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: +14.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌95.4% higher power demand at 127W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $354 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 221.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 127W, a 62W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900KS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 19,397).

Core i9-9900KS

2019

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Why buy it

✅Costs $354 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Delivers 221.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 127W, a 62W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌95.4% higher power demand at 127W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900KS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 19,397).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900KS better than Ryzen 5 5500?

Yes. Core i9-9900KS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.4% 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 14.3% more average FPS across 4 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 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i9-9900KS is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Core i9-9900KS is 222.6% more expensive on MSRP at $513 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5500 is also 221.2% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 37.8 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 5500 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Ryzen 5 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 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 i9-9900KS Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5500 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
1080p
low	301 FPS	181 FPS
medium	273 FPS	150 FPS
high	228 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	266 FPS	153 FPS
medium	218 FPS	124 FPS
high	177 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	70 FPS
medium	139 FPS	61 FPS
high	107 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 5 5500

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
1080p
low	449 FPS	329 FPS
medium	369 FPS	285 FPS
high	322 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	221 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	291 FPS
medium	344 FPS	258 FPS
high	298 FPS	233 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	201 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	229 FPS
medium	238 FPS	206 FPS
high	226 FPS	189 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	162 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 5 5500

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
1080p
low	485 FPS	483 FPS
medium	485 FPS	483 FPS
high	485 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	406 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	483 FPS
medium	485 FPS	411 FPS
high	454 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	300 FPS
4K
low	462 FPS	340 FPS
medium	401 FPS	285 FPS
high	351 FPS	248 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	192 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 5 5500

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
1080p
low	485 FPS	483 FPS
medium	485 FPS	483 FPS
high	485 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	483 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	483 FPS
medium	485 FPS	483 FPS
high	485 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	425 FPS
4K
low	485 FPS	448 FPS
medium	485 FPS	404 FPS
high	440 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	308 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 5 5500

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900KS and Ryzen 5 5500

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.

Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,311 points. Launch price was $159.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-9900KS packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5500 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-9900KS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900KS versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 — a 17.4% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900KS (base: 4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i9-9900KS uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5500 uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900KS scores 19,397 against the Ryzen 5 5500's 19,311 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i9-9900KS. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900KS vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz+19%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+11%	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Cezanne (2021−2025)
PassMark	19,397	19,311

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900KS uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 5500 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-9900KS) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5500). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500 targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 5 5500
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-9900KS launched at $513 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5500 debuted at $159. On MSRP ($513 vs $159), the Ryzen 5 5500 is $354 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9900KS delivers 37.8 pts/$ vs 121.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5500 — making the Ryzen 5 5500 the 105% better value option.