Intel Core i7-9700K Desktop CPU Review

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

The 9th generation is built for gamers (Source: Intel)

Intel Core 9th generation Desktop CPU features (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.

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.

The Test System

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)

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.

Performance Rating - Percent
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X 3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	50.7 pt
Intel Core i9-9900K ^-1! 3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	49.7 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal	48.6 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX 3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	48.1 pt
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X 3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	47.9 pt
Intel Core i9-7900X ^-2! 3300 MHz, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop)	45.7 pt
Intel Core i7-9700K 3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	45 pt
AMD Ryzen 7 2700X ^-1! 3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	45 pt
Intel Core i7-8700K 3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	41.4 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X ^-1! 3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	41 pt
AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	40.7 pt
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3400 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	38.6 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 (2133.11^min - 2158.31^max) 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 (265^min - 272^max) fps 0%
Intel Core i7-9700K 3600 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	270 (270^min - 271^max) fps
Intel Core i7-8700K 3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	230 (228^min - 231^max) 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 (207^min - 210^max) 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 (204.6^min - 207.33^max) fps -24%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X 3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	202.3 (200.47^min - 203.47^max) fps -25%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX 3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	202 (198^min - 202^max) fps -25%
AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	195.7 (195.08^min - 196.35^max) fps -28%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal	189.6 (188.03^min - 193.43^max) fps -30%
Pass 2
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X 3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	144.9 (143.48^min - 145.54^max) fps +53%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 3400 MHz, NVIDIA Titan X Pascal	134.3 (133.84^min - 135.07^max) fps +42%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X 3500 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	131 (131^min - 132^max) 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 (116^min - 121^max) fps +27%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX 3000 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	116.5 (115^min - 117^max) 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 (94.7^min - 95^max) fps
AMD Ryzen 7 2700 3200 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	89.7 (89.5^min - 89.85^max) fps -5%
Intel Core i7-8700K 3700 MHz, AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	82.1 (82^min - 82.4^max) 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 (74.84^min - 75.82^max) 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

Our test system’s power consumption during the CB R15 benchmark loop

Cinebench R15 multi-core benchmark loop results

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 (260^min - 392^max) fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	332.1 (289^min - 377^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	331.9 (307^min - 360^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	318.2 (289^min - 352^max) fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	298.7 (259^min - 354^max) fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	293.6 (258^min - 337^max) fps -12%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	285.1 (259^min - 331^max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	284.8 (216^min - 294^max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	283.7 (248^min - 321^max) fps -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	258.5 (219^min - 295^max) fps -22%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	240.2 (158^min - 270^max) fps -28%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (Desktop) Intel Core i9-7900X	97 (80^min - 112^max) fps +26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	80.9 (68^min - 87^max) fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	80.1 (69^min - 87^max) fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	79.4 (70^min - 86^max) fps +3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	78.8 (51^min - 86^max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	77.3 (66^min - 83^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	77 (67^min - 84^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	77 (65^min - 83^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	73.3 (62^min - 82^max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	73.3 (62^min - 80^max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	69.4 (58^min - 76^max) fps -10%

Rise of the Tomb Raider
1024x768 Lowest Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	305.2 (278^min - 339^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	305.1 (289^min - 344^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	287 (271^min - 305^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	281.7 (266^min - 303^max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	263.8 (256^min - 274^max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	263.7 (256^min - 276^max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	262.2 (252^min - 300^max) fps -14%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	258.9 (230^min - 274^max) fps -15%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	253.2 (243^min - 262^max) fps -17%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	244.8 (237^min - 255^max) fps -20%
1920x1080 Very High Preset AA:FX AF:16x
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	105.7 (90^min - 116^max) fps +5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	101 (85^min - 113^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	100.8 (86^min - 111^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	99 (85^min - 112^max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	95.1 (82^min - 106^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	94.7 (78^min - 106^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	94.2 (83^min - 101^max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	94 (82^min - 103^max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	91.5 (82^min - 103^max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	91.3 (79^min - 101^max) fps -10%

Battlefield 1
1280x720 Low Preset
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	200 (173^min - 201^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	200 (186^min - 201^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	200 (197^min - 201^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	199.1 (182^min - 201^max) fps 0%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	197.6 (183^min - 201^max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	196.2 (185^min - 201^max) fps -2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	181.4 (141^min - 194^max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	179.8 (166^min - 190^max) fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	173 (161^min - 185^max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	158.8 (147^min - 174^max) fps -21%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	148 (134^min - 173^max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	147.7 (137^min - 155^max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	146.6 (136^min - 172^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	145.1 (131^min - 167^max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	137.8 (120^min - 145^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	136 (123^min - 142^max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	135.6 (124^min - 152^max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	135.2 (124^min - 148^max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	127.1 (116^min - 144^max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	125.7 (117^min - 135^max) 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 (34^min - 93^max) 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 (6^min - 93^max) 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 (87^min - 226^max) fps +1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	162.5 (95^min - 219^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	145.6 (94^min - 177^max) fps -10%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	144.5 (108^min - 167^max) fps -11%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	143 (98^min - 201^max) fps -12%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	141.5 (72^min - 177^max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	133.6 (88^min - 191^max) fps -18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	133.4 (78^min - 177^max) fps -18%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	109.3 (63^min - 133^max) 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 (40^min - 92^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	61.4 (39^min - 99^max) fps -1%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	60.4 (35^min - 93^max) fps -3%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	59.8 (33^min - 93^max) fps -4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	58.9 (23^min - 92^max) fps -5%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	58.5 (23^min - 92^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	58.5 (23^min - 92^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	57.5 (33^min - 89^max) fps -8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	56.7 (20^min - 89^max) fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	55 (19^min - 86^max) fps -12%

Far Cry 5
1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	167 (136^min - 227^max) fps +8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	155 (117^min - 213^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	144 (114^min - 194^max) fps -7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	125 (99^min - 171^max) fps -19%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	122 (97^min - 162^max) fps -21%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	118 (90^min - 159^max) fps -24%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	114 (89^min - 154^max) fps -26%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	108 (86^min - 144^max) fps -30%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	100 (82^min - 133^max) fps -35%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X	96 (77^min - 116^max) fps -38%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	71 (59^min - 88^max) fps -54%
1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	117 (106^min - 137^max) fps +27%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-8700K	111 (90^min - 128^max) fps +21%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	99 (78^min - 124^max) fps +8%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	98 (75^min - 125^max) fps +7%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 7 2700	96 (75^min - 121^max) fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen 5 2600	94 (74^min - 117^max) fps +2%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	92 (108^min - 123^max) fps
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X	87 (66^min - 116^max) fps -5%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X	80 (64^min - 107^max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X	80 (61^min - 108^max) fps -13%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	60 (50^min - 74^max) 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 (52^min - 163^max) 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 (20^min - 101^max) fps -28%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	57 (20^min - 87^max) fps -44%
1920x1080 Ultra High Preset
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X	67 (30^min - 125^max) 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 (25^min - 75^max) fps -6%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i9-9900K	48 fps -9%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX	42 (19^min - 68^max) 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=5239)	11822 Points -61%

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 - 406437, n=4038)	45214 Points -67%
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=4435)	10097 Points -54%
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=2534)	5906 Points -16%

Unigine Heaven 4.0
Extreme Preset OpenGL
Average of class (1.2 - 478, n=485)	123.1 fps +46%
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=666)	112.2 fps +3%
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 - 338, n=489)	85.9 fps +45%
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 - 330, n=523)	90.4 fps +12%
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=616)	86.2 fps +4%
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=615)	58.6 fps +103%
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=604)	95.8 fps -17%
1900x1060 Medical (medical-01)
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X	79.6 fps +56%
Average of class (0.58 - 392, n=599)	53.2 fps +4%
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 Intel Core i7-9700K	51 fps
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=615)	109.5 fps +30%
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=594)	15.2 fps +192%
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=615)	64.5 fps +3%
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=613)	105.6 fps -33%
NVIDIA Titan X Pascal AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X	100.3 fps -37%
1900x1060 3ds Max (3dsmax-05)
Average of class (11 - 571, n=393)	192.3 fps +47%
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=500)	120.6 fps +20%
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=494)	128.9 fps +150%
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=489)	117.9 fps +3%
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=490)	77.3 fps +102%
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=498)	263 fps +32%
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=483)	35.7 fps +373%
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=496)	203 fps +86%
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=494)	198.2 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=498)	184.7 fps +41%
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

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

	low	med.	high	ultra	4K
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 8

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%

PCMark 10 | PCMark 8

Emissions

The Intel Core i7-9700K 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

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 (375^min - 380^max) Watt * -87%
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2920X AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	272.9 (275^min) 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 (197^min - 205^max) Watt * -0%
Intel Core i7-9700K AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	202.6 (190^min - 207^max) Watt *
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	164.4 (159.3^min - 165.75^max) 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 (132^min - 136^max) Watt * +34%
1920x1080 The Witcher 3 ultra (external Monitor)
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	441 (382^min - 475^max) 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 (345^min - 444^max) Watt * -9%
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	396.5 (376^min - 415^max) 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 (316^min - 388^max) Watt *
Intel Core i7-8700K AMD Radeon RX Vega 64	354.4 (301^min - 378^max) Watt * +3%

* ... smaller is better

Overclocking

Intel Core i7-9700K Advanced Pre-Test Edition - 5.0 GHz @ 1.34 V

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.

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

Verdict

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.

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
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