Core i5-7600K vs Ryzen 5 3500U

CPU

GPU

Core i5-7600K

4 Cores4 Thrd91 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2017

Popular choices:

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Ryzen 5 3500U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2019

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-7600K

4 / 4

6,813

0.0%

6,836

+0.3%

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

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 i5-7600K

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $217 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌506.7% higher power demand at 91W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 91W, a 76W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-7600K across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (3,545 vs 4,143).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Core i5-7600K

2017

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.4% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 91W, a 76W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $217 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌506.7% higher power demand at 91W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-7600K across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (3,545 vs 4,143).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-7600K better than Ryzen 5 3500U?

Yes. Core i5-7600K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 21.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data and 16.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i5-7600K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 21.4% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-7600K is the better fit. You are getting 16.9% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i5-7600K is the smarter buy today. Core i5-7600K is at an unclear MSRP at $217 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 21.4% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (31.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 3500U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2017). 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.

Core i5-7600K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3500U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	170 FPS	169 FPS
medium	170 FPS	149 FPS
high	135 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	170 FPS	142 FPS
medium	136 FPS	121 FPS
high	107 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	74 FPS	67 FPS
medium	62 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i5-7600K Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	170 FPS	120 FPS
medium	170 FPS	105 FPS
high	170 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	78 FPS
1440p
low	170 FPS	103 FPS
medium	170 FPS	90 FPS
high	170 FPS	83 FPS
ultra	168 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	77 FPS
medium	170 FPS	69 FPS
high	146 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	123 FPS	42 FPS

Open Core i5-7600K Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	170 FPS	171 FPS
medium	170 FPS	171 FPS
high	170 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	170 FPS	171 FPS
medium	170 FPS	171 FPS
high	170 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	171 FPS
medium	170 FPS	171 FPS
high	170 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i5-7600K Open Ryzen 5 3500U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
1080p
low	170 FPS	171 FPS
medium	170 FPS	171 FPS
high	170 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	171 FPS
1440p
low	170 FPS	171 FPS
medium	170 FPS	171 FPS
high	170 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	171 FPS
4K
low	170 FPS	171 FPS
medium	170 FPS	171 FPS
high	170 FPS	171 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i5-7600K Open Ryzen 5 3500U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-7600K and Ryzen 5 3500U

Core i5-7600K

The Core i5-7600K 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 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 91 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,813 points. Launch price was $242.

Ryzen 5 3500U

The Ryzen 5 3500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2019 (6 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 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,836 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Core i5-7600K packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Ryzen 5 3500U's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i5-7600K versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500U — a 12.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-7600K (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i5-7600K uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-7600K scores 6,813 against the Ryzen 5 3500U's 6,836 — a 0.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 3500U. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 4,143 vs 3,545 (15.6% advantage for the Core i5-7600K). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,100 vs 876, a 22.7% lead for the Core i5-7600K that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 3,800 vs 1,898 (66.8% advantage for the Core i5-7600K). L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-7600K vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U.

Feature	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+14%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+81%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)
PassMark	6,813	6,836
Cinebench R23 Multi	4,143+17%	3,545
Geekbench 6 Single	1,100+26%	876
Geekbench 6 Multi	3,800+100%	1,898

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-7600K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-7600K) vs 12 (Ryzen 5 3500U) — the Core i5-7600K offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z270,H270,B250 (Core i5-7600K) and Mobile (Ryzen 5 3500U).

Feature	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
Socket	LGA1151	FP5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	16+33%	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i5-7600K has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-7600K) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U). Both include integrated graphics — Intel HD Graphics 630 (Core i5-7600K) and Radeon Vega 8 (Ryzen 5 3500U) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7600K targets Gaming/Desktop, Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U.

Feature	Core i5-7600K	Ryzen 5 3500U
Integrated GPU	Yes	Yes
IGPU Model	Intel HD Graphics 630	Radeon Vega 8
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming/Desktop	Budget