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Intel Core i7-9700K Desktop CPU Review

The perfect gaming CPU! The Intel Core i7-9700K now must prove itself in our tests, with the Core i9-9900K having shown its worth last month. The Core i7-9700K lacks Hyper-Threading support, which makes it directly comparable to its predecessor, the Core i7-8700K. Read on to find whether the Core i7-9700K has the edge over its older sibling and how the CPU fares against the AMD competition.

Intel Core i7-9700K with 8 cores and up to 4.9 GHz

The 9th generation is built for gamers (Source: Intel)
The 9th generation is built for gamers (Source: Intel)
Intel Core 9th generation Desktop CPU features (Source: Intel)
Intel Core 9th generation Desktop CPU features (Source: Intel)
Model overviews (Source: Intel)
Model overviews (Source: Intel)

Intel has mainly focussed on gamers with the introduction of the 9th generation of its Core desktop processor series. At the same time, the new processors seek to challenge Intel’s arch-rival AMD who released the powerful octa-core Ryzen 7 2700X earlier this year.

Previously, Intel has only been able to release consumer desktop processors with up to 6 cores and 12 threads, which made chips such as the Intel Core i7-8700K technically inferior to the Ryzen 7 2700X in multi-threaded applications. The 9th series Core desktop processors have changed this and now feature up to 8 cores and 16 threads. We reviewed the Core i9-9900K about a month ago, which stormed to the top of comparison tables as the fastest octa-core processor that we have ever tested.

Intel has also introduced the Core i7-9700K and Core i5-9600K alongside the Core i9-9900K, the former of which will be the focus of this review. All three processors are based on the same DIE and are manufactured using a 14 nm ++ FinFET process with a soldered heat spreader. The 9th series Core desktop chips should dissipate heat better and faster than the Core i7-8700K could. We understand why Intel has chosen to now solder heat-spreaders to its CPUs as excess heat quickly became an issue when we tried overclocking the Core i7-8700K.

The Core i9-9900K is the only CPU of the 9th generation Core desktop processors to support Hyper-Threading, but the Core i7-9700K and Core i5-9600K should still perform well in multi-threaded applications. Principally, games benefit more from higher clock speeds than they do from more cores, so most games will not take advantage of the extra power that processors such as the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX can deliver with its 24 cores and 48 threads. Intel processors also have comparatively high instructions per cycle (IPC), which will help with single-threaded applications such as games.

We will clarify how well the Intel Core i7-9700K performs compared to its AMD and Intel competition in the sections below. We would like first to thank Caseking though, which generously provided us with two test CPUs, without whom we would have struggled to write this review.

An overview of the 8th and 9th generation Intel Core CPUs

Model - 8th generation Cores/Threads Base Clock Turbo 1/2/4/6/8 Cores (GHz) L3 Cache Graphics TDP Launch Price
Intel Core i7-8700K 6/12 3.7 GHz 4.7/4.6/4.4/4.3 12 MB UHD 630 95 W US$359
Intel Core i5-8600K 6/6 3.6 GHz 4.3/4.2/4.2/4.1 9 MB UHD 630 95 W US$257
Model - 9th generation Cores/Threads Base Clock Turbo 1/2/4/6/8 Cores (GHz) L3 Cache Graphics TDP Launch Price
Intel Core i9-9900K 8/16 3.6 GHz 5.0/5.0/4.8/4.7/4.7 16 MB UHD 630 95 W US$488
Intel Core i7-9700K 8/8 3.6 GHz 4.9/4.8/4.7/4.6/4.6 12 MB UHD 630 95 W US$374
Intel Core i5-9600K 6/6 3.7 GHz 4.6/4.5/4.4/4.3 9 MB UHD 630 95 W US$262

Prices & Availability

Prices of the new processors have relaxed in recent weeks. We saw the Core i7-9700K online for €499 (~$564) last month, but Caseking is now selling the CPU for €429 (~$485). This represents around a 15% price drop in a few weeks and is a trend that we hope will continue for the sake of end users looking to buy a new processor. The Ryzen 7 2700X is still around €100 (~$113) cheaper than the Core i7-9700K though.

Intel Core i7-9700K
Intel Core i7-9700K
Intel Core i7-9700K
Intel Core i7-9700K and Intel Core i7-9700K (Advanced pre-tested)
Intel Core i7-9700K (Advanced pre-tested)
Intel Core i7-9700K (Advanced Pretested)
Intel Core i7-9700K (DIE)
CPU Wafer
Z390 chipset

The Test System

Caseking kindly supplied us with our AIO, case and processors
Caseking kindly supplied us with our AIO, case and processors

We used the ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming as the basis of our test system and paired it with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM from G-Skill. The RAM clocks at 3,400 MHz and was set as an XMP profile in the BIOS. We left all other BIOS settings untouched until we tried overclocking the CPU. Caseking kindly sent us a Raijintek AIO that has a 360° radiator. The company also supplied us with an open-frame Raijintek case, to which Caseking added the Notebookcheck logo, which is a nice touch.

We also equipped our test system with the same GPU that we used for our Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 reviews to provide more consistent results against which we could compare the Core i7-9700K. We have included the power consumption of these components in our power consumption tables in subsequent sections.

We installed Windows 10 on a 240 GB SanDisk Ultra II. We would have liked to have used the 512 GB ADATA SX910 drive that we used in our Core i9-9900K review, but unfortunately we had to return the drive because of a defect. We have also equipped our test system with a 480 GB Intel Optane SSD 905P drive, which connects via an M.2 slot on the motherboard and utilises the NVMe protocol for fast data transmission. We decided to store games on a Samsung Evo 850 500 GB SSD and a Western Digital 2 TB HDD, which were both connected to our test system via USB 3.0 for the purposes of our tests.

An overview of our Test System

ASUS and Caseking supplied us with the following hardware for our benchmarks and tests:

  • Intel Core i7-9700K and Intel Core i7-9700K Advanced Pre-Test Edition
  • ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming (BIOS 0506, Default Settings, XMP 1 for DDR4-3400)
  • G-Skill Sniper X DDR4-3400 2 x 8 GB
  • Raijintek Orcus 360 (AIO)
  • Raijintek PEAN Benchtable

We also used the following hardware:


  • XFX AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  • LC Power 1,200 W Power Supply
  • SanDisk Ultra II 240 GB
  • Intel Optane SSD 905P 480GB
  • Samsung Evo 850 500 GB (for games)
  • Western Digital 2 TB (for games)
The Test System
The Test System
The Test System
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming with the Intel Core i9-9900K
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
LC Power 1200 Watt
LC Power 1200 Watt
Raijintek Orcus 360 (AIO)
Raijintek Orcus 360 (AIO)
G-Skill Siper X DDR4-3400
XFX AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Optane SSD 905P
Intel Optane SSD 905P

CPU Benchmarks

The Core i7-9700K is currently Intel’s third fastest CPU behind the Core i9-7900X and the Core i9-9900K according to our CPU benchmarks. While the Core i9-9900K is technically superior to the Core i7-9700K with its Hyper-Threading support, it only scored 11% more in our performance rating test. The Core i7-9700K also scored just 2% less than the Core i9-9900K in the Cinebench R15 single-threaded benchmark. However, the Core i7-9700K finished 30% behind its more powerful 9th generation sibling in the multi-threaded portion of Cinebench R15. Generally, the inclusion of Hyper-Threading adds a measurable increase in performance in synthetic benchmarks, but we suspect that most people would not notice the difference in daily use.

The Core i7-9700K even performs well against AMD Threadripper APUs in certain benchmarks. Overall, all the Threadripper APUs in our comparison tables significantly outscore their Intel counterparts in multi-threaded benchmarks. By contrast, Intel still has the edge in single core performance over AMD, with the Core i7-9700K finishing 17% ahead of the highest scoring Threadripper APU in our Cinebench R15 single-core benchmark comparison table.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO
Intel Extreme Utility
Intel Extreme Utility (Benchmark)
 
 
Performance Rating - Percent
Intel Core i9-9900K -1!
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
46.3 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
45.6 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
43.4 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
43.4 pt
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
43.2 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
42.6 pt
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X -1!
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
42.3 pt
Intel Core i9-7900X -2!
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
42.1 pt
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
40.1 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X -1!
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
39 pt
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
38.4 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
37 pt
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
213 Points +2%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
208 Points
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
192.7 Points -7%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
187 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
178 Points -14%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
176 Points -15%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
176 Points -15%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
173 Points -17%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
163 Points -22%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
161 Points -23%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
159 Points -24%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
159 Points -24%
CPU Multi 64Bit
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4376 Points +205%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3110 Points +117%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
2997 Points +109%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2628 Points +83%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
2148 (2133.11min - 2158.31max) Points +50%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2040 Points +42%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1801 Points +26%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1551 Points +8%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1433 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1341 Points -6%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1323 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1270 Points -11%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
27.07 Points +71%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
23.88 Points +51%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
23.13 Points +46%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
21.63 Points +37%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
21.6 Points +36%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
18.68 Points +18%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
17.55 Points +11%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16.71 Points +6%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
15.83 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
14.56 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
13.71 Points -13%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
13.61 Points -14%
CPU Single 64Bit
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.44 Points +3%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.37 Points
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
2.2 Points -7%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.11 Points -11%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.96 Points -17%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.95 Points -18%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.9 Points -20%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.9 Points -20%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.81 Points -24%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.78 Points -25%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.76 Points -26%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
1.73 Points -27%
Blender - v2.79 BMW27 CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
375.7 Seconds * -22%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
353.5 Seconds * -15%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
350 Seconds * -14%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
308.3 Seconds * -0%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
307 Seconds *
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
264 Seconds * +14%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
219.2 Seconds * +29%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
181.4 Seconds * +41%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
163 Seconds * +47%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
152.7 Seconds * +50%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
110.7 Seconds * +64%
wPrime 2.10
32m
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.5 s * -22%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.341 s * -19%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.203 s * -16%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5.141 s * -14%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.62 s * -3%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.491 s *
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.186 s * +7%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.156 s * +7%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3.484 s * +22%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
3.34 s * +26%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3.032 s * +32%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
2.91 s * +35%
1024m
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
140.9 s * -17%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
133.8 s * -11%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
130.5 s * -8%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
129.1 s * -7%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
120.5 s *
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
96.6 s * +20%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
85.6 s * +29%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
76 s * +37%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
61.8 s * +49%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
55.1 s * +54%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
53.2 s * +56%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
38.49 s * +68%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 - 4k Preset
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
18 fps +38%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
17.5 fps +35%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
16.9 fps +30%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16.3 fps +25%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
15.2 fps +17%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
13 fps
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10.8 fps -17%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
9.51 fps -27%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7.79 fps -40%
X264 HD Benchmark 4.0
Pass 1
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
270 (265min - 272max) fps 0%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
270 (270min - 271max) fps
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
230 (228min - 231max) fps -15%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
226.7 fps -16%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
217 fps -20%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
208.5 (207min - 210max) fps -23%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
207.4 fps -23%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
205.3 (204.6min - 207.33max) fps -24%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
202.3 (200.47min - 203.47max) fps -25%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
202 (198min - 202max) fps -25%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
195.7 (195.08min - 196.35max) fps -28%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
189.6 (188.03min - 193.43max) fps -30%
Pass 2
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
144.9 (143.48min - 145.54max) fps +53%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
134.3 (133.84min - 135.07max) fps +42%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
131 (131min - 132max) fps +38%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
121 fps +28%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
120.5 (116min - 121max) fps +27%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
116.5 (115min - 117max) fps +23%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
104.5 fps +10%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
94.8 (94.7min - 95max) fps
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
89.7 (89.5min - 89.85max) fps -5%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
82.1 (82min - 82.4max) fps -13%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
80.5 fps -15%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
75 (74.84min - 75.82max) fps -21%
WinRAR - Result
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8518 KB/s +15%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7435 KB/s +1%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7396 KB/s
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
5918 KB/s -20%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4779 KB/s -35%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4669 KB/s -37%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4599 KB/s -38%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4548 KB/s -39%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4517 KB/s -39%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4440 KB/s -40%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4261 KB/s -42%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
4150 KB/s -44%
TrueCrypt
AES Mean 100MB
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
19.5 GB/s +141%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
19 GB/s +135%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16.2 GB/s +100%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
12.2 GB/s +51%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
12.1 GB/s +49%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
11.5 GB/s +42%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
10.6 GB/s +31%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
9 GB/s +11%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8.1 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8 GB/s -1%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7.5 GB/s -7%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4.9 GB/s -40%
Twofish Mean 100MB
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3 GB/s +131%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
2.9 GB/s +123%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.9 GB/s +123%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
2.6 GB/s +100%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
2.1 GB/s +62%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.9 GB/s +46%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.6 GB/s +23%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.4 GB/s +8%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.3 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.2 GB/s -8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s -23%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s -23%
Serpent Mean 100MB
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.9 GB/s +145%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
1.8 GB/s +133%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.8 GB/s +133%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.6 GB/s +107%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
1.2 GB/s +55%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1.2 GB/s +55%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
1 GB/s +29%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.899 GB/s +16%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.78 GB/s +1%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.774 GB/s
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.732 GB/s -5%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
0.668 GB/s -14%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6339 Points +5%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6043 Points
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5783 Points -4%
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
5523 Points -9%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4999 Points -17%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4953 Points -18%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4903 Points -19%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4706 Points -22%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4681 Points -23%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4631 Points -23%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4463 Points -26%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
4304 Points -29%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
40152 Points +35%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
36198 Points +22%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
35922 Points +21%
Intel Core i9-9900K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
34233 Points +15%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
32029 Points +8%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
29659 Points
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
28877 Points -3%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
25919 Points -13%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
24546 Points -17%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
22776 Points -23%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
21616 Points -27%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
20633 Points -30%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance Physics
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
17834 Points +11%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
17222 Points +7%
Intel Core i7-9700K
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
16091 Points
Intel Core i9-7900X
3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
15260 Points -5%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
15025 Points -7%
Intel Core i7-8700K
3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
15013 Points -7%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
14247 Points -11%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
13959 Points -13%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
12405 Points -23%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
12297 Points -24%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
12074 Points -25%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark loop

We also subjected the Core i7-9700K to a Cinebench R15 loop to test how well it can maintain its performance under sustained load. As the graphs below demonstrate, our test CPU performed consistently even after around 30 minutes and 55 pass-throughs of the looped benchmark. Please keep in mind that your experiences may differ as we conducted our tests with an open test case, during which the Core i7-9700K core temperatures hit the critical 100 °C (212 °F) mark.

Our test CPU averaged 4.6 GHz across all cores during the looped Cinebench R15 benchmark, which tallies with Intel’s specifications for the Core i7-9700K. Our test system averaged just shy of 200 W during this stress test for reference. In short, desktop processors such as the Core i7-9700K generally have fewer problems with maintaining their peak performance during a looped Cinebench R15 benchmark than equivalent notebook processors do.

Intel Core i7-9700K during the benchmark loop
Intel Core i7-9700K during the benchmark loop
Our test system’s power consumption during the CB R15 benchmark loop
Our test system’s power consumption during the CB R15 benchmark loop

Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark loop results

0801602403204004805606407208008809601040112012001280136014401520Tooltip
Intel Core i7-9700K, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K, Intel Core i7-9700K: Ø1433 (1422.02-1444.46)
Ryzen 5 2600X and Ryzen 7 2700X in review AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, AMD Ryzen 5 2600X: Ø1289 (1281.31-1293.49)
Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700 Review AMD Ryzen 5 2600, AMD Ryzen 5 2600: Ø1224 (1217.99-1230.84)
Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700 Review AMD Ryzen 7 2700, AMD Ryzen 7 2700: Ø1546 (1529.05-1551.29)
Intel Core i7-8700K, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K, Intel Core i7-8700K: Ø1334 (1317.87-1347.85)

Gaming Performance

The Core i7-9700K is almost equivalent to the Core i9-9900K in gaming benchmarks. The two processors are separated by only a few points in the performance rating. Please keep in mind that the Core i9-7900X consistently outscored its Intel counterparts in these tests because of its more powerful GPU and not because it is a better gaming GPU. We have tested most of the desktop CPUs in our comparison tables with the same AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 though, so our tables provide a good basis for comparing the strength of CPUs in games.

The Core i7-9700K cannot match its more powerful sibling in synthetic benchmarks though on account of the Core i9-9900K’s Hyper-Threading support. The Core i7-8700K finished ahead of the Core i7-9700K for the same reason too. However, the latter performs better in gaming benchmarks. Hence, we would recommend taking synthetic benchmarks with a pinch of salt when deciding between components.

Performance Rating - Percent
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop) -16!
Intel Core i9-7900X
100 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
94.9 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
93.5 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
89.7 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
83.9 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
82.7 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
81.9 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
81.8 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
81.5 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 -6!
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
81.2 pt
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal -10!
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
77.6 pt
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
69.7 pt
The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-7900X
349 (260min - 392max) fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
332.1 (289min - 377max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
331.9 (307min - 360max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
318.2 (289min - 352max) fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
298.7 (259min - 354max) fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
293.6 (258min - 337max) fps -12%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
285.1 (259min - 331max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
284.8 (216min - 294max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
283.7 (248min - 321max) fps -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
258.5 (219min - 295max) fps -22%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
240.2 (158min - 270max) fps -28%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-7900X
97 (80min - 112max) fps +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
80.9 (68min - 87max) fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
80.1 (69min - 87max) fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
79.4 (70min - 86max) fps +3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
78.8 (51min - 86max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
77.3 (66min - 83max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
77 (67min - 84max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
77 (65min - 83max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
73.3 (62min - 82max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
73.3 (62min - 80max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
69.4 (58min - 76max) fps -10%
Rise of the Tomb Raider
1024x768 Lowest Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
305.2 (278min - 339max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
305.1 (289min - 344max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
287 (271min - 305max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
281.7 (266min - 303max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
263.8 (256min - 274max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
263.7 (256min - 276max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
262.2 (252min - 300max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
258.9 (230min - 274max) fps -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
253.2 (243min - 262max) fps -17%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
244.8 (237min - 255max) fps -20%
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
105.7 (90min - 116max) fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
101 (85min - 113max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
100.8 (86min - 111max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
99 (85min - 112max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
95.1 (82min - 106max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
94.7 (78min - 106max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
94.2 (83min - 101max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
94 (82min - 103max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
91.5 (82min - 103max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
91.3 (79min - 101max) fps -10%
Battlefield 1
1280x720 Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
200 (173min - 201max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
200 (186min - 201max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
200 (197min - 201max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
199.1 (182min - 201max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
197.6 (183min - 201max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
196.2 (185min - 201max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
181.4 (141min - 194max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
179.8 (166min - 190max) fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
173 (161min - 185max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
158.8 (147min - 174max) fps -21%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
148 (134min - 173max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
147.7 (137min - 155max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
146.6 (136min - 172max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
145.1 (131min - 167max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
137.8 (120min - 145max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
136 (123min - 142max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
135.6 (124min - 152max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
135.2 (124min - 148max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
127.1 (116min - 144max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
125.7 (117min - 135max) fps -14%
Assassin´s Creed Origins
1280x720 Very Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
105 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
104 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
84 fps -19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
84 fps -19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
81 fps -22%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
76 fps -27%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
70 fps -33%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
68 (34min - 93max) fps -35%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
67 fps -36%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
58 fps -44%
1920x1080 Ultra High Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
74 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
70 fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
67 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
67 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
67 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
63 fps -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
59 fps -20%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
57 (6min - 93max) fps -23%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
57 fps -23%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
49 fps -34%
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark
1280x720 Lite Quality
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
172.1 fps +6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
164.4 (87min - 226max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
162.5 (95min - 219max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
145.6 (94min - 177max) fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
144.5 (108min - 167max) fps -11%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
143 (98min - 201max) fps -12%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
141.5 (72min - 177max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
133.6 (88min - 191max) fps -18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
133.4 (78min - 177max) fps -18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
109.3 (63min - 133max) fps -33%
1920x1080 High Quality
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
62.5 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
62.2 (40min - 92max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
61.4 (39min - 99max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
60.4 (35min - 93max) fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
59.8 (33min - 93max) fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
58.9 (23min - 92max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
58.5 (23min - 92max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
58.5 (23min - 92max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
57.5 (33min - 89max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
56.7 (20min - 89max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
55 (19min - 86max) fps -12%
Far Cry 5
1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
167 (136min - 227max) fps +8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
155 (117min - 213max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
144 (114min - 194max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
125 (99min - 171max) fps -19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
122 (97min - 162max) fps -21%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
118 (90min - 159max) fps -24%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
114 (89min - 154max) fps -26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
108 (86min - 144max) fps -30%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
100 (82min - 133max) fps -35%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
96 (77min - 116max) fps -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
71 (59min - 88max) fps -54%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
117 (106min - 137max) fps +27%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
111 (90min - 128max) fps +21%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
99 (78min - 124max) fps +8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
98 (75min - 125max) fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
96 (75min - 121max) fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
94 (74min - 117max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
92 (108min - 123max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
87 (66min - 116max) fps -5%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
80 (64min - 107max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
80 (61min - 108max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
60 (50min - 74max) fps -35%
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
1280x720 Lowest Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
210 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
207 fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
188 fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
137 fps -35%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
127 fps -40%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
117 fps -44%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
107 fps -49%
1920x1080 Highest Preset AA:T
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
103 fps +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
91 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
91 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
91 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
89 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
85 fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
84 fps -8%
Forza Horizon 4
1280x720 Very Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
258 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
252 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
234 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
200 fps -22%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
187 fps -28%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
155 fps -40%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
141 fps -45%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:2xMS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
132 fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
131 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
130 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
125 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
121 fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
117 fps -10%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
112 fps -14%
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey
1280x720 Low Preset
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
120 (52min - 163max) fps +19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
101 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
101 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
92 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
87 fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
73 (20min - 101max) fps -28%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
57 (20min - 87max) fps -44%
1920x1080 Ultra High Preset
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
67 (30min - 125max) fps +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
53 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
51 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
51 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
50 (25min - 75max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
48 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
42 (19min - 68max) fps -21%
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-7900X
38335 Points +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
31548 Points +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
31265 Points +3%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (27881 - 31989, n=14)
30407 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
30395 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
29935 Points -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
29826 Points -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
29285 Points -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
28493 Points -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
28462 Points -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
27881 Points -8%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
27632 Points -9%
Average of class
  (-1 - 116361, n=4979)
11059 Points -64%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i7-8700K
157012 Points +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
156190 Points +13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
155414 Points +12%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
138448 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
127011 Points -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
120426 Points -13%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (60794 - 156190, n=16)
120201 Points -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
118153 Points -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
107514 Points -22%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
107022 Points -23%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
102781 Points -26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
86339 Points -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
66653 Points -52%
Average of class
  (145 - 380191, n=3862)
43569 Points -69%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-7900X
27582 Points +25%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
27349 Points +24%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i7-8700K
26515 Points +20%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
23194 Points +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
23117 Points +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
22761 Points +3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
22338 Points +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
22302 Points +1%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (19234 - 23194, n=16)
22136 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
22124 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
21547 Points -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
20808 Points -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
20234 Points -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
19234 Points -13%
Average of class
  (90 - 88564, n=4160)
9507 Points -57%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
9635 Points +37%
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
Intel Core i9-7900X
9463 Points +35%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-8700K
7284 Points +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i9-9900K
7221 Points +3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
7183 Points +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
7129 Points +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
7044 Points 0%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (6530 - 7284, n=16)
7044 Points 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
7019 Points
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
6824 Points -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
6815 Points -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
6673 Points -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
6530 Points -7%
Average of class
  (76 - 37809, n=2258)
5672 Points -19%
Unigine Heaven 4.0
Extreme Preset OpenGL
Average of class
  (1.2 - 465, n=406)
119.5 fps +41%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (82.8 - 89.6, n=7)
85.4 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
84.5 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
83.8 fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
82.8 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
82.8 fps -2%
Extreme Preset DX11
Average of class
  (1.2 - 493, n=582)
109.1 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
108.5 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
106.6 fps -2%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (101.9 - 108.5, n=7)
106.2 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
104.8 fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
101.9 fps -6%
Unigine Valley 1.0
1920x1080 Extreme HD Preset OpenGL AA:x8
Average of class
  (1.1 - 322, n=411)
83.7 fps +41%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
59.3 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
58.1 fps -2%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (56.1 - 59.3, n=7)
58.1 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
56.9 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
56.1 fps -5%
1920x1080 Extreme HD DirectX AA:x8
Average of class
  (1.1 - 305, n=445)
89.1 fps +10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
80.8 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (74.6 - 81.8, n=7)
79.1 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
78.2 fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
77.8 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
74.6 fps -8%
SPECviewperf 12
1900x1060 Solidworks (sw-03)
Average of class
  (0.97 - 403, n=563)
83 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
82.5 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (72.4 - 82.5, n=7)
78.9 fps -4%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
77.1 fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
74.6 fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
72.4 fps -12%
1900x1060 Siemens NX (snx-02)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
206.8 fps +617%
Average of class
  (0.98 - 677, n=562)
56 fps +94%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
28.85 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (19.6 - 28.9, n=7)
23.6 fps -18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
23.16 fps -20%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
22.74 fps -21%
1900x1060 Showcase (showcase-01)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
137 fps +19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
115.1 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (110.3 - 115.3, n=7)
112.5 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
110.9 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
110.8 fps -4%
Average of class
  (2.63 - 459, n=551)
94.4 fps -18%
1900x1060 Medical (medical-01)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
79.6 fps +56%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
51 fps
Average of class
  (0.58 - 392, n=550)
51 fps 0%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (42.5 - 51, n=7)
47.9 fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
46.31 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
45.66 fps -10%
1900x1060 Maya (maya-04)
Average of class
  (2.09 - 367, n=562)
105.3 fps +25%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (74.5 - 105.4, n=7)
89.9 fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
84.1 fps
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
79.7 fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
76.1 fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
74.5 fps -11%
1900x1060 Energy (energy-01)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
19.78 fps +280%
Average of class
  (0.04 - 112, n=546)
14.6 fps +180%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
12.16 fps +133%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
12.13 fps +133%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (5.21 - 12.7, n=7)
11.4 fps +119%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
5.21 fps
1900x1060 Creo (creo-01)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
75.4 fps +21%
Average of class
  (0.91 - 250, n=563)
62.9 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
62.5 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (52.1 - 62.5, n=7)
57.7 fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
53.5 fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
52.1 fps -17%
1900x1060 Catia (catia-04)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
158.6 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (150.6 - 162.2, n=7)
155.7 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
151.3 fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
150.6 fps -5%
Average of class
  (4.56 - 605, n=560)
102.1 fps -36%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
100.3 fps -37%
1900x1060 3ds Max (3dsmax-05)
Average of class
  (11 - 571, n=347)
195.3 fps +49%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
151.9 fps +16%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (128.9 - 158.9, n=7)
145.1 fps +11%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
144.5 fps +10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
136.1 fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
130.8 fps
SPECviewperf 13
Solidworks (sw-04)
Average of class
  (3.69 - 373, n=445)
118.6 fps +18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
100.5 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (92.8 - 113, n=7)
100.4 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
95.4 fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
92.8 fps -8%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
82.1 fps -18%
Siemens NX (snx-03)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
370.9 fps +620%
Average of class
  (1.76 - 901, n=440)
126 fps +145%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
51.5 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (37 - 51.5, n=7)
42.8 fps -17%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
41.72 fps -19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
41.07 fps -20%
Showcase (showcase-02)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
136.8 fps +19%
Average of class
  (4.99 - 459, n=434)
119.2 fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
115 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (108.2 - 118, n=7)
112.6 fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
110.9 fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
108.2 fps -6%
Medical (medical-02)
Average of class
  (1.96 - 479, n=436)
74.2 fps +94%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
71.4 fps +86%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (30.9 - 73.8, n=7)
51.9 fps +35%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
38.31 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
34.83 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
30.86 fps -19%
Maya (maya-05)
Average of class
  (15.7 - 881, n=443)
262 fps +31%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
236.5 fps +19%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (195.6 - 217, n=7)
204 fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
200.7 fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
199.5 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
195.6 fps -2%
Energy (energy-02)
Average of class
  (0.21 - 310, n=428)
35.1 fps +365%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
32.46 fps +330%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
22.98 fps +204%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
22.77 fps +202%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (7.55 - 23.9, n=7)
20 fps +165%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
7.55 fps
Creo (creo-02)
Average of class
  (1.68 - 684, n=442)
202 fps +85%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
185.2 fps +70%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (107.1 - 112, n=7)
109.4 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
109.2 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
108.9 fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
107.1 fps -2%
Catia (catia-05)
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
236 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (225 - 251, n=7)
236 fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
228.3 fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
225.1 fps -5%
Average of class
  (15.6 - 900, n=442)
197.7 fps -16%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
161.4 fps -32%
3ds Max (3dsmax-06)
Average of class
  (10.8 - 575, n=443)
186.3 fps +42%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
153.4 fps +17%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
  (130.4 - 159.6, n=7)
145.7 fps +11%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
140.8 fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
140.6 fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
Intel Core i7-9700K
131 fps
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark 11
3DMark Vantage
 
3DMark 03 Standard
191287 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
43535 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
60832 points
3DMark 11 Performance
24762 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
221784 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
44464 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
18483 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
9586 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
7190 points
Help

The Intel Core i7-9700K & AMD Radeon RX Vega 64

low med. high ultra4K
The Witcher 3 (2015) 331.9 224.5 131.1 77 48.5
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 305.1 197 122.9 101 47.4
Battlefield 1 (2016) 200 200 164.5 146.6 65.5
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 104 104 85 74 35
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 162.5 91.8 62.2 29
Far Cry 5 (2018) 155 122 113 92 32
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018) 210 116 106 91 32
Forza Horizon 4 (2018) 258 171 161 130 68
Assassin´s Creed Odyssey (2018) 101 86 70 53 28

Application Performance

The Core i7-9700K also performs similarly to the Core i9-9900K in applications. Both CPUs score solidly and finish in the middle of our PCMark 10 comparison tables, although the Intel CPUs lead the pack in the older PCMark 8 benchmark.

Our test system showed no major weaknesses in daily use, although equipping the system with an NVMe SSD would have made it feel snappier. We doubt that most people would notice the difference during general tasks though, nor will the 8 threads that the Core i7-9700K has become an issue in normal use compared to the 16 threads that the Core i9-9900K utilises. The difference between the two CPUs in multi-threaded applications is noticeable, but this will only become tangible in games when developers start taking advantage of multiple cores. Hence, the Core i7-9700K is perfectly suited as a gaming CPU, although we would recommend looking elsewhere if you need a workstation CPU for running multiple VMs.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 7
PCMark 7
PCMark 10 - Score
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7764 Points +14%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7451 Points +10%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7337 Points +8%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
7285 Points +7%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7035 Points +4%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7018 Points +3%
Intel Core i7-9700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6797 Points
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6465 Points -5%
Intel Core i9-7900X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
6432 Points -5%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
6150 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5801 Points -15%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5481 Points -19%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4005 Points -41%
PCMark 8
Work Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5975 Points +16%
Intel Core i9-7900X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
5325 Points +3%
Intel Core i7-9700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5168 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4891 Points -5%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
4821 Points -7%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4750 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4735 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4724 Points -9%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4633 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4598 Points -11%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4534 Points -12%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
4520 Points -13%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4020 Points -22%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-7900X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
8794 Points +5%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8604 Points +3%
Intel Core i7-9700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8344 Points
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
8217 Points -2%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
8166 Points -2%
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
8110 Points -3%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7948 Points -5%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7859 Points -6%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7774 Points -7%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7711 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7626 Points -9%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
7297 Points -13%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
6219 Points -25%
Home Score Accelerated v2
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
5523 Points +14%
Intel Core i9-7900X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
5239 Points +8%
Intel Core i7-9700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4859 Points
Intel Core i7-8700K
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)
4648 Points -4%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4483 Points -8%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4392 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal
4367 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4359 Points -10%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4311 Points -11%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4209 Points -13%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
4170 Points -14%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3992 Points -18%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
3547 Points -27%

Emissions

The Intel Core i7-9700K during a stress test
The Intel Core i7-9700K during a stress test
A heat map of our test system during a stress test
A heat map of our test system during a stress test

Intel states that the Core i7-9700K has a 95-W TDP just like the other two 9th generation Core desktop processors. However, we easily exceeded this value in our tests. According to HWiNFO, our test CPU averaged 135 W during a stress test and peaked at 169 W, which is 70 W or almost 50% more than what Intel claims the Core i7-9700K will consume. Additionally, our test CPU throttled back to 4.4 GHz during a stress test as it could not stably maintain its peak output. We would always recommend equipping a system with an AIO where possible because they are more efficient at dissipating heat than air coolers.

We suspect that de-lidding is possible, although the inclusion of a soldered heat spreader makes the process more complicated than on a Core i7-8700K. Caseking sells a de-lidded version for around €669 (~$756) by der8auer, which the company markets as the Advanced Pretested Edition, should you wish to get the most performance possible from your CPU.

Caseking graciously supplied us with an Advanced Pretested Edition of the Core i7-9700K to compare its performance against the normal version, and the results are impressive. The de-lidded can achieve a stable 5.0 GHz across all cores, while core temperatures average around 10 °C (~18 °F) lower than the normal Core i7-9700K. So, de-lidding the Core i7-9700K could result in better performance and lower temperatures, but you would void your warranty in the process. Hence, we would recommend considering the der8auer version as that comes with third-party warranty.

We also took a closer look at the power consumption of our test system in different scenarios. Our system draws about 63 W at idle, which rose to an average of 222 W during a one-hour stress test. The system consumed a maximum of 365 W when playing "The Witcher 3" at 1080p, although the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 consumes plenty of wattage in this scenario.

Power consumption our test system

At idle
At idle
During a one-hour stress test
During a one-hour stress test
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1,080p on the ultra preset)
While playing The Witcher 3 at 1,080p on the ultra preset)
Power Consumption
Cinebench R15 Multi (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
378 (375min - 380max) Watt * -87%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
272.9 (275min) Watt * -35%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
263 Watt * -30%
Intel Core i9-7900X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop) (Idle: 63.4 W)
243 Watt * -20%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 74.3 W)
219.2 Watt * -8%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
203.2 (197min - 205max) Watt * -0%
Intel Core i7-9700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
202.6 (190min - 207max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
164.4 (159.3min - 165.75max) Watt * +19%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
149.5 Watt * +26%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
143.2 Watt * +29%
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
134.3 (132min - 136max) Watt * +34%
1920x1080 The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
441 (382min - 475max) Watt * -21%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
421 Watt * -15%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
411 Watt * -13%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (Idle: 74.3 W)
408 Watt * -12%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
398.2 (345min - 444max) Watt * -9%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
396.5 (376min - 415max) Watt * -9%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
378.2 Watt * -4%
Intel Core i9-7900X
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop) (99 fps, Idle: 63.4 W)
373 Watt * -2%
Intel Core i9-9900K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 (80 fps)
366.1 Watt * -0%
Intel Core i7-9700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
365.3 (316min - 388max) Watt *
Intel Core i7-8700K
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64
354.4 (301min - 378max) Watt * +3%

* ... smaller is better

Overclocking

Intel Core i7-9700K Advanced Pre-Test Edition - 5.0 GHz @ 1.34 V
Intel Core i7-9700K Advanced Pre-Test Edition - 5.0 GHz @ 1.34 V
An overview of the Pre-Test editions (Source: Caseking)
An overview of the Pre-Test editions (Source: Caseking)

The Core i7-9700K has an unlocked multiplier, which means that it is open to some overclocking, with the Z390 motherboard giving us the perfect opportunity to do so. We achieved a stable 4.9 GHz across all cores with our test CPU, but unfortunately it scored 13 points lower in the multi-threaded portion of Cinebench R15 than when we tested it at stock settings. We determined that raising the voltage on our test CPU caused core temperatures to spike, which resulted in thermal throttling and a clock speed reduction to combat the excess heat.

By contrast, the Advanced Pretested Edition achieved a stable 5.0 GHz at 1.34 V and scored 1,525 points in Cinebench R15, which is a 92 point or a 4% improvement over the stock Core i7-9700K. The core clock boost also puts the Advanced Pretested Edition on par with the Core i9-9900K in single-core benchmarks, which is impressive. We would recommend investing in an AIO cooler such as the Raijintek one that Caseking supplied us if you plan to permanently overclock the Core i7-9700K, the reasons for which we will explain below.

The power consumption of our test system increased to 255 W during a stress test with the Advanced Pretested Edition CPU, which is around 50 W higher than what our test system what averaged in the same test. Caseking also sells a Pro and an Ultra version of the preselected processors if the Advanced version is not enough for you. We have included a screenshot of the differences among the three versions; please bear in mind that this is in German.

Intel Core i7-9700K @ 4.9 GHz
Intel Core i7-9700K @ 4.9 GHz
Power consumption @ 4.9 GHz during a Cinebench R15 multi-threaded benchmark
Power consumption @ 4.9 GHz during a Cinebench R15 multi-threaded benchmark
Intel Core i7-9700K Advanced Pre-Test Edition CB R15 results - 5.0 GHz @ 1.34 V
Intel Core i7-9700K Advanced Pre-Test Edition CB R15 results - 5.0 GHz @ 1.34 V

Verdict

The Intel Core i7-9700K Desktop CPU review. Test devices courtesy of Caseking.de.
The Intel Core i7-9700K Desktop CPU review. Test devices courtesy of Caseking.de.

The Intel Core i7-9700K is a powerful and impressive CPU. It is not as potent as the Core i9-9900K, but the octa-core CPU can deliver up to 4.9 GHz on a single core and 4.6 GHz across all cores at stock settings. We would suggest buying a decent cooler though, as the Core i7-9700K ran hot during our tests.

Overall, the Core i7-9700K performs on par with the Core i9-9900K in most scenarios. The additional threads that the latter has will not make a difference in games, but you may notice a difference if you use numerous multi-threaded applications. The Core i7-9700K has a high volume of IPC compared to AMD APUs too. However, Threadripper APUs with at least 12 cores consistently outperform the Core i7-9700K in multi-thread applications and benchmarks.

In short, the Core i7-9700K is the second fastest Intel octa-core processor behind the Core i9-9900K. The Core i7-9700K outperforms its predecessor in games and will deliver solid gaming performance for years to come.

Unfortunately for Intel, AMD APUs are still better value for money. The Core i7-9700K currently costs around €419 (~$473), which is around €100 (~$113) more expensive than the Ryzen 7 2700X. The Core i7-9700K has worse multi-core performance too, although it will outperform the Ryzen 7 2700X in single-threaded applications like games.

Moreover, we would recommend the Core i7-9700K over its more expensive sibling primarily because of the difference in cost. The performance difference between the two CPUs is minor, and you could even use the money saved to buy a more powerful GPU and have a better overall gaming experience.

The Intel Core i7-9700K is the sensible choice of the new 9th generation Core desktop processors. The CPU delivers practically the same performance as the Core i9-9900K, but at a significantly lower outlay. Pocket the difference and buy a better GPU instead.

Another side effect of having a high clock speed and IPC is power consumption. The Core i7-9700K consumes considerably more than its rated TDP, which predictably further increases when the processor is overclocked. Overall, the Core i7-9700K is a fantastic desktop gaming processor at stock settings, so we do not see the benefit from overclocking or de-lidding it. You could always pay extra for the Caseking Advanced, Pro or Ultra Pretested Editions if you want improved performance though.

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Sebastian Bade, 2018-12-17 (Update: 2019-01-15)