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 $109 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon W-1390 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1390 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,902).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1390, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 48.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).

Xeon W-1390

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.0% 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.
✅Delivers 29.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 48.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 80W instead of 95W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌
28.3% HIGHER MSRP
$494 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon W-1390

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $109 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon W-1390 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +23.0% 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.
✅Delivers 29.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 48.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($494 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 80W instead of 95W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1390 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 23,902).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1390, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 48.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $494 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
28.3% HIGHER MSRP
$494 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-1390 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1390 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 W-1390 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 23.0% 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 W-1390 is the better fit. You are getting 66% 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 W-1390 is the smarter buy today. Xeon W-1390 is 28.3% more expensive on MSRP at $494 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 23.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 29.4% better value on MSRP (48.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon W-1390 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 W-1390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	308 FPS	246 FPS
medium	278 FPS	231 FPS
high	231 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	217 FPS
medium	221 FPS	184 FPS
high	178 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	151 FPS
medium	140 FPS	128 FPS
high	108 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-1390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	360 FPS	406 FPS
medium	321 FPS	343 FPS
high	291 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	274 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	363 FPS
medium	282 FPS	315 FPS
high	258 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	239 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	241 FPS
medium	221 FPS	216 FPS
high	208 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	176 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-1390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	360 FPS	598 FPS
medium	360 FPS	527 FPS
high	360 FPS	453 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	391 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	590 FPS
medium	360 FPS	490 FPS
high	360 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	421 FPS
medium	360 FPS	365 FPS
high	360 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	276 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-1390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	360 FPS	598 FPS
medium	360 FPS	598 FPS
high	360 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	598 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	598 FPS
medium	360 FPS	598 FPS
high	360 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	552 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	558 FPS
medium	360 FPS	506 FPS
high	360 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	393 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-1390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon W-1390

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-1390

The Xeon W-1390 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake-S (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 23,902 points. Launch price was $494.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Xeon W-1390's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.1 GHz on the Xeon W-1390 — a 4% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1390 (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-1390 uses Rocket Lake-S (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon W-1390's 23,902 — a 49.6% lead for the Xeon W-1390. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1390.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Rocket Lake-S (2021)
PassMark	14,397	23,902+66%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1390 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
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 W-1390). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon W-1390 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-1390
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-1390 debuted at $494. On MSRP ($385 vs $494), the Core i7-9700K is $109 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 48.4 pts/$ for the Xeon W-1390 — making the Xeon W-1390 the 25.6% better value option.