Ryzen 7 3700X vs Core i7-9700K
The Core i7-9700K is about 6% faster in games than the Ryzen 7 3700X (111 vs 105 FPS frame rate limit).
Quick verdict: the Core i7-9700K is a little faster, but the gap is small enough that price and platform should decide it.
Ryzen 7 3700X vs Core i7-9700K: Specs and Performance
| Spec | Ryzen 7 3700X | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming frame rate limit | 105 FPS | 111 FPS |
| Cores | 8 | 8 |
| Threads | 16 | 8 |
| Base clock | — | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | — | 4.9 GHz |
| Socket | AM4 | LGA 1151 |
| Memory | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| Release year | 2019 | 2018 |
| Generation | AMD Ryzen 3000 Series (Zen 2) | Intel 9th Gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) |
Estimated FPS With an RTX 5080
A processor's gaming performance only shows when the graphics card is not the limit. With an RTX 5080, 1080p favours the Core i7-9700K by 6%, 1440p favours the Core i7-9700K by 6%, 4K is a tie, which is why the higher the resolution, the less the processor matters. Figures come from our performance model, not from measurements on your PC.
Frame Rate Limit in Popular Games
| Game (settings) | Ryzen 7 3700X | Core i7-9700K |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (High, no ray tracing) | ~90 | ~95 |
| Fortnite (High, DirectX 12) | ~130 | ~140 |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (High) | ~115 | ~120 |
| Counter-Strike 2 (High) | ~230 | ~245 |
The most frames each processor can feed in that game with an unlimited graphics card, rounded to the nearest 5 FPS. Your real frame rate is the lower of this and what your card can render.
Verdict: Ryzen 7 3700X or Core i7-9700K?
The Core i7-9700K is about 6% faster in games than the Ryzen 7 3700X (111 vs 105 FPS frame rate limit). That ceiling only matters when the graphics card is fast enough to reach it: at 1080p with a high-end card you will see most of the gap, at 4K very little of it.
The Ryzen 7 3700X has 8 cores and 16 threads against 8 and 8 on the Core i7-9700K. At eight threads or fewer, modern games start to stutter in busy scenes before the average frame rate shows it.
They sit on different platforms: the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 with DDR4, the Core i7-9700K uses LGA 1151 with DDR4. Switching between them means a new motherboard, which often costs more than the gap between the processors.
Bottom line: the Core i7-9700K is a little faster, but the gap is small enough that price and platform should decide it.
Which Graphics Card Should You Pair With Them?
Each processor's own page lists the graphics cards it is best matched with at 1080p, 1440p and 4K, and the cards it would hold back:
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- Compare any two processorsThe full CPU vs CPU tool
Ryzen 7 3700X vs Core i7-9700K: Common Questions
Is the Ryzen 7 3700X better than the Core i7-9700K?
The Core i7-9700K is a little faster, but the gap is small enough that price and platform should decide it. The Core i7-9700K is about 6% faster in games than the Ryzen 7 3700X (111 vs 105 FPS frame rate limit).
Which is better for gaming, the Ryzen 7 3700X or the Core i7-9700K?
The Core i7-9700K, with a model frame rate limit of 111 FPS against 105. With an RTX 5080 at 1440p that works out to about 105 FPS for the Ryzen 7 3700X and 111 FPS for the Core i7-9700K.
Which is better for streaming and productivity?
The chip with more cores and threads: the Ryzen 7 3700X has 8 cores and 16 threads, which matters more for rendering, encoding and streaming than for games.
Can I swap the Core i7-9700K for the Ryzen 7 3700X on the same motherboard?
No. The Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 and the Core i7-9700K uses LGA 1151, so you would need a new motherboard.
Data last reviewed October 15, 2026. See the methodology for how every figure is produced.