Ryzen 5 3450U vs Ryzen 7 3700X

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 5 3450U

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (6,550 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +118.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.

Ryzen 5 3450U

2020

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +118.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 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 (6,550 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 5 3450U?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 118.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 242.4% 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 118.1% 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 242.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is at an unclear MSRP at $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 118.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 3450U 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 5 3450U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	164 FPS	200 FPS
medium	139 FPS	163 FPS
high	109 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	156 FPS
medium	112 FPS	121 FPS
high	87 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	84 FPS
medium	57 FPS	71 FPS
high	45 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	106 FPS	561 FPS
medium	92 FPS	525 FPS
high	85 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	545 FPS
medium	80 FPS	471 FPS
high	74 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	350 FPS
medium	62 FPS	304 FPS
high	50 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	164 FPS	561 FPS
medium	164 FPS	561 FPS
high	164 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	164 FPS	561 FPS
medium	164 FPS	561 FPS
high	164 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	499 FPS
medium	164 FPS	394 FPS
high	164 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	164 FPS	561 FPS
medium	164 FPS	561 FPS
high	164 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	164 FPS	561 FPS
medium	164 FPS	561 FPS
high	164 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	561 FPS
medium	164 FPS	501 FPS
high	164 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3450U and Ryzen 7 3700X

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.

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 5 3450U 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 3.5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3450U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 22.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3450U uses the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture (12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3450U scores 6,550 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 109.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Ryzen 5 3450U vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3450U	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4.4 GHz+26%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.6 GHz+71%
L3 Cache	4 MB	32 MB+700%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	512K (per core)
Process	12 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-42%
Architecture	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	6,550	22,430+242%

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3450U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.