Core i9-9900KS vs Xeon Gold 6137

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

✅Draws 127W instead of 205W, a 78W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $513 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6137 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Gold 6137

2017

Why buy it

✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,365 vs 19,397).
❌61.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 127W.

Core i9-9900KS

2019

Xeon Gold 6137

2017

Why buy it

✅Draws 127W instead of 205W, a 78W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $513 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6137 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,365 vs 19,397).
❌61.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 127W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-9900KS better than Xeon Gold 6137?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6137 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-9900KS 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, Core i9-9900KS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 0.9% 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, Core i9-9900KS is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Core i9-9900KS is the smarter buy today. Core i9-9900KS is at an unclear MSRP at $513 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (37.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i9-9900KS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. 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 i9-9900KS Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6137 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Xeon Gold 6137
1080p
low	301 FPS	186 FPS
medium	273 FPS	147 FPS
high	228 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	266 FPS	150 FPS
medium	218 FPS	116 FPS
high	177 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	168 FPS	69 FPS
medium	139 FPS	57 FPS
high	107 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Xeon Gold 6137

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Xeon Gold 6137
1080p
low	449 FPS	460 FPS
medium	369 FPS	396 FPS
high	322 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	286 FPS	304 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	408 FPS
medium	344 FPS	358 FPS
high	298 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	267 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	267 FPS
medium	238 FPS	235 FPS
high	226 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	191 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Xeon Gold 6137

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Xeon Gold 6137
1080p
low	485 FPS	484 FPS
medium	485 FPS	484 FPS
high	485 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	484 FPS
medium	485 FPS	484 FPS
high	454 FPS	459 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	462 FPS	441 FPS
medium	401 FPS	350 FPS
high	351 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	283 FPS	248 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Xeon Gold 6137

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900KS	Xeon Gold 6137
1080p
low	485 FPS	484 FPS
medium	485 FPS	484 FPS
high	485 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	484 FPS
medium	485 FPS	484 FPS
high	485 FPS	484 FPS
ultra	485 FPS	484 FPS
4K
low	485 FPS	484 FPS
medium	485 FPS	457 FPS
high	440 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	354 FPS

Open Core i9-9900KS Open Xeon Gold 6137

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900KS and Xeon Gold 6137

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.

Xeon Gold 6137

The Xeon Gold 6137 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 19,365 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i9-9900KS and Xeon Gold 6137 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core i9-9900KS versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6137 — a 19.8% clock advantage for the Core i9-9900KS (base: 4 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Core i9-9900KS is built on the Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i9-9900KS scores 19,397 against the Xeon Gold 6137's 19,365 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i9-9900KS. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900KS vs 25 MB on the Xeon Gold 6137.

Feature	Core i9-9900KS	Xeon Gold 6137
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+22%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+3%	3.9 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	25 MB+56%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-R (2018−2019)	—
PassMark	19,397	19,365

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900KS uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6137 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.