Core i9-9900KS vs Core Ultra 7 266V

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 i9-9900KS

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.7% higher average FPS across 36 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $7 less on MSRP ($513 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌647.1% higher power demand at 127W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 127W, a 110W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900KS across 36 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,274 vs 19,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌
1.4% HIGHER MSRP
$520 MSRPvs$513 MSRP

Core i9-9900KS

2019

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.7% higher average FPS across 36 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $7 less on MSRP ($513 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 127W, a 110W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌647.1% higher power demand at 127W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900KS across 36 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,274 vs 19,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌
1.4% HIGHER MSRP
$520 MSRPvs$513 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900KS better than Core Ultra 7 266V?

Yes. Core i9-9900KS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.7% average FPS lead across 36 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.6% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-9900KS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.7% more average FPS across 36 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-9900KS is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% 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 i9-9900KS is the smarter buy today. Core i9-9900KS is $7 cheaper on MSRP at $513 MSRP versus $520 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.7% average FPS lead across 36 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 2.0% better value on MSRP (37.8 vs 37.1 PassMark/$), 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 266V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 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 i9-9900KS Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 266V Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	301 FPS	272 FPS
medium	273 FPS	243 FPS
high	228 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	266 FPS	230 FPS
medium	218 FPS	185 FPS
high	177 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	161 FPS
medium	139 FPS	130 FPS
high	107 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	449 FPS	236 FPS
medium	369 FPS	195 FPS
high	322 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	155 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	210 FPS
medium	344 FPS	181 FPS
high	298 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	155 FPS
medium	238 FPS	138 FPS
high	226 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	114 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	485 FPS	482 FPS
medium	485 FPS	482 FPS
high	485 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	482 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	482 FPS
medium	485 FPS	482 FPS
high	454 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	468 FPS
4K
low	462 FPS	482 FPS
medium	401 FPS	462 FPS
high	351 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Core Ultra 7 266V

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Core Ultra 7 266V
1080p
low	485 FPS	482 FPS
medium	485 FPS	482 FPS
high	485 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	482 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	482 FPS
medium	485 FPS	482 FPS
high	485 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	482 FPS
4K
low	485 FPS	482 FPS
medium	485 FPS	482 FPS
high	440 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	418 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Core Ultra 7 266V

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900KS and Core Ultra 7 266V

Core i9-9900KS

The Core i9-9900KS is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 October 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 4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 127 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,397 points. Launch price was $513.

Core Ultra 7 266V

The Core Ultra 7 266V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,274 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-9900KS packs 8 cores / 16 threads, matching the Core Ultra 7 266V's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900KS versus 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 266V — identical boost frequencies (base: 4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i9-9900KS uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900KS scores 19,397 against the Core Ultra 7 266V's 19,274 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i9-9900KS. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900KS vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 266V.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Core Ultra 7 266V
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 8
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+82%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+33%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+900%
Process	14 nm	3 nm-79%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	19,397	19,274

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900KS uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Core Ultra 7 266V
Socket	LGA1151	FCBGA2833
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%

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Value Analysis

The Core i9-9900KS launched at $513 MSRP, while the Core Ultra 7 266V debuted at $520. On MSRP ($513 vs $520), the Core i9-9900KS is $7 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9900KS delivers 37.8 pts/$ vs 37.1 pts/$ for the Core Ultra 7 266V — making the Core i9-9900KS the 2% better value option.