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: +11.4% higher average FPS across 2 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 W-10855M needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-10855M, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 103.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $118 MSRP).
❌6233.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 1.5W.

Xeon W-10855M

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.
✅Costs $267 less on MSRP ($118 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 177.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 103.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($118 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 2W instead of 95W, a 94W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,249 vs 14,397).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon W-10855M

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.4% higher average FPS across 2 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 W-10855M needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.
✅Costs $267 less on MSRP ($118 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 177.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 103.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($118 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 2W instead of 95W, a 94W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-10855M, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 103.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $118 MSRP).
❌6233.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 1.5W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,249 vs 14,397).
❌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 W-10855M?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-10855M 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, Core i7-9700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 11.4% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-9700K is the better fit. You are getting 17.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Core i7-9700K is 226.3% more expensive on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $118 MSRP, and it gives you a 11.4% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon W-10855M only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop CPU, not because it is a serious desktop gaming option. It simply cannot keep up with modern games, especially when the gap is already 11.4% in the shared gaming data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon W-10855M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018). 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 W-10855M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
1080p
low	308 FPS	275 FPS
medium	278 FPS	243 FPS
high	231 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	235 FPS
medium	221 FPS	187 FPS
high	178 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	163 FPS
medium	140 FPS	132 FPS
high	108 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-10855M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
1080p
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	321 FPS	280 FPS
high	291 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	221 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	300 FPS
medium	282 FPS	245 FPS
high	258 FPS	225 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	194 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	251 FPS
medium	221 FPS	207 FPS
high	208 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	159 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-10855M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
1080p
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	306 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	306 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	294 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-10855M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
1080p
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	306 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	306 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	306 FPS
medium	360 FPS	306 FPS
high	360 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	306 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-10855M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon W-10855M

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 W-10855M

The Xeon W-10855M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Comet Lake-H (2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,249 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon W-10855M 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 4.9 GHz on the Xeon W-10855M — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon W-10855M uses Comet Lake-H (2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon W-10855M's 12,249 — a 16.1% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 12 MB on the Xeon W-10855M.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	4.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.5 MB+500%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Comet Lake-H (2020)
PassMark	14,397+18%	12,249

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-10855M uses BGA1440 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
Socket	LGA1151	BGA1440
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 W-10855M). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon W-10855M requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-10855M
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Xeon W-10855M debuted at $118. On MSRP ($385 vs $118), the Xeon W-10855M is $267 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 103.8 pts/$ for the Xeon W-10855M — making the Xeon W-10855M the 94.1% better value option.