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: +78.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB).
✅Delivers 27.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 29.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 120W, a 25W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
31% HIGHER MSRP
$385 MSRPvs$294 MSRP

Xeon W-2223

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $91 less on MSRP ($294 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,593 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8.3 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 29.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($294 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌26.3% higher power demand at 120W vs 95W.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon W-2223

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +78.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB).
✅Delivers 27.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 29.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 120W, a 25W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $91 less on MSRP ($294 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
31% HIGHER MSRP
$385 MSRPvs$294 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,593 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8.3 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 29.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($294 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌26.3% higher power demand at 120W vs 95W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700K better than Xeon W-2223?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2223 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 78.9% 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 67.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8.3 MB).

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

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-9700K is 31.0% more expensive on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $294 MSRP, and it gives you a 78.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 27.9% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 29.2 PassMark/$), 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-2223 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 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-2223 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
1080p
low	308 FPS	180 FPS
medium	278 FPS	140 FPS
high	231 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	148 FPS
medium	221 FPS	114 FPS
high	178 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	68 FPS
medium	140 FPS	56 FPS
high	108 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2223

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
1080p
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	321 FPS	183 FPS
high	291 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	130 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	189 FPS
medium	282 FPS	160 FPS
high	258 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	118 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	149 FPS
medium	221 FPS	131 FPS
high	208 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	83 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2223

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
1080p
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	360 FPS	215 FPS
high	360 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	215 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	360 FPS	215 FPS
high	360 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	215 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	360 FPS	215 FPS
high	360 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	215 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2223

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
1080p
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	360 FPS	215 FPS
high	360 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	215 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	360 FPS	215 FPS
high	360 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	215 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	215 FPS
medium	360 FPS	215 FPS
high	360 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	215 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2223

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon W-2223

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-2223

The Xeon W-2223 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8.25 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 8,593 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon W-2223 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon W-2223 — a 22.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 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 W-2223's 8,593 — a 50.5% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 8.25 MB on the Xeon W-2223.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+26%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+45%	8.25 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	—
PassMark	14,397+68%	8,593

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-2223 uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
Socket	LGA1151	LGA2066
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	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (Xeon W-2223). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon W-2223 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2223
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-2223 debuted at $294. On MSRP ($385 vs $294), the Xeon W-2223 is $91 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 29.2 pts/$ for the Xeon W-2223 — making the Core i7-9700K the 24.5% better value option.