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.

M2

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 20W instead of 65W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 1700.

Ryzen 7 1700

2017

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M2.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,772 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $140 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌225% higher power demand at 65W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

M2

2022

Ryzen 7 1700

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 20W instead of 65W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike M2.

Trade-offs

❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 1700.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,772 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $140 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌225% higher power demand at 65W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 better than Ryzen 7 1700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 1700 is ahead with a 1.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M2 pulls ahead with 1.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

M2 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 1700 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M2 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $140 MSRP, and it gives you 1.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 1700 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 1.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 1700 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (105.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 1700 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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

M2 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 8/16. 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.

M2 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 1700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	175 FPS	168 FPS
medium	140 FPS	144 FPS
high	113 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	142 FPS
medium	111 FPS	119 FPS
high	88 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	64 FPS
medium	55 FPS	58 FPS
high	44 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	36 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 1700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	288 FPS	277 FPS
medium	246 FPS	245 FPS
high	213 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	244 FPS
medium	220 FPS	221 FPS
high	193 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	174 FPS	177 FPS
medium	159 FPS	165 FPS
high	136 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	120 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 1700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	373 FPS	369 FPS
medium	373 FPS	369 FPS
high	373 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	369 FPS
medium	373 FPS	369 FPS
high	373 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	363 FPS	311 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	350 FPS
medium	314 FPS	284 FPS
high	277 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	209 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 1700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	373 FPS	369 FPS
medium	373 FPS	369 FPS
high	373 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	369 FPS
medium	373 FPS	369 FPS
high	373 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	369 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	369 FPS
medium	373 FPS	369 FPS
high	373 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	311 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 1700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M2 and Ryzen 7 1700

M2

The M2 is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 10 June 2022 (3 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.48 GHz. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 14,933 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 7 1700

The Ryzen 7 1700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16384 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,772 points. Launch price was $329.

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Processing Power

The M2 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 1700's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.48 GHz on the M2 versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 1700 — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 1700 (base: 2.424 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 7 1700 is built on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the M2 scores 14,933 against the Ryzen 7 1700's 14,772 — a 1.1% lead for the M2.

Feature	M2	Ryzen 7 1700
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.48 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.424 GHz	3 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	—	16384 kB
L2 Cache	20 MB+400%	4096 kB
Process	5 nm-64%	14 nm
Architecture	—	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	14,933+1%	14,772
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	8,065
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,000
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	5,000

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Memory & Platform

The M2 uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 1700 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	M2	Ryzen 7 1700
Socket	none	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (M2) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 1700). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 1700 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 1700 rivals Core i7-7700K.