PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,274 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.1 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($520 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.4% higher average FPS across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $191 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 37.1 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 7 266V

2024

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 17W instead of 65W, a 48W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.4% higher average FPS across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Costs $191 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅Delivers 83.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 37.1 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $520 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 42 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,274 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 37.1 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($520 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌282.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 266V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Core Ultra 7 266V?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 18.4% average FPS lead across 42 shared CPU game tests in our data and 16.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.4% more average FPS across 42 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better fit. You are getting 16.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is $191 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $520 MSRP, and it gives you a 18.4% average FPS lead across 42 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 83.9% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 37.1 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core Ultra 7 266V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of AM4. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core Ultra 7 266V Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 266V	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	272 FPS	200 FPS
medium	243 FPS	163 FPS
high	205 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	156 FPS
medium	185 FPS	121 FPS
high	152 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	84 FPS
medium	130 FPS	71 FPS
high	101 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	44 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 266V Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 266V	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	236 FPS	561 FPS
medium	195 FPS	525 FPS
high	176 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	210 FPS	545 FPS
medium	181 FPS	471 FPS
high	164 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	155 FPS	350 FPS
medium	138 FPS	304 FPS
high	132 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	242 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 266V Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 266V	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	482 FPS	561 FPS
medium	482 FPS	561 FPS
high	482 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	482 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	482 FPS	561 FPS
medium	482 FPS	561 FPS
high	482 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	468 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	482 FPS	499 FPS
medium	462 FPS	394 FPS
high	404 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 266V Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 266V	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	482 FPS	561 FPS
medium	482 FPS	561 FPS
high	482 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	482 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	482 FPS	561 FPS
medium	482 FPS	561 FPS
high	482 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	482 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	482 FPS	561 FPS
medium	482 FPS	501 FPS
high	480 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	396 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 266V Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 266V and Ryzen 7 3700X

Core Ultra 7 266V

The Core Ultra 7 266V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,274 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

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Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 266V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 3700X's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 266V versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 266V (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 266V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 266V scores 19,274 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 15.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 266V vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 266V	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz+14%	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	3.6 GHz+64%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+167%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+400%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-57%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	19,274	22,430+16%

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Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 266V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 266V	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	FCBGA2833	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

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Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 7 266V launched at $520 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($520 vs $329), the Ryzen 7 3700X is $191 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 7 266V delivers 37.1 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 59.1% better value option.