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 $727 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,112 MSRP).
✅Delivers 48.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 25.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,112 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 165W, a 70W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon W-2275 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2275 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 27,974).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2275, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon W-2275

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅200% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,112 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌73.7% higher power demand at 165W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon W-2275

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $727 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,112 MSRP).
✅Delivers 48.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 25.2 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,112 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 165W, a 70W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon W-2275 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅200% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2275 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 27,974).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2275, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 25.2 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,112 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌73.7% higher power demand at 165W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-2275 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2275 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-2275 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.6% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon W-2275 is the better fit. You are getting 94.3% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 28 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon W-2275 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon W-2275 is 188.8% more expensive on MSRP at $1,112 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 48.6% better value on paper (37.4 vs 25.2 PassMark/$), 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 W-2275 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 28 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 W-2275 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
1080p
low	308 FPS	285 FPS
medium	278 FPS	254 FPS
high	231 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	234 FPS
medium	221 FPS	190 FPS
high	178 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	164 FPS
medium	140 FPS	134 FPS
high	108 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	90 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2275

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
1080p
low	360 FPS	551 FPS
medium	321 FPS	457 FPS
high	291 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	457 FPS
medium	282 FPS	395 FPS
high	258 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	287 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	284 FPS
medium	221 FPS	246 FPS
high	208 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	198 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2275

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
1080p
low	360 FPS	699 FPS
medium	360 FPS	699 FPS
high	360 FPS	699 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	699 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	699 FPS
medium	360 FPS	699 FPS
high	360 FPS	699 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	620 FPS
medium	360 FPS	521 FPS
high	360 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	388 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2275

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
1080p
low	360 FPS	699 FPS
medium	360 FPS	699 FPS
high	360 FPS	699 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	699 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	699 FPS
medium	360 FPS	699 FPS
high	360 FPS	699 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	640 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	699 FPS
medium	360 FPS	618 FPS
high	360 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon W-2275

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon W-2275

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-2275

The Xeon W-2275 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 27,974 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon W-2275 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon W-2275 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon W-2275 — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.3 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-2275's 27,974 — a 64.1% lead for the Xeon W-2275. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 19.25 MB on the Xeon W-2275.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	14 / 28+75%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+2%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	19.25 MB+60%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	—
PassMark	14,397	27,974+94%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	19,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,596
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-2275 uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon W-2275 supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 4 (Xeon W-2275). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 48 (Xeon W-2275) — the Xeon W-2275 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and C422 (Xeon W-2275).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
Socket	LGA1151	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	1024 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	48+200%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon W-2275 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon W-2275). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon W-2275 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Xeon W-2275 targets Professional Content Creation / VFX. Direct competitor: Xeon W-2275 rivals Core i9-10940X.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon W-2275
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Professional Content Creation / VFX

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Xeon W-2275 debuted at $1112. On MSRP ($385 vs $1112), the Core i7-9700K is $727 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 25.2 pts/$ for the Xeon W-2275 — making the Core i7-9700K the 39.1% better value option.