Core i5-9600KF
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Ryzen 3 7330U
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Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 i5-9600KF
2019Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +14.6% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
Trade-offs
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $262 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 7330U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.
Ryzen 3 7330U
2023Why buy it
- ✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-9600KF across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (10,645 vs 10,646).
Core i5-9600KF
2019Ryzen 3 7330U
2023Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +14.6% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
Why buy it
- ✅Draws 15W instead of 95W, a 80W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $262 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 7330U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌533.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 15W.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-9600KF across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (10,645 vs 10,646).
Quick Answers
So, is Core i5-9600KF better than Ryzen 3 7330U?
Which one is better for gaming?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Games Benchmarks
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.
Path of Exile 2
| Preset | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 211 FPS | 170 FPS |
| medium | 171 FPS | 144 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 114 FPS |
| ultra | 101 FPS | 93 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 180 FPS | 146 FPS |
| medium | 144 FPS | 122 FPS |
| high | 115 FPS | 97 FPS |
| ultra | 86 FPS | 79 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 91 FPS | 78 FPS |
| medium | 78 FPS | 70 FPS |
| high | 62 FPS | 55 FPS |
| ultra | 48 FPS | 43 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 233 FPS |
| high | 266 FPS | 213 FPS |
| ultra | 254 FPS | 183 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 233 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 205 FPS |
| high | 261 FPS | 190 FPS |
| ultra | 227 FPS | 161 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 181 FPS |
| medium | 243 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 218 FPS | 140 FPS |
| ultra | 185 FPS | 116 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| high | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| ultra | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| high | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| ultra | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 249 FPS | 266 FPS |
| high | 211 FPS | 243 FPS |
| ultra | 166 FPS | 191 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| high | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| ultra | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| high | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| ultra | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| medium | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| high | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
| ultra | 266 FPS | 266 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-9600KF and Ryzen 3 7330U
Core i5-9600KF
Core i5-9600KF
The Core i5-9600KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 10,646 points. Launch price was $262.
Ryzen 3 7330U
Ryzen 3 7330U
The Ryzen 3 7330U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Barcelo (Zen 3) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 10,645 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i5-9600KF packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 3 7330U offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-9600KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-9600KF versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 3 7330U — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-9600KF (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i5-9600KF uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 7330U uses Barcelo (Zen 3) (2022−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-9600KF scores 10,646 against the Ryzen 3 7330U's 10,645 — a 0% lead for the Core i5-9600KF. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-9600KF vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 7330U.
| Feature | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 6+50% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 4.6 GHz+7% | 4.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.7 GHz+61% | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 9 MB (total)+13% | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm | 7 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Barcelo (Zen 3) (2022−2023) |
| PassMark | 10,646 | 10,645 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 7,301 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,600 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 6,200 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-9600KF uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 7330U uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | FP6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| 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 i5-9600KF) / not specified (Ryzen 3 7330U). Primary use case: Core i5-9600KF targets Desktop.
| Feature | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 3 7330U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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