Core i7-9700KF vs Ryzen 5 4600H

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 i7-9700KF

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +45.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $374 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4600H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.

Ryzen 5 4600H

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,173 vs 14,250).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Core i7-9700KF

2019

Ryzen 5 4600H

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +45.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 95W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $374 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 4600H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌111.1% higher power demand at 95W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700KF across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,173 vs 14,250).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700KF better than Ryzen 5 4600H?

Yes. Core i7-9700KF is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 45.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.5% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-9700KF is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 45.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-9700KF is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Core i7-9700KF is the smarter buy today. Core i7-9700KF is at an unclear MSRP at $374 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 45.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (38.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 5 4600H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019). 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 i7-9700KF Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 4600H Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700KF	Ryzen 5 4600H
1080p
low	334 FPS	173 FPS
medium	293 FPS	141 FPS
high	245 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	278 FPS	148 FPS
medium	219 FPS	119 FPS
high	178 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	175 FPS	69 FPS
medium	139 FPS	60 FPS
high	106 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-9700KF Open Ryzen 5 4600H

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700KF	Ryzen 5 4600H
1080p
low	356 FPS	267 FPS
medium	356 FPS	224 FPS
high	356 FPS	196 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	153 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	225 FPS
medium	356 FPS	193 FPS
high	319 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	337 FPS	192 FPS
medium	281 FPS	171 FPS
high	258 FPS	149 FPS
ultra	223 FPS	114 FPS

Open Core i7-9700KF Open Ryzen 5 4600H

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700KF	Ryzen 5 4600H
1080p
low	356 FPS	354 FPS
medium	356 FPS	354 FPS
high	356 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	354 FPS
medium	356 FPS	354 FPS
high	356 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	356 FPS	354 FPS
medium	356 FPS	353 FPS
high	356 FPS	301 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core i7-9700KF Open Ryzen 5 4600H

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700KF	Ryzen 5 4600H
1080p
low	356 FPS	354 FPS
medium	356 FPS	354 FPS
high	356 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	354 FPS
medium	356 FPS	354 FPS
high	356 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	354 FPS
4K
low	356 FPS	354 FPS
medium	356 FPS	354 FPS
high	356 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	356 FPS	287 FPS

Open Core i7-9700KF Open Ryzen 5 4600H

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700KF and Ryzen 5 4600H

Core i7-9700KF

The Core i7-9700KF 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 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: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 14,250 points. Launch price was $374.

Ryzen 5 4600H

The Ryzen 5 4600H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-H (Zen 2) (2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,173 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-9700KF packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 4600H offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i7-9700KF has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700KF versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4600H — a 20.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700KF (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-9700KF uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4600H uses Renoir-H (Zen 2) (2020) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700KF scores 14,250 against the Ryzen 5 4600H's 14,173 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-9700KF. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700KF vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4600H.

Feature	Core i7-9700KF	Ryzen 5 4600H
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+23%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake (2017−2019)	Renoir-H (Zen 2) (2020)
PassMark	14,250	14,173
Geekbench 6 Single	1,659	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,072	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700KF uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 4600H uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.