Core i5-7600
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Ryzen 5 3450U
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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 i5-7600
2017Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +21.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 3450U needs a discrete GPU.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 3450U.
Trade-offs
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $224 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.
Ryzen 5 3450U
2020Why buy it
- ✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-7600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (6,550 vs 6,568).
- ❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
- ❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-7600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-7600.
Core i5-7600
2017Ryzen 5 3450U
2020Why buy it
- ✅Better for gaming: +21.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
- ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
- ✅Integrated graphics onboard with HD Graphics 630, while Ryzen 5 3450U needs a discrete GPU.
- ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 3450U.
Why buy it
- ✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.
Trade-offs
- ❌Launch MSRP is still $224 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
- ❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.
Trade-offs
- ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-7600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
- ❌Lower PassMark (6,550 vs 6,568).
- ❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).
- ❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-7600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
- ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i5-7600.
Quick Answers
So, is Core i5-7600 better than Ryzen 5 3450U?
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 i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 148 FPS | 139 FPS |
| high | 118 FPS | 109 FPS |
| ultra | 91 FPS | 86 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 153 FPS | 142 FPS |
| medium | 119 FPS | 112 FPS |
| high | 93 FPS | 87 FPS |
| ultra | 73 FPS | 69 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 71 FPS | 68 FPS |
| medium | 59 FPS | 57 FPS |
| high | 47 FPS | 45 FPS |
| ultra | 37 FPS | 35 FPS |
Counter-Strike 2
| Preset | Core i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 106 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 92 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 85 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 66 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 92 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 80 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 74 FPS |
| ultra | 160 FPS | 60 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 69 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 62 FPS |
| high | 137 FPS | 50 FPS |
| ultra | 115 FPS | 37 FPS |
League of Legends
| Preset | Core i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
Valorant
| Preset | Core i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| 1440p | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| 4K | ||
| low | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| medium | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| high | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
| ultra | 164 FPS | 164 FPS |
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-7600 and Ryzen 5 3450U
Core i5-7600
Core i5-7600
The Core i5-7600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,568 points. Launch price was $224.
Ryzen 5 3450U
Ryzen 5 3450U
The Ryzen 5 3450U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 4 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,550 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core i5-7600 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Ryzen 5 3450U's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Core i5-7600 versus 3.5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3450U — a 15.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-7600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-7600 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3450U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-7600 scores 6,568 against the Ryzen 5 3450U's 6,550 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i5-7600. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-7600 vs 4 MB on the Ryzen 5 3450U.
| Feature | Core i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 4.1 GHz+17% | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz+67% | 2.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB (total)+50% | 4 MB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 2 MB+700% |
| Process | 14 nm | 12 nm-14% |
| Architecture | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) | Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) |
| PassMark | 6,568 | 6,550 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,307 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-7600 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 3450U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | No | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-7600) / not specified (Ryzen 5 3450U). The Core i5-7600 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen 5 3450U requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7600 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-7600 rivals Ryzen 5 1500X.
| Feature | Core i5-7600 | Ryzen 5 3450U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics 630 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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