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 i9-9900

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.9% higher average FPS across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core Ultra 7 155U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 7 155U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $423 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900 across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,185 vs 16,238).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-9900 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-9900.

Core i9-9900

2019

Core Ultra 7 155U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.9% higher average FPS across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Core Ultra 7 155U needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Core Ultra 7 155U.

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on FCBGA2049 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $423 MSRP, while Core Ultra 7 155U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 155U moves to FCBGA2049 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900 across 44 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,185 vs 16,238).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-9900 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-9900.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900 better than Core Ultra 7 155U?

Yes. Core i9-9900 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.9% average FPS lead across 44 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9900 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.9% more average FPS across 44 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900 is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Core i9-9900 is the smarter buy today. Core i9-9900 is at an unclear MSRP at $423 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 14.9% average FPS lead across 44 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core Ultra 7 155U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2049 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151. 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 i9-9900 Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 155U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	292 FPS	276 FPS
medium	259 FPS	248 FPS
high	219 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	230 FPS
medium	191 FPS	185 FPS
high	157 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	160 FPS
medium	135 FPS	130 FPS
high	104 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	88 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	406 FPS	214 FPS
medium	406 FPS	176 FPS
high	406 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	403 FPS	140 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	181 FPS
medium	406 FPS	155 FPS
high	406 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	397 FPS	141 FPS
medium	337 FPS	124 FPS
high	318 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	273 FPS	101 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	406 FPS	405 FPS
medium	406 FPS	405 FPS
high	406 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	405 FPS
medium	406 FPS	405 FPS
high	406 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	406 FPS	405 FPS
medium	406 FPS	405 FPS
high	397 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	331 FPS	342 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900	Core Ultra 7 155U
1080p
low	406 FPS	405 FPS
medium	406 FPS	405 FPS
high	406 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	405 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	405 FPS
medium	406 FPS	405 FPS
high	406 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	406 FPS	405 FPS
medium	406 FPS	405 FPS
high	406 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	403 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Core Ultra 7 155U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900 and Core Ultra 7 155U

Core i9-9900

The Core i9-9900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 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): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 16,238 points. Launch price was $439.

Core Ultra 7 155U

The Core Ultra 7 155U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Meteor Lake-P (2023) architecture. It features 12 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2049. Thermal design power (TDP): + 12 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,185 points. Launch price was $490.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-9900 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 155U offers 12 cores / 14 threads — the Core Ultra 7 155U has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900 versus 4.8 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 155U — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Core i9-9900 uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 155U uses Meteor Lake-P (2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900 scores 16,238 against the Core Ultra 7 155U's 16,185 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i9-9900. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 155U.

Feature	Core i9-9900	Core Ultra 7 155U
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 14+50%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+4%	4.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+82%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+33%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+700%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Meteor Lake-P (2023)
PassMark	16,238	16,185
Cinebench R23 Multi	7,619	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,637	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,619	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 7 155U uses FCBGA2049 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9900	Core Ultra 7 155U
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA2049
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
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 i9-9900) / not specified (Core Ultra 7 155U). The Core i9-9900 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Core Ultra 7 155U requires a dedicated GPU.