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

✅Costs $186 less on MSRP ($513 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,397 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +60.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 135.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 127W, a 7W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
36.3% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$513 MSRP

Core i9-9900KS

2019

Ryzen 9 7950X3D

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $186 less on MSRP ($513 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +60.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 135.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.2 vs 37.8 PassMark/$ ($699 MSRP vs $513 MSRP).
✅Draws 120W instead of 127W, a 7W reduction.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (28 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7950X3D across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,397 vs 62,323).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.8 vs 89.2 PassMark/$ ($513 MSRP vs $699 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 7950X3D can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
36.3% HIGHER MSRP
$699 MSRPvs$513 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7950X3D better than Core i9-9900KS?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 60.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 221.3% 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 9 7950X3D is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 60.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 16 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the better fit. You are getting 221.3% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 7950X3D is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 7950X3D is 36.3% more expensive on MSRP at $699 MSRP versus $513 MSRP, and it gives you a 60.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 135.8% better value on MSRP (89.2 vs 37.8 PassMark/$), 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 9 7950X3D is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 16 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i9-9900KS Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7950X3D Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	301 FPS	291 FPS
medium	273 FPS	265 FPS
high	228 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	266 FPS	275 FPS
medium	218 FPS	227 FPS
high	177 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	156 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	190 FPS
medium	139 FPS	156 FPS
high	107 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	107 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	449 FPS	734 FPS
medium	369 FPS	627 FPS
high	322 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	393 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	602 FPS
medium	344 FPS	536 FPS
high	298 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	338 FPS
medium	238 FPS	305 FPS
high	226 FPS	268 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	229 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	485 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	485 FPS	1122 FPS
high	485 FPS	1062 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	875 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	936 FPS
medium	485 FPS	845 FPS
high	454 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	462 FPS	574 FPS
medium	401 FPS	498 FPS
high	351 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	378 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
1080p
low	485 FPS	1082 FPS
medium	485 FPS	973 FPS
high	485 FPS	854 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	766 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	853 FPS
medium	485 FPS	751 FPS
high	485 FPS	659 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	569 FPS
4K
low	485 FPS	623 FPS
medium	485 FPS	555 FPS
high	440 FPS	493 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	426 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900KS and Ryzen 9 7950X3D

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 9 7950X3D

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.7 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,323 points. Launch price was $699.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-9900KS packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen 9 7950X3D has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900KS versus 5.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — a 13.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (base: 4 GHz vs 4.2 GHz). The Core i9-9900KS uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900KS scores 19,397 against the Ryzen 9 7950X3D's 62,323 — a 105.1% lead for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900KS vs 128 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.7 GHz+14%
Base Clock	4 GHz	4.2 GHz+5%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	128 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	19,397	62,323+221%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	38,581
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,926
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	19,643

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900KS uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Socket	LGA1151	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-9900KS) / true (Ryzen 9 7950X3D). The Ryzen 9 7950X3D includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics), while the Core i9-9900KS requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7950X3D rivals Core i9-13900K.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon Graphics
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-9900KS launched at $513 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 7950X3D debuted at $699. On MSRP ($513 vs $699), the Core i9-9900KS is $186 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9900KS delivers 37.8 pts/$ vs 89.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D — making the Ryzen 9 7950X3D the 80.9% better value option.