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 $2,605 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 178.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 13.5 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 205W, a 110W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon Gold 6338 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6338 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 40,225).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6338

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($2,990 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌115.8% higher power demand at 205W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon Gold 6338

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,605 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 178.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 13.5 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 205W, a 110W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon Gold 6338 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅300% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6338 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 40,225).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($2,990 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌115.8% higher power demand at 205W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6338 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6338 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 Gold 6338 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 31.9% 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 Gold 6338 is the better fit. You are getting 179.4% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6338 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon Gold 6338 is 676.6% more expensive on MSRP at $2,990 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 178.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 13.5 PassMark/$), 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 Gold 6338 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), 300% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 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

Xeon Gold 6338 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	308 FPS	186 FPS
medium	278 FPS	149 FPS
high	231 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	152 FPS
medium	221 FPS	118 FPS
high	178 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	71 FPS
medium	140 FPS	59 FPS
high	108 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Gold 6338

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	360 FPS	233 FPS
medium	321 FPS	208 FPS
high	291 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	199 FPS
medium	282 FPS	181 FPS
high	258 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	124 FPS
medium	221 FPS	115 FPS
high	208 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	82 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Gold 6338

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	360 FPS	969 FPS
medium	360 FPS	848 FPS
high	360 FPS	802 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	712 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	775 FPS
medium	360 FPS	669 FPS
high	360 FPS	632 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	561 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	498 FPS
medium	360 FPS	393 FPS
high	360 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	285 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Gold 6338

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	360 FPS	884 FPS
medium	360 FPS	800 FPS
high	360 FPS	687 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	587 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	691 FPS
medium	360 FPS	606 FPS
high	360 FPS	518 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	440 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	499 FPS
medium	360 FPS	446 FPS
high	360 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Gold 6338

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon Gold 6338

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 Gold 6338

The Xeon Gold 6338 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 40,225 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6338 offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6338 has 24 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6338 — a 42% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-9700K is built on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon Gold 6338's 40,225 — a 94.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 6338. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 48 MB on the Xeon Gold 6338.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	32 / 64+300%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+53%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	48 MB+300%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	—
PassMark	14,397	40,225+179%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 6338 uses LGA4189 (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 Xeon Gold 6338 — the Xeon Gold 6338 supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6338 supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6338). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 64 (Xeon Gold 6338) — the Xeon Gold 6338 offers 48 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and C621A (Xeon Gold 6338).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
Socket	LGA1151	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	3200+79900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+2184433%	6144
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	64+300%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon Gold 6338 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 Gold 6338 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 6338 rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Gold 6338
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 Gold 6338 debuted at $2990. On MSRP ($385 vs $2990), the Core i7-9700K is $2605 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 13.5 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6338 — making the Core i7-9700K the 94.2% better value option.