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 $200 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 25.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.7 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,062 vs 26,609).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +47.7% 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 89.0 vs 111.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Ryzen 3 4100

2022

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 25.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 111.7 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +47.7% 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 5700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,062 vs 26,609).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 89.0 vs 111.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5700X better than Ryzen 3 4100?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 47.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 140.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 47.7% 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 5700X is the better fit. You are getting 140.5% 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 5700X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 3 4100 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 5700X is 202.0% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 47.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 4100 is also 25.6% better value on MSRP (111.7 vs 89.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 5700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 299.8% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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.

Ryzen 3 4100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	182 FPS	156 FPS
medium	145 FPS	129 FPS
high	118 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	137 FPS
medium	122 FPS	111 FPS
high	97 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	77 FPS
medium	58 FPS	67 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	43 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	277 FPS	649 FPS
medium	235 FPS	549 FPS
high	204 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	552 FPS
medium	203 FPS	484 FPS
high	177 FPS	407 FPS
ultra	142 FPS	350 FPS
4K
low	181 FPS	343 FPS
medium	164 FPS	303 FPS
high	132 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	245 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	277 FPS	665 FPS
medium	277 FPS	557 FPS
high	277 FPS	509 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	439 FPS
1440p
low	277 FPS	554 FPS
medium	277 FPS	458 FPS
high	277 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	358 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	402 FPS
medium	277 FPS	322 FPS
high	277 FPS	292 FPS
ultra	247 FPS	229 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
1080p
low	277 FPS	665 FPS
medium	277 FPS	665 FPS
high	277 FPS	665 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	665 FPS
1440p
low	277 FPS	665 FPS
medium	277 FPS	665 FPS
high	277 FPS	607 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	533 FPS
4K
low	277 FPS	545 FPS
medium	277 FPS	488 FPS
high	277 FPS	439 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	385 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4100 Open Ryzen 7 5700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 4100 and Ryzen 7 5700X

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 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 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: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 4100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5700X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4100 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X — a 14% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 3 4100 uses the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5700X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 4100 scores 11,062 against the Ryzen 7 5700X's 26,609 — a 82.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X. L3 cache: 8.00391 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4100 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.6 GHz+15%
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+12%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	8.00391 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Renoir (2020−2023)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	11,062	26,609+141%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	14,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,116
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	9,715

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
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

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 3 4100) / AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4100	Ryzen 7 5700X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 3 4100 launched at $99 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 5700X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($99 vs $299), the Ryzen 3 4100 is $200 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 4100 delivers 111.7 pts/$ vs 89.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 5700X — making the Ryzen 3 4100 the 22.7% better value option.