Core i9-7920X vs Ryzen 7 8840U

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 i9-7920X

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,199 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌400% higher power demand at 140W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 8840U moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen 7 8840U

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 140W, a 112W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,415 vs 23,508).

Core i9-7920X

2017

Ryzen 7 8840U

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 140W, a 112W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840U across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,199 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌400% higher power demand at 140W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 8840U moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,415 vs 23,508).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8840U better than Core i9-7920X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 8840U is ahead with a 26.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-7920X pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-7920X is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 8840U is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 7 8840U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,199 MSRP, and it gives you a 26.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i9-7920X only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (19.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2066.

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

Ryzen 7 8840U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 i9-7920X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 8840U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-7920X	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	163 FPS	255 FPS
medium	142 FPS	235 FPS
high	113 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	170 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	227 FPS
medium	119 FPS	189 FPS
high	94 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	157 FPS
medium	70 FPS	133 FPS
high	55 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core i9-7920X Open Ryzen 7 8840U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-7920X	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	352 FPS	468 FPS
medium	300 FPS	388 FPS
high	274 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	243 FPS	301 FPS
1440p
low	315 FPS	409 FPS
medium	274 FPS	358 FPS
high	249 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	215 FPS	265 FPS
4K
low	227 FPS	269 FPS
medium	201 FPS	247 FPS
high	191 FPS	234 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	202 FPS

Open Core i9-7920X Open Ryzen 7 8840U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-7920X	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	560 FPS	585 FPS
medium	468 FPS	585 FPS
high	420 FPS	585 FPS
ultra	366 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	585 FPS
medium	431 FPS	585 FPS
high	385 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	334 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	390 FPS	521 FPS
medium	322 FPS	458 FPS
high	284 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	231 FPS	345 FPS

Open Core i9-7920X Open Ryzen 7 8840U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-7920X	Ryzen 7 8840U
1080p
low	588 FPS	585 FPS
medium	588 FPS	585 FPS
high	588 FPS	585 FPS
ultra	588 FPS	585 FPS
1440p
low	588 FPS	585 FPS
medium	588 FPS	585 FPS
high	579 FPS	585 FPS
ultra	502 FPS	548 FPS
4K
low	531 FPS	559 FPS
medium	480 FPS	501 FPS
high	424 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	366 FPS	384 FPS

Open Core i9-7920X Open Ryzen 7 8840U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-7920X and Ryzen 7 8840U

Core i9-7920X

The Core i9-7920X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 September 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 23,508 points. Launch price was $1,199.

Ryzen 7 8840U

The Ryzen 7 8840U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 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): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,415 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-7920X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8840U offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-7920X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-7920X versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8840U — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8840U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i9-7920X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 8840U uses Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-7920X scores 23,508 against the Ryzen 7 8840U's 23,415 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i9-7920X. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total) on the Core i9-7920X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8840U.

Feature	Core i9-7920X	Ryzen 7 8840U
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.3 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	16.5 MB (total)+3%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)
PassMark	23,508	23,415

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-7920X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 8840U uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.