Core i7-9700K vs Ryzen 3 3100

CPU

GPU

Core i7-9700K

8 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2018

Popular choices:

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Ryzen 3 3100

4 Cores8 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2020

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9700K

8 / 8

14,397

+20.7%

11,928

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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: +20.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 3 3100 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $286 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 222.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 14,397).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 3 3100 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $286 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Delivers 222.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 14,397).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700K better than Ryzen 3 3100?

Yes. Core i7-9700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 20.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 20.7% 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 20.8% more average FPS across 2 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 20.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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 288.9% more expensive on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 20.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 3100 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. At roughly 11,928 PassMark with 4 cores and 8 threads, it only makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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

Ryzen 3 3100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018) and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 12 MB). 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 i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 3100 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	308 FPS	166 FPS
medium	278 FPS	136 FPS
high	231 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	144 FPS
medium	221 FPS	115 FPS
high	178 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	68 FPS
medium	140 FPS	58 FPS
high	108 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 3100

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	360 FPS	271 FPS
medium	321 FPS	228 FPS
high	291 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	147 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	231 FPS
medium	282 FPS	200 FPS
high	258 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	165 FPS
medium	221 FPS	148 FPS
high	208 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 3100

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	360 FPS	298 FPS
high	360 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	298 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	360 FPS	298 FPS
high	360 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	298 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	360 FPS	268 FPS
high	360 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	179 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 3100

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
1080p
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	360 FPS	298 FPS
high	360 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	298 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	360 FPS	298 FPS
high	360 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	298 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	298 FPS
medium	360 FPS	298 FPS
high	360 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	298 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 3 3100

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 3 3100

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.

Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,928 points. Launch price was $99.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 3 3100 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 — a 22.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 3100 uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 3 3100's 11,928 — a 18.8% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+26%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	14,397+21%	11,928

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 3100 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 24 (Ryzen 3 3100) — the Ryzen 3 3100 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 3 3100).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 3 3100). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 3 3100 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 3 3100 targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 3 3100
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 3100 debuted at $99. On MSRP ($385 vs $99), the Ryzen 3 3100 is $286 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 120.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 3100 — making the Ryzen 3 3100 the 105.3% better value option.