Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs Core i7-9700K

CPU

GPU

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2020

Popular choices:

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Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

4 / 4

7,468

0.0%

Ryzen Embedded R1606G

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

+92.8%

About PassMark

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.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $235 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 33.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 49.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,468 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).

Core i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 49.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

2020

Core i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $235 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 33.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 49.8 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,468 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 49.8 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700K better than Athlon Gold PRO 3150G?

Yes. Core i7-9700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 96.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 92.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

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 96.4% 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, Core i7-9700K is the better fit. You are getting 92.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Core i7-9700K is 156.7% more expensive on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and it gives you a 96.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon Gold PRO 3150G only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. Giving up that much average FPS in the shared benchmark data is simply too much for that budget trade-off.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G 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.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Benchmark Check

Core i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
1080p
low	165 FPS	308 FPS
medium	141 FPS	278 FPS
high	110 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	270 FPS
medium	119 FPS	221 FPS
high	92 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	143 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	170 FPS
medium	58 FPS	140 FPS
high	46 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	95 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Core i7-9700K

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
1080p
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	173 FPS	321 FPS
high	158 FPS	291 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	259 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	324 FPS
medium	147 FPS	282 FPS
high	133 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	225 FPS
4K
low	129 FPS	249 FPS
medium	112 FPS	221 FPS
high	89 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	179 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Core i7-9700K

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
1080p
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	187 FPS	360 FPS
high	187 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	360 FPS
1440p
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	187 FPS	360 FPS
high	187 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	360 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	183 FPS	360 FPS
high	160 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	130 FPS	318 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Core i7-9700K

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
1080p
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	187 FPS	360 FPS
high	187 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	360 FPS
1440p
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	187 FPS	360 FPS
high	187 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	360 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	360 FPS
medium	187 FPS	360 FPS
high	187 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	360 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Core i7-9700K

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon Gold PRO 3150G and Core i7-9700K

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 7,468 points. Launch price was $149.

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.

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Processing Power

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-9700K offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K — a 22.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Core i7-9700K uses Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G scores 7,468 against the Core i7-9700K's 14,397 — a 63.4% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K.

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	8 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.9 GHz+26%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	12 MB (total)+200%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	12 nm-14%	14 nm
Architecture	Picasso (2019−2022)	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)
PassMark	7,468	14,397+93%

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-9700K uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Core i7-9700K supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) vs 16 (Core i7-9700K) — the Core i7-9700K offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) and Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K).

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K). Both include integrated graphics — AMD Radeon Vega 3 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) and UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Core i7-9700K
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G launched at $150 MSRP, while the Core i7-9700K debuted at $385. On MSRP ($150 vs $385), the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is $235 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G delivers 49.8 pts/$ vs 37.4 pts/$ for the Core i7-9700K — making the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G the 28.4% better value option.