Core i9-9940X
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Ryzen 7 7840H
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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 i9-9940X
2018Why buy it
- ✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
- ✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $1,387 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌371.4% higher power demand at 165W vs 35W.
- ❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7840H moves to FP8 and DDR5.
Ryzen 7 7840H
2023Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +30.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅Draws 35W instead of 165W, a 130W reduction.
- ✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (27,832 vs 28,088).
- ❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).
Core i9-9940X
2018Ryzen 7 7840H
2023Why buy it
- ✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
- ✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +30.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅Draws 35W instead of 165W, a 130W reduction.
- ✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840H across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $1,387 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840H mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌371.4% higher power demand at 165W vs 35W.
- ❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7840H moves to FP8 and DDR5.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark (27,832 vs 28,088).
- ❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).
Quick Answers
So, is Ryzen 7 7840H better than Core i9-9940X?
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 i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 169 FPS | 268 FPS |
| medium | 149 FPS | 241 FPS |
| high | 119 FPS | 206 FPS |
| ultra | 98 FPS | 176 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 141 FPS | 234 FPS |
| medium | 121 FPS | 191 FPS |
| high | 97 FPS | 158 FPS |
| ultra | 81 FPS | 138 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 77 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 70 FPS | 132 FPS |
| high | 55 FPS | 102 FPS |
| ultra | 43 FPS | 89 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 499 FPS | 499 FPS |
| medium | 430 FPS | 415 FPS |
| high | 367 FPS | 358 FPS |
| ultra | 333 FPS | 318 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 431 FPS | 437 FPS |
| medium | 378 FPS | 383 FPS |
| high | 326 FPS | 331 FPS |
| ultra | 284 FPS | 280 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 267 FPS | 290 FPS |
| medium | 233 FPS | 265 FPS |
| high | 219 FPS | 250 FPS |
| ultra | 190 FPS | 215 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | Core i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| medium | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| high | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| ultra | 645 FPS | 650 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| medium | 659 FPS | 637 FPS |
| high | 624 FPS | 548 FPS |
| ultra | 554 FPS | 464 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 492 FPS | 534 FPS |
| medium | 414 FPS | 460 FPS |
| high | 371 FPS | 409 FPS |
| ultra | 306 FPS | 344 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | Core i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| medium | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| high | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| ultra | 690 FPS | 696 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| medium | 702 FPS | 696 FPS |
| high | 649 FPS | 696 FPS |
| ultra | 567 FPS | 631 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 587 FPS | 619 FPS |
| medium | 532 FPS | 553 FPS |
| high | 476 FPS | 496 FPS |
| ultra | 416 FPS | 434 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9940X and Ryzen 7 7840H
Core i9-9940X
Core i9-9940X
The Core i9-9940X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 28,088 points. Launch price was $1,387.
Ryzen 7 7840H
Ryzen 7 7840H
The Ryzen 7 7840H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600. Passmark benchmark score: 27,832 points. Launch price was $299.
Processing Power
The Core i9-9940X packs 14 cores / 28 threads, while the Ryzen 7 7840H offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-9940X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9940X versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7840H — a 12.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840H (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i9-9940X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7840H uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9940X scores 28,088 against the Ryzen 7 7840H's 27,832 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i9-9940X. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-9940X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 7840H.
| Feature | Core i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 14 / 28+75% | 8 / 16 |
| Boost Clock | 4.5 GHz | 5.1 GHz+13% |
| Base Clock | 3.3 GHz | 3.8 GHz+15% |
| L3 Cache | 19.25 MB (total)+20% | 16 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm | 4 nm-71% |
| Architecture | Skylake (server) (2017−2018) | Phoenix (2023−2024) |
| PassMark | 28,088 | 27,832 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i9-9940X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 7840H uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2066 | FP8 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2666 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 128 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 44 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9940X) / not specified (Ryzen 7 7840H). Primary use case: Core i9-9940X targets Workstation.
| Feature | Core i9-9940X | Ryzen 7 7840H |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | Yes | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Workstation | — |
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