Core i7-9700K vs Xeon Phi 7290

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: +8.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 95W instead of 245W, a 150W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon Phi 7290 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 17,839).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅+23.9% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌157.9% higher power demand at 245W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 95W instead of 245W, a 150W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon Phi 7290 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+23.9% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 17,839).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌157.9% higher power demand at 245W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700K better than Xeon Phi 7290?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Phi 7290 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 Phi 7290 is the better fit. You are getting 23.9% better PassMark, backed by 72 cores and 288 threads.

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

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-9700K is at an unclear MSRP at $385 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 8.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Phi 7290 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 23.9% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i7-9700K is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2016). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 Phi 7290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	308 FPS	177 FPS
medium	278 FPS	143 FPS
high	231 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	141 FPS
medium	221 FPS	111 FPS
high	178 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	66 FPS
medium	140 FPS	56 FPS
high	108 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	360 FPS	136 FPS
medium	321 FPS	120 FPS
high	291 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	120 FPS
medium	282 FPS	108 FPS
high	258 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	87 FPS
medium	221 FPS	81 FPS
high	208 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	56 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	360 FPS	446 FPS
medium	360 FPS	446 FPS
high	360 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	446 FPS
medium	360 FPS	434 FPS
high	360 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	394 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	209 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	360 FPS	446 FPS
medium	360 FPS	446 FPS
high	360 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	446 FPS
medium	360 FPS	446 FPS
high	360 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	446 FPS
medium	360 FPS	405 FPS
high	360 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	310 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon Phi 7290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon Phi 7290

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 Phi 7290

The Xeon Phi 7290 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Knights Landing (2016) architecture. It features 72 cores and 288 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 245 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,839 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon Phi 7290 offers 72 cores / 288 threads — the Xeon Phi 7290 has 64 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon Phi 7290 — a 97% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses Knights Landing (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon Phi 7290's 17,839 — a 21.4% lead for the Xeon Phi 7290. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 0 kB (total) on the Xeon Phi 7290.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Phi 7290
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	72 / 288+800%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+188%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+140%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	0 kB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Knights Landing (2016)
PassMark	14,397	17,839+24%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon Phi 7290
Socket	LGA1151	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (Xeon Phi 7290). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon Phi 7290 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.