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 $954 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,339 MSRP).
✅Delivers 10.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 33.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,339 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 290W, a 195W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon w5-3525 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w5-3525 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 45,311).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w5-3525, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 112 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Xeon w5-3525 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon w5-3525

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +99.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 112 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅600% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,339 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌205.3% higher power demand at 290W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Xeon w5-3525

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $954 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,339 MSRP).
✅Delivers 10.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 37.4 vs 33.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,339 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 290W, a 195W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Xeon w5-3525 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +99.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 112 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅600% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w5-3525 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 45,311).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w5-3525, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 112 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Xeon w5-3525 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 33.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,339 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
❌205.3% higher power demand at 290W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon w5-3525 better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon w5-3525 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 w5-3525 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 99.0% 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 w5-3525 is the better fit. You are getting 214.7% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon w5-3525 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon w5-3525 is 247.8% more expensive on MSRP at $1,339 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 99.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 10.5% better value on paper (37.4 vs 33.8 PassMark/$), 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 w5-3525 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 275% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 12 MB), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/8, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 w5-3525 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
1080p
low	308 FPS	299 FPS
medium	278 FPS	285 FPS
high	231 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	192 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	269 FPS
medium	221 FPS	231 FPS
high	178 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	152 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	183 FPS
medium	140 FPS	156 FPS
high	108 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	105 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon w5-3525

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
1080p
low	360 FPS	688 FPS
medium	321 FPS	594 FPS
high	291 FPS	478 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	423 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	551 FPS
medium	282 FPS	487 FPS
high	258 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	324 FPS
medium	221 FPS	287 FPS
high	208 FPS	266 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	231 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon w5-3525

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
1080p
low	360 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	360 FPS	1045 FPS
high	360 FPS	967 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	829 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	994 FPS
medium	360 FPS	880 FPS
high	360 FPS	798 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	593 FPS
medium	360 FPS	510 FPS
high	360 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	395 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon w5-3525

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
1080p
low	360 FPS	1133 FPS
medium	360 FPS	1015 FPS
high	360 FPS	999 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	866 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	1061 FPS
medium	360 FPS	918 FPS
high	360 FPS	794 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	791 FPS
medium	360 FPS	688 FPS
high	360 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Xeon w5-3525

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Xeon w5-3525

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 w5-3525

The Xeon w5-3525 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 August 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 290 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 45,311 points. Launch price was $1,339.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon w5-3525 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon w5-3525 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon w5-3525 — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon w5-3525 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Xeon w5-3525's 45,311 — a 103.6% lead for the Xeon w5-3525. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 45 MB on the Xeon w5-3525.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+2%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	45 MB+275%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	14,397	45,311+215%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon w5-3525 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 4800 on the Xeon w5-3525 — the Xeon w5-3525 supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon w5-3525 supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (Xeon w5-3525). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 112 (Xeon w5-3525) — the Xeon w5-3525 offers 96 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and W790 (Xeon w5-3525).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
Socket	LGA1151	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	4800+119900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	112+600%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Xeon w5-3525 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon w5-3525 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon w5-3525 rivals Threadripper PRO 7955WX.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Xeon w5-3525
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Xeon w5-3525 debuted at $1339. On MSRP ($385 vs $1339), the Core i7-9700K is $954 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 33.8 pts/$ for the Xeon w5-3525 — making the Core i7-9700K the 10% better value option.