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

✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 34,549).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.0% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

2022

Why buy it

✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.0% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 34,549).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $385 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 better than Core i7-9700K?

Yes. Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 43.0% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data, 140% 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 PRO 5945 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 43.0% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is the better fit. You are getting 140% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 43.0% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core i7-9700K only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (37.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018), 433.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 8/8. 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 i7-9700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	308 FPS	164 FPS
medium	278 FPS	136 FPS
high	231 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	149 FPS
medium	221 FPS	119 FPS
high	178 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	83 FPS
medium	140 FPS	72 FPS
high	108 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	46 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	360 FPS	630 FPS
medium	321 FPS	544 FPS
high	291 FPS	434 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	381 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	524 FPS
medium	282 FPS	460 FPS
high	258 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	315 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	307 FPS
medium	221 FPS	271 FPS
high	208 FPS	249 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	221 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	360 FPS	845 FPS
medium	360 FPS	670 FPS
high	360 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	494 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	676 FPS
medium	360 FPS	535 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	387 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	480 FPS
medium	360 FPS	398 FPS
high	360 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	293 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
1080p
low	360 FPS	864 FPS
medium	360 FPS	864 FPS
high	360 FPS	836 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	743 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	864 FPS
medium	360 FPS	757 FPS
high	360 FPS	661 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	566 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	626 FPS
medium	360 FPS	557 FPS
high	360 FPS	490 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	423 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

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 9 PRO 5945

The Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 34,549 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 — a 4.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945's 34,549 — a 82.3% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+4%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	64 MB+433%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	14,397	34,549+140%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	23,200
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,175
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	12,500

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — 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 i7-9700K) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945) — the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and X570,B550,A520,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen 9 PRO 5945
Socket	LGA1151	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	20+25%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop, Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 targets High-end Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 rivals Core i9-12900.