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

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon E-2388G needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2388G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,572).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2388G, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Xeon E-2388G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E-2388G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +47.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon E-2388G

2021

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon E-2388G needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +47.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2388G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,572).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2388G, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Xeon E-2388G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2388G better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2388G 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 E-2388G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 47.6% 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, Xeon E-2388G is the better fit. You are getting 63.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon E-2388G is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon E-2388G is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 47.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon E-2388G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/8. 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

Xeon E-2388G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2388G
1080p
low	308 FPS	293 FPS
medium	278 FPS	260 FPS
high	231 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	188 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	240 FPS
medium	221 FPS	192 FPS
high	178 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	167 FPS
medium	140 FPS	135 FPS
high	108 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2388G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2388G
1080p
low	360 FPS	589 FPS
medium	321 FPS	525 FPS
high	291 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	589 FPS
medium	282 FPS	487 FPS
high	258 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	360 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	394 FPS
medium	221 FPS	338 FPS
high	208 FPS	319 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2388G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2388G
1080p
low	360 FPS	589 FPS
medium	360 FPS	589 FPS
high	360 FPS	589 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	532 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	589 FPS
medium	360 FPS	589 FPS
high	360 FPS	516 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	551 FPS
medium	360 FPS	456 FPS
high	360 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	340 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2388G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2388G
1080p
low	360 FPS	589 FPS
medium	360 FPS	589 FPS
high	360 FPS	589 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	589 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	589 FPS
medium	360 FPS	589 FPS
high	360 FPS	589 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	589 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	589 FPS
medium	360 FPS	565 FPS
high	360 FPS	511 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2388G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon E-2388G

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 E-2388G

The Xeon E-2388G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 23,572 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Xeon E-2388G's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.1 GHz on the Xeon E-2388G — a 4% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2388G (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 E-2388G uses Rocket Lake-E (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon E-2388G's 23,572 — a 48.3% lead for the Xeon E-2388G. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2388G.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2388G
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Rocket Lake-E (2021)
PassMark	14,397	23,572+64%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E-2388G uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2388G
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (Xeon E-2388G). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E-2388G requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.