Core i7-4930MX vs Ryzen 3 1200

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 i7-4930MX

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 57W instead of 65W, a 8W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,387 vs 6,407).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1200.

Ryzen 3 1200

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core i7-4930MX.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-4930MX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $109 MSRP, while Core i7-4930MX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core i7-4930MX

2013

Ryzen 3 1200

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 57W instead of 65W, a 8W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Core i7-4930MX.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,387 vs 6,407).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1200.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-4930MX across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $109 MSRP, while Core i7-4930MX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 1200 better than Core i7-4930MX?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-4930MX is ahead with a 5.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 1200 pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 1200 is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 1200 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 1200 is at an unclear MSRP at $109 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i7-4930MX is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (58.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 3 1200 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 i7-4930MX Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 1200 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-4930MX	Ryzen 3 1200
1080p
low	160 FPS	160 FPS
medium	145 FPS	146 FPS
high	115 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	141 FPS
medium	121 FPS	118 FPS
high	95 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	67 FPS
medium	61 FPS	60 FPS
high	48 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	36 FPS

Open Core i7-4930MX Open Ryzen 3 1200

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-4930MX	Ryzen 3 1200
1080p
low	160 FPS	160 FPS
medium	160 FPS	145 FPS
high	160 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	160 FPS	145 FPS
medium	159 FPS	125 FPS
high	147 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	93 FPS
4K
low	143 FPS	113 FPS
medium	129 FPS	100 FPS
high	107 FPS	78 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	58 FPS

Open Core i7-4930MX Open Ryzen 3 1200

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-4930MX	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

Open Core i7-4930MX Open Ryzen 3 1200

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-4930MX	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

Open Core i7-4930MX Open Ryzen 3 1200

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-4930MX and Ryzen 3 1200

Core i7-4930MX

The Core i7-4930MX is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 57 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,387 points. Launch price was $1,096.

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.

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Processing Power

The Core i7-4930MX packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 3 1200's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-4930MX versus 3.4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 1200 — a 13.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-4930MX (base: 3 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i7-4930MX uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Ryzen 3 1200 uses Summit Ridge (Zen) (2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4930MX scores 6,387 against the Ryzen 3 1200's 6,407 — a 0.3% lead for the Ryzen 3 1200. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-4930MX	Ryzen 3 1200
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+15%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz	3.1 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Summit Ridge (Zen) (2017)
PassMark	6,387	6,407
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,013
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,000
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,000

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4930MX uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 1200 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.