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 i9-9900

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $76 less on MSRP ($423 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 17.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 38.4 vs 32.7 PassMark/$ ($423 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 7 1800X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (7,619 vs 9,314).

Ryzen 7 1800X

2017

Why buy it

✅+22.2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 32.7 vs 38.4 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-9900 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-9900.

Core i9-9900

2019

Ryzen 7 1800X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $76 less on MSRP ($423 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 17.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 38.4 vs 32.7 PassMark/$ ($423 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 7 1800X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+22.2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (7,619 vs 9,314).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 32.7 vs 38.4 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $423 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i9-9900 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i9-9900.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900 better than Ryzen 7 1800X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-9900 is ahead with a 27.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 1800X pulls ahead with 22.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 1800X is the better fit. You are getting 22.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i9-9900 is the smarter buy today. Core i9-9900 is $76 cheaper on MSRP at $423 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it gives you a 27.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 1800X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 22.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 17.5% better value on MSRP (38.4 vs 32.7 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 1800X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

Ryzen 7 1800X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i9-9900 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 1800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	292 FPS	213 FPS
medium	259 FPS	178 FPS
high	219 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	240 FPS	178 FPS
medium	191 FPS	146 FPS
high	157 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	70 FPS
medium	135 FPS	61 FPS
high	104 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	38 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Ryzen 7 1800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	406 FPS	284 FPS
medium	406 FPS	251 FPS
high	406 FPS	222 FPS
ultra	403 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	251 FPS
medium	406 FPS	227 FPS
high	406 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	164 FPS
4K
low	397 FPS	182 FPS
medium	337 FPS	169 FPS
high	318 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	273 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Ryzen 7 1800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	408 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	328 FPS
4K
low	406 FPS	376 FPS
medium	406 FPS	310 FPS
high	397 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	331 FPS	222 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Ryzen 7 1800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
1080p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	408 FPS
1440p
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	408 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	406 FPS	408 FPS
medium	406 FPS	408 FPS
high	406 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	353 FPS

Open Core i9-9900 Open Ryzen 7 1800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900 and Ryzen 7 1800X

Core i9-9900

The Core i9-9900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 April 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 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 16,238 points. Launch price was $439.

Ryzen 7 1800X

The Ryzen 7 1800X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 16384 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 16,305 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i9-9900 and Ryzen 7 1800X share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 1800X — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i9-9900 uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 1800X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900 scores 16,238 against the Ryzen 7 1800X's 16,305 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 1800X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 7,619 vs 9,314 (20% advantage for the Ryzen 7 1800X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,637 vs 1,130, a 36.6% lead for the Core i9-9900 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 7,619 vs 5,700 (28.8% advantage for the Core i9-9900). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900 vs 16384 kB on the Ryzen 7 1800X.

Feature	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+25%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz	3.6 GHz+16%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16384 kB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	4096 kB+1500%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	16,238	16,305
Cinebench R23 Multi	7,619	9,314+22%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,637+45%	1,130
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,619+34%	5,700

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 1800X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — 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 i9-9900) vs 20 (Ryzen 7 1800X) — the Ryzen 7 1800X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z390,B365 (Core i9-9900) and AM4 (Ryzen 7 1800X).

Feature	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 1800X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9900) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 1800X). The Core i9-9900 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 7 1800X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 1800X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 1800X rivals Core i7-8700.

Feature	Core i9-9900	Ryzen 7 1800X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-9900 launched at $423 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 1800X debuted at $499. On MSRP ($423 vs $499), the Core i9-9900 is $76 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9900 delivers 38.4 pts/$ vs 32.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 1800X — making the Core i9-9900 the 16.1% better value option.