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 $810 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,195 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 190W, a 95W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon 6517P needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6517P across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 48,810).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 72 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6517P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 40.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,195 MSRP).

Xeon 6517P

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.3% higher average FPS across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+500% larger total L3 cache (72 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 9.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,195 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4710 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
210.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,195 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌100% higher power demand at 190W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon 6517P

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $810 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,195 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 190W, a 95W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon 6517P needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.3% higher average FPS across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+500% larger total L3 cache (72 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 9.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,195 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4710 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6517P across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 48,810).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 72 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6517P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 40.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,195 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
210.4% HIGHER MSRP
$1,195 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌100% higher power demand at 190W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6517P better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon 6517P 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, Xeon 6517P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 13.3% more average FPS across 24 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6517P is the better fit. You are getting 239% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 500% larger total L3 cache (72 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon 6517P is the smarter buy today. Xeon 6517P is 210.4% more expensive on MSRP at $1,195 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.3% average FPS lead across 24 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 9.2% better value on MSRP (40.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon 6517P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA4710 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 500% larger total L3 cache (72 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 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

Xeon 6517P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
1080p
low	308 FPS	192 FPS
medium	278 FPS	153 FPS
high	231 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	157 FPS
medium	221 FPS	122 FPS
high	178 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	72 FPS
medium	140 FPS	60 FPS
high	108 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon 6517P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
1080p
low	360 FPS	559 FPS
medium	321 FPS	488 FPS
high	291 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	353 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	483 FPS
medium	282 FPS	426 FPS
high	258 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	302 FPS
medium	221 FPS	270 FPS
high	208 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	220 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon 6517P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
1080p
low	360 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	360 FPS	986 FPS
high	360 FPS	910 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	824 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	859 FPS
medium	360 FPS	755 FPS
high	360 FPS	697 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	626 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	541 FPS
medium	360 FPS	442 FPS
high	360 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	319 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon 6517P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
1080p
low	360 FPS	1022 FPS
medium	360 FPS	916 FPS
high	360 FPS	782 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	672 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	788 FPS
medium	360 FPS	689 FPS
high	360 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	504 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	563 FPS
medium	360 FPS	501 FPS
high	360 FPS	441 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	377 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon 6517P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon 6517P

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.

Xeon 6517P

The Xeon 6517P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 72 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 190 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 48,810 points. Launch price was $1,195.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon 6517P offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon 6517P has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.2 GHz on the Xeon 6517P — a 15.4% 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 Xeon 6517P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon 6517P's 48,810 — a 108.9% lead for the Xeon 6517P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 72 MB (total) on the Xeon 6517P.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+17%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	72 MB (total)+500%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	Intel 3 nm-79%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	14,397	48,810+239%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon 6517P uses LGA4710 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 6400 on the Xeon 6517P — the Xeon 6517P supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon 6517P supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (Xeon 6517P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 88 (Xeon 6517P) — the Xeon 6517P offers 72 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and Granite Rapids-SP (Xeon 6517P).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
Socket	LGA1151	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	6400+159900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	88+450%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon 6517P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon 6517P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon 6517P rivals EPYC 9554.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon 6517P
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Xeon 6517P debuted at $1195. On MSRP ($385 vs $1195), the Core i7-9700K is $810 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 40.8 pts/$ for the Xeon 6517P — making the Xeon 6517P the 8.8% better value option.