Core i7-3770
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Ryzen 3 1200
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Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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 i7-3770
2012Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +13.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.8 vs 58.8 PassMark/$ ($294 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1200.
Ryzen 3 1200
2017Why buy it
- ✅Costs $185 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 169.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 58.8 vs 21.8 PassMark/$ ($109 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core i7-3770.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-3770 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (6,407 vs 6,419).
Core i7-3770
2012Ryzen 3 1200
2017Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +13.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
Why buy it
- ✅Costs $185 less on MSRP ($109 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
- ✅Delivers 169.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 58.8 vs 21.8 PassMark/$ ($109 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core i7-3770.
Trade-offs
- ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.8 vs 58.8 PassMark/$ ($294 MSRP vs $109 MSRP).
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1200.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-3770 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (6,407 vs 6,419).
Quick Answers
So, is Core i7-3770 better than Ryzen 3 1200?
Which one is better for gaming?
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Games Benchmarks
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.
Path of Exile 2
| Preset | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 142 FPS | 146 FPS |
| high | 111 FPS | 116 FPS |
| ultra | 90 FPS | 94 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 146 FPS | 141 FPS |
| medium | 120 FPS | 118 FPS |
| high | 93 FPS | 91 FPS |
| ultra | 75 FPS | 72 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 68 FPS | 67 FPS |
| medium | 60 FPS | 60 FPS |
| high | 47 FPS | 46 FPS |
| ultra | 37 FPS | 36 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 145 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 136 FPS |
| ultra | 124 FPS | 106 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 145 FPS |
| medium | 149 FPS | 125 FPS |
| high | 136 FPS | 116 FPS |
| ultra | 110 FPS | 93 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 134 FPS | 113 FPS |
| medium | 121 FPS | 100 FPS |
| high | 100 FPS | 78 FPS |
| ultra | 75 FPS | 58 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 139 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 109 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| medium | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| high | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 160 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3770 and Ryzen 3 1200
Core i7-3770
Core i7-3770
The Core i7-3770 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 77 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,419 points. Launch price was $294.
Ryzen 3 1200
Ryzen 3 1200
The Ryzen 3 1200 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Summit Ridge (Zen) (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,407 points. Launch price was $109.
Processing Power
The Core i7-3770 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 3 1200's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-3770 versus 3.4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 1200 — a 13.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-3770 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i7-3770 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Ryzen 3 1200 uses Summit Ridge (Zen) (2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3770 scores 6,419 against the Ryzen 3 1200's 6,407 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-3770. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.
| Feature | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+15% | 3.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.4 GHz+10% | 3.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | Summit Ridge (Zen) (2017) |
| PassMark | 6,419 | 6,407 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 3,013 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,000 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 3,000 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i7-3770 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 1200 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2666 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | Yes |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 24 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-3770) / AMD-V (Ryzen 3 1200). Primary use case: Ryzen 3 1200 targets Budget.
| Feature | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | Yes |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
Value Analysis
The Core i7-3770 launched at $294 MSRP, while the Ryzen 3 1200 debuted at $109. On MSRP ($294 vs $109), the Ryzen 3 1200 is $185 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-3770 delivers 21.8 pts/$ vs 58.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen 3 1200 — making the Ryzen 3 1200 the 91.7% better value option.
| Feature | Core i7-3770 | Ryzen 3 1200 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $294 | $109-63% |
| Performance per Dollar | 21.8 | 58.8+170% |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2017 |
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