium	360 FPS	745 FPS
high	360 FPS	630 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	540 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	594 FPS
medium	360 FPS	540 FPS
high	360 FPS	468 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	405 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

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 PRO 3955WX

The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 14 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Castle Peak (2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: sWRX8. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 39,929 points. Launch price was $1,149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX — a 13% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX uses Castle Peak (2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX's 39,929 — a 94% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+14%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.9 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Castle Peak (2020)
PassMark	14,397	39,929+177%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX uses sWRX8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 3200 on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX supports up to 2048 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and WRX80 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
Socket	LGA1151	sWRX8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	3200+79900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+6553500%	2048
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX rivals Xeon Silver 4314.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX debuted at $1149. On MSRP ($385 vs $1149), the Core i7-9700K is $764 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 34.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX — making the Core i7-9700K the 7.3% better value option.