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.

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +48.5% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.2 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 76.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +48.5% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.2 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 3 3100?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 48.5% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data and 88% 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 48.5% more average FPS across 43 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 88% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 7 3700X is 232.3% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 48.5% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 3100 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. Giving up that much average FPS in the shared benchmark data is simply too much for that budget trade-off.

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

Ryzen 3 3100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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.

Ryzen 3 3100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	166 FPS	200 FPS
medium	136 FPS	163 FPS
high	118 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	156 FPS
medium	115 FPS	121 FPS
high	94 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	84 FPS
medium	58 FPS	71 FPS
high	46 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	271 FPS	561 FPS
medium	228 FPS	525 FPS
high	191 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	545 FPS
medium	200 FPS	471 FPS
high	169 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	350 FPS
medium	148 FPS	304 FPS
high	118 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	298 FPS	561 FPS
medium	298 FPS	561 FPS
high	298 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	561 FPS
medium	298 FPS	561 FPS
high	298 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	499 FPS
medium	268 FPS	394 FPS
high	226 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	298 FPS	561 FPS
medium	298 FPS	561 FPS
high	298 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	561 FPS
medium	298 FPS	561 FPS
high	298 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	561 FPS
medium	298 FPS	501 FPS
high	298 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 7 3700X

Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,928 points. Launch price was $99.

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 Ryzen 3 3100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 3700X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 12% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). Both are built on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture using a 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 3100 scores 11,928 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 61.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.4 GHz+13%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	11,928	22,430+88%

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 3 3100) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X).

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 3 3100) / not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X). Primary use case: Ryzen 3 3100 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 7 3700X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 3 3100 launched at $99 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($99 vs $329), the Ryzen 3 3100 is $230 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 3100 delivers 120.5 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 3 3100 the 55.5% better value option.