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 4100

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.7 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,062 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +52.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.2 vs 111.7 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Ryzen 3 4100

2022

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $230 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 63.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.7 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +52.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅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 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,062 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.2 vs 111.7 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 3 4100?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 52.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 102.8% 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 52.3% more average FPS across 50 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 102.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 3 4100 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 3700X is 232.3% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 52.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 4100 is also 63.9% better value on MSRP (111.7 vs 68.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 3 4100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 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 4100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	182 FPS	200 FPS
medium	145 FPS	163 FPS
high	118 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	156 FPS
medium	122 FPS	121 FPS
high	97 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	84 FPS
medium	58 FPS	71 FPS
high	46 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	277 FPS	561 FPS
medium	235 FPS	525 FPS
high	204 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	545 FPS
medium	203 FPS	471 FPS
high	177 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	181 FPS	350 FPS
medium	164 FPS	304 FPS
high	132 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	277 FPS	561 FPS
medium	277 FPS	561 FPS
high	277 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	277 FPS	561 FPS
medium	277 FPS	561 FPS
high	277 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	499 FPS
medium	277 FPS	394 FPS
high	277 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	247 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	277 FPS	561 FPS
medium	277 FPS	561 FPS
high	277 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	277 FPS	561 FPS
medium	277 FPS	561 FPS
high	277 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	561 FPS
medium	277 FPS	501 FPS
high	277 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 4100 and Ryzen 7 3700X

Ryzen 3 4100

The Ryzen 3 4100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8.00391 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 11,062 points. Launch price was $149.

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 4100 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 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4100 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 3 4100 uses the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 4100 scores 11,062 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 67.9% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 8.00391 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4100 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.4 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+6%	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8.00391 MB (total)	32 MB+300%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Renoir (2020−2023)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	11,062	22,430+103%

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
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 Ryzen 3 4100 launched at $99 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($99 vs $329), the Ryzen 3 4100 is $230 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 4100 delivers 111.7 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 3 4100 the 48.4% better value option.