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

✅Better for gaming: +4.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon E-2456 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 20,705).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2456, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Xeon E-2456 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 80W.

Xeon E-2456

2023

Why buy it

✅+43.8% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.
✅Draws 80W instead of 95W, a 15W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon E-2456

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon E-2456 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+43.8% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.
✅Draws 80W instead of 95W, a 15W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 20,705).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 18 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2456, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Xeon E-2456 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 80W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2456 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2456 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, Xeon E-2456 is the better fit. You are getting 43.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon E-2456 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon E-2456 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 43.8% better PassMark. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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-2456 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 50% larger total L3 cache (18 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/8. 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 E-2456 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2456
1080p
low	308 FPS	267 FPS
medium	278 FPS	253 FPS
high	231 FPS	214 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	183 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	235 FPS
medium	221 FPS	199 FPS
high	178 FPS	162 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	142 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	164 FPS
medium	140 FPS	139 FPS
high	108 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	95 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2456

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2456
1080p
low	360 FPS	518 FPS
medium	321 FPS	483 FPS
high	291 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	364 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	493 FPS
medium	282 FPS	428 FPS
high	258 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	313 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	312 FPS
medium	221 FPS	279 FPS
high	208 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	222 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2456

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2456
1080p
low	360 FPS	518 FPS
medium	360 FPS	518 FPS
high	360 FPS	518 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	518 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	518 FPS
medium	360 FPS	518 FPS
high	360 FPS	518 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	469 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	502 FPS
medium	360 FPS	448 FPS
high	360 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	327 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2456

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2456
1080p
low	360 FPS	518 FPS
medium	360 FPS	518 FPS
high	360 FPS	518 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	518 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	518 FPS
medium	360 FPS	518 FPS
high	360 FPS	518 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	518 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	518 FPS
medium	360 FPS	492 FPS
high	360 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	364 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon E-2456

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon E-2456

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-2456

The Xeon E-2456 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 20,705 points. Launch price was $375.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E-2456 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.1 GHz on the Xeon E-2456 — a 4% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2456 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E-2456 uses Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon E-2456's 20,705 — a 35.9% lead for the Xeon E-2456. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 18 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2456.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2456
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	18 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+400%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
PassMark	14,397	20,705+44%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E-2456 uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon E-2456
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
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-2456). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E-2456 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.