Core i9-9900K vs Ryzen 7 4800HS

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 i9-9900K

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +32.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 7 4800HS needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $488 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4800HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Ryzen 7 4800HS

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,016 vs 18,109).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-9900K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i9-9900K

2018

Ryzen 7 4800HS

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +32.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Intel UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 7 4800HS needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $488 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4800HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,016 vs 18,109).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-9900K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900K better than Ryzen 7 4800HS?

Yes. Core i9-9900K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 32.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.5% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9900K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 32.1% 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, Core i9-9900K is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i9-9900K is the smarter buy today. Core i9-9900K is at an unclear MSRP at $488 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 32.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 7 4800HS 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 i9-9900K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 4800HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900K	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	274 FPS	173 FPS
medium	248 FPS	141 FPS
high	208 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	238 FPS	148 FPS
medium	195 FPS	119 FPS
high	159 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	69 FPS
medium	136 FPS	60 FPS
high	106 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i9-9900K Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900K	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	453 FPS	351 FPS
medium	404 FPS	292 FPS
high	355 FPS	257 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	429 FPS	302 FPS
medium	376 FPS	258 FPS
high	329 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	284 FPS	198 FPS
4K
low	288 FPS	244 FPS
medium	260 FPS	217 FPS
high	249 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-9900K Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900K	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	453 FPS	450 FPS
medium	453 FPS	450 FPS
high	453 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	453 FPS	450 FPS
medium	453 FPS	450 FPS
high	453 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	435 FPS	400 FPS
4K
low	453 FPS	445 FPS
medium	447 FPS	377 FPS
high	392 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	271 FPS

Open Core i9-9900K Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900K	Ryzen 7 4800HS
1080p
low	453 FPS	450 FPS
medium	453 FPS	450 FPS
high	453 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	453 FPS	450 FPS
medium	453 FPS	450 FPS
high	453 FPS	450 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	401 FPS
4K
low	453 FPS	434 FPS
medium	453 FPS	392 FPS
high	453 FPS	348 FPS
ultra	391 FPS	292 FPS

Open Core i9-9900K Open Ryzen 7 4800HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 7 4800HS

Core i9-9900K

The Core i9-9900K 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 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 18,109 points. Launch price was $488.

Ryzen 7 4800HS

The Ryzen 7 4800HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,016 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 7 4800HS share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900K versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4800HS — a 17.4% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Core i9-9900K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4800HS uses Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900K scores 18,109 against the Ryzen 7 4800HS's 18,016 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i9-9900K. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900K vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4800HS.

Feature	Core i9-9900K	Ryzen 7 4800HS
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+19%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+24%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+100%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Renoir-HS (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark	18,109	18,016

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 4800HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.