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

✅Better for gaming: +39.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen AI 5 330 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌
10% HIGHER MSRP
$385 MSRPvs$350 MSRP
❌239.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $35 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 28W instead of 95W, a 67W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,794 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen AI 5 330 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Costs $35 less on MSRP ($350 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅Draws 28W instead of 95W, a 67W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
10% HIGHER MSRP
$385 MSRPvs$350 MSRP
❌239.3% higher power demand at 95W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-9700K across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (12,794 vs 14,397).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-9700K better than Ryzen AI 5 330?

Yes. Core i7-9700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 39.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 12.5% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-9700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 39.8% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-9700K is the better fit. You are getting 12.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i7-9700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-9700K is 10.0% more expensive on MSRP at $385 MSRP versus $350 MSRP, and it gives you a 39.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 2.3% better value on MSRP (37.4 vs 36.6 PassMark/$), 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 AI 5 330 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2018) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151. 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 AI 5 330 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	308 FPS	169 FPS
medium	278 FPS	136 FPS
high	231 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	142 FPS
medium	221 FPS	113 FPS
high	178 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	79 FPS
medium	140 FPS	67 FPS
high	108 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	42 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	360 FPS	168 FPS
medium	321 FPS	142 FPS
high	291 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	142 FPS
medium	282 FPS	122 FPS
high	258 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	97 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	101 FPS
medium	221 FPS	90 FPS
high	208 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	65 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	360 FPS	320 FPS
medium	360 FPS	320 FPS
high	360 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	320 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	320 FPS
medium	360 FPS	320 FPS
high	360 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	320 FPS
medium	360 FPS	320 FPS
high	360 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen AI 5 330

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	360 FPS	320 FPS
medium	360 FPS	320 FPS
high	360 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	320 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	320 FPS
medium	360 FPS	320 FPS
high	360 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	320 FPS
medium	360 FPS	320 FPS
high	360 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	320 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen AI 5 330

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 AI 5 330

The Ryzen AI 5 330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Krackan Point 2 (2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5, LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 12,794 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen AI 5 330 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-9700K has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen AI 5 330 — a 8.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 uses Krackan Point 2 (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen AI 5 330's 12,794 — a 11.8% lead for the Core i7-9700K. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 4 MB on the Ryzen AI 5 330.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+9%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Krackan Point 2 (2025)
PassMark	14,397+13%	12,794

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
Socket	LGA1151	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) / not specified (Ryzen AI 5 330). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen AI 5 330
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 5 330 debuted at $350. On MSRP ($385 vs $350), the Ryzen AI 5 330 is $35 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 36.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen AI 5 330 — making the Core i7-9700K the 2.3% better value option.