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 i7-9700K

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $15 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 34,827).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 87.1 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 132.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 87.1 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
3.9% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $15 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +96.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Delivers 132.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 87.1 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 34,827).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 87.1 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
3.9% HIGHER MSRP
$400 MSRPvs$385 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 96.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 141.9% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 96.0% 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, Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is the better fit. You are getting 141.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is 3.9% more expensive on MSRP at $400 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 96.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 132.8% better value on MSRP (87.1 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 7 PRO 7745 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/8. 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 i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
1080p
low	308 FPS	248 FPS
medium	278 FPS	231 FPS
high	231 FPS	200 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	218 FPS
medium	221 FPS	183 FPS
high	178 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	152 FPS
medium	140 FPS	127 FPS
high	108 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	86 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
1080p
low	360 FPS	616 FPS
medium	321 FPS	516 FPS
high	291 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	525 FPS
medium	282 FPS	461 FPS
high	258 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	331 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	308 FPS
medium	221 FPS	276 FPS
high	208 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	228 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
1080p
low	360 FPS	871 FPS
medium	360 FPS	871 FPS
high	360 FPS	871 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	871 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	871 FPS
medium	360 FPS	870 FPS
high	360 FPS	788 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	581 FPS
medium	360 FPS	499 FPS
high	360 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
1080p
low	360 FPS	871 FPS
medium	360 FPS	871 FPS
high	360 FPS	871 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	847 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	871 FPS
medium	360 FPS	871 FPS
high	360 FPS	765 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	646 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	680 FPS
medium	360 FPS	599 FPS
high	360 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

Core i7-9700K

The Core i7-9700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) 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. Passmark benchmark score: 14,397 points. Launch price was $374.

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

The Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 June 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 34,827 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 — a 7.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 uses Raphael (2023−2025) (5 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745's 34,827 — a 83% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.3 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raphael (2023−2025)
PassMark	14,397	34,827+142%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Core i7-9700K versus 5200 on the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 — the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 supports 199.7% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 PRO 7745) — the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and AM5 (Ryzen 7 PRO 7745).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
Socket	LGA1151	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	5200+129900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+104857500%	128
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V, IOMMU (Ryzen 7 PRO 7745). Both include integrated graphics — UHD Graphics 630 (Core i7-9700K) and AMD Radeon Graphics (Ryzen 7 PRO 7745) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 rivals Core i7-13700.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 7 PRO 7745
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	AMD Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V, IOMMU
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 debuted at $400. On MSRP ($385 vs $400), the Core i7-9700K is $15 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 87.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 — making the Ryzen 7 PRO 7745 the 79.8% better value option.