Intel Core i7-9700K vs AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-9700K vs AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning, rendering. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like 7zip, Blender, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, Furmark, AIDA64, SuperPi, Handbrake, 3DMark, MATLAB, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Blender, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, RealBench, WPrime, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

Rainbow Six Siege
Watch Dogs Legion
Fallout 76
Valheim
Halo Infinite
Borderlands 3
Cyberpunk 2077
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Death Stranding
DOOM: Eternal
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Overwatch
Red Dead Redemption 2
Last Man Standing
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Grand Theft Auto V
Valorant

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i7-9700K.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Core i7-9700K

54%

Ryzen 7 3700X

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 3700X is 3% better than Core i7-9700K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-9700K

54%

Ryzen 7 3700X

55%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, Monster Hunter World.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.4	97.2
Valorant	109.5	110.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.3	61.9
Apex Legends	103.0	103.8
Call of Duty Warzone	82.2	82.8
Overwatch	88.7	89.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.6	76.2
DOOM Eternal	54.8	55.2
Warzone	85.4	86.2
Assassin's Creed	92.0	92.8
Valheim	90.9	91.7

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-9700K

46%

Ryzen 7 3700X

68%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 7 3700X is more energy efficient than the Core i7-9700K since it has less power consumption: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Core i7-9700K	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	214	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1520	2114
Cinbench 20 Single-core	481	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3656	4834
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1246	1294
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	9214	12355

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-9700K	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Single-Core	2879	2716
Multi-Core	14607	22880

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Core i7-9700K	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Single-Core	1320	1339
Multi-Core	8237	9023

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-9700K	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	AM4
Core name	Coffee Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	9	3
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	8
Threads	8	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	5600 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		512KB
L2 cache		4MB
L3 cache	12 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000071 100-100000071BOX 100-100000071MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i7-9700K is better: 8
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is better: 27
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-9700K and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-9700K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3700X specs and review.