Core i7-9700K vs EPYC 7303P

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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EPYC 7303P

16 Cores32 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2023

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

0.0%

36,487

+153.4%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

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.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $209 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 130W, a 35W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7303P needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 36,487).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7303P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).

EPYC 7303P

2023

Why buy it

✅+153.4% higher PassMark.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 64.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
54.3% HIGHER MSRP
$594 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌36.8% higher power demand at 130W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

EPYC 7303P

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $209 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 130W, a 35W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while EPYC 7303P needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+153.4% higher PassMark.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 64.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 61.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 36,487).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 7303P, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 61.4 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌
54.3% HIGHER MSRP
$594 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌36.8% higher power demand at 130W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 7303P better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 7303P 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 streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 7303P is the better fit. You are getting 153.4% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

EPYC 7303P is the smarter buy today. EPYC 7303P is 54.3% more expensive on MSRP at $594 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you 153.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-9700K is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 15.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 64.3% better value on MSRP (61.4 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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?

EPYC 7303P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 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 extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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

EPYC 7303P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	308 FPS	159 FPS
medium	278 FPS	130 FPS
high	231 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	141 FPS
medium	221 FPS	113 FPS
high	178 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	71 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	68 FPS
medium	140 FPS	57 FPS
high	108 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7303P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	360 FPS	390 FPS
medium	321 FPS	346 FPS
high	291 FPS	283 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	329 FPS
medium	282 FPS	297 FPS
high	258 FPS	251 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	192 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	203 FPS
medium	221 FPS	186 FPS
high	208 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	127 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7303P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	360 FPS	644 FPS
medium	360 FPS	526 FPS
high	360 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	411 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	499 FPS
medium	360 FPS	406 FPS
high	360 FPS	356 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	310 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	368 FPS
medium	360 FPS	286 FPS
high	360 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	197 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7303P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
1080p
low	360 FPS	885 FPS
medium	360 FPS	806 FPS
high	360 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	610 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	696 FPS
medium	360 FPS	608 FPS
high	360 FPS	521 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	446 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	498 FPS
medium	360 FPS	445 FPS
high	360 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	337 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open EPYC 7303P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and EPYC 7303P

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.

EPYC 7303P

The EPYC 7303P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 September 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 36,487 points. Launch price was $594.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the EPYC 7303P offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the EPYC 7303P has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.4 GHz on the EPYC 7303P — a 36.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the EPYC 7303P uses Milan (2021−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the EPYC 7303P's 36,487 — a 86.8% lead for the EPYC 7303P. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB (total) on the EPYC 7303P.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+44%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Milan (2021−2023)
PassMark	14,397	36,487+153%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the EPYC 7303P uses SP3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 3200 on the EPYC 7303P — the EPYC 7303P supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The EPYC 7303P 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 (EPYC 7303P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (EPYC 7303P) — the EPYC 7303P offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and SP3 (EPYC 7303P).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
Socket	LGA1151	SP3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	3200+79900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+3276700%	4096
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the EPYC 7303P supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V, IOMMU (EPYC 7303P). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the EPYC 7303P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: EPYC 7303P rivals Xeon Gold 6330.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	EPYC 7303P
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, IOMMU
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the EPYC 7303P debuted at $594. On MSRP ($385 vs $594), the Core i7-9700K is $209 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 61.4 pts/$ for the EPYC 7303P — making the EPYC 7303P the 48.6% better value option.