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 $952 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,337 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 280W, a 185W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 62,261).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 46.6 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,337 MSRP).

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.2% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 24.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 46.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,337 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
247.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,337 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌194.7% higher power demand at 280W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i7-9700K

2018

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $952 less on MSRP ($385 MSRP vs $1,337 MSRP).
✅Draws 95W instead of 280W, a 185W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with UHD Graphics 630, while Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +29.2% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 128 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Delivers 24.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 46.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$ ($1,337 MSRP vs $385 MSRP).
✅700% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,397 vs 62,261).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 128 PCIe lanes.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.4 vs 46.6 PassMark/$ ($385 MSRP vs $1,337 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
247.3% HIGHER MSRP
$1,337 MSRPvs$385 MSRP
❌194.7% higher power demand at 280W vs 95W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-9700K can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX better than Core i7-9700K?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i7-9700K is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 29.2% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 128 MB vs 12 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is the better fit. You are getting 332.5% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 966.7% larger total L3 cache (128 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is the smarter buy today. Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is 247.3% more expensive on MSRP at $1,337 MSRP versus $385 MSRP, and it gives you a 29.2% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 24.5% better value on MSRP (46.6 vs 37.4 PassMark/$), 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 Threadripper PRO 3975WX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 128 MB L3 cache instead of 12 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 threads instead of 8/8. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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 Threadripper PRO 3975WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
1080p
low	308 FPS	183 FPS
medium	278 FPS	149 FPS
high	231 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	182 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	270 FPS	160 FPS
medium	221 FPS	127 FPS
high	178 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	73 FPS
medium	140 FPS	61 FPS
high	108 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	40 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
1080p
low	360 FPS	579 FPS
medium	321 FPS	499 FPS
high	291 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	327 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	485 FPS
medium	282 FPS	425 FPS
high	258 FPS	338 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	274 FPS
4K
low	249 FPS	304 FPS
medium	221 FPS	270 FPS
high	208 FPS	231 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	202 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
1080p
low	360 FPS	681 FPS
medium	360 FPS	564 FPS
high	360 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	425 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	570 FPS
medium	360 FPS	479 FPS
high	360 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	417 FPS
medium	360 FPS	333 FPS
high	360 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
1080p
low	360 FPS	1020 FPS
medium	360 FPS	917 FPS
high	360 FPS	765 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	664 FPS
1440p
low	360 FPS	802 FPS
medium	360 FPS	701 FPS
high	360 FPS	584 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	496 FPS
4K
low	360 FPS	559 FPS
medium	360 FPS	504 FPS
high	360 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	373 FPS

Open Core i7-9700K Open Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9700K and Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

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 Threadripper PRO 3975WX

The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2020-07-14. It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 128 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: sWRX8. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,261 points. Launch price was $4,499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9700K packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX has 24 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Core i7-9700K versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-9700K (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-9700K uses the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9700K scores 14,397 against the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX's 62,261 — a 124.9% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-9700K vs 128 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	32 / 64+300%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+17%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	128 MB+967%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	14,397	62,261+332%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	42,986
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,260
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	25,211

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX uses sWRX8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i7-9700K) vs 8 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i7-9700K) vs 128 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 300 series (Core i7-9700K) and AMD WRX80 (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX).

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
Socket	LGA1151	sWRX8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	2048 GB+1500%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	128+700%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9700K) vs true (Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX). The Core i7-9700K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-9700K targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX rivals Xeon W-3375.

Feature	Core i7-9700K	Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9700K launched at $385 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX debuted at $1337. On MSRP ($385 vs $1337), the Core i7-9700K is $952 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9700K delivers 37.4 pts/$ vs 46.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX — making the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX the 21.8% better value option.