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 3500U

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (6,836 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +211.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 3500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 3500U

2019

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 8, while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +211.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 12) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (6,836 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3500U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 3500U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 5 3500U?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 211.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 228.1% 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 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 211.8% more average FPS across 4 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 228.1% 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 $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 211.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 3700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 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 5 3500U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	169 FPS	200 FPS
medium	149 FPS	163 FPS
high	120 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	156 FPS
medium	121 FPS	121 FPS
high	95 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	84 FPS
medium	61 FPS	71 FPS
high	48 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	120 FPS	561 FPS
medium	105 FPS	525 FPS
high	97 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	103 FPS	545 FPS
medium	90 FPS	471 FPS
high	83 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	350 FPS
medium	69 FPS	304 FPS
high	56 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	42 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	171 FPS	561 FPS
medium	171 FPS	561 FPS
high	171 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	171 FPS	561 FPS
medium	171 FPS	561 FPS
high	171 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	171 FPS	499 FPS
medium	171 FPS	394 FPS
high	171 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	171 FPS	561 FPS
medium	171 FPS	561 FPS
high	171 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	171 FPS	561 FPS
medium	171 FPS	561 FPS
high	171 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	171 FPS	561 FPS
medium	171 FPS	501 FPS
high	171 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3500U and Ryzen 7 3700X

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.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3500U 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 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3500U 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 3500U scores 6,836 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 106.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500U vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500U	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.4 GHz+19%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.6 GHz+71%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	32 MB+700%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	12 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-42%
Architecture	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	6,836	22,430+228%
Cinebench R23 Multi	3,545	—
Geekbench 6 Single	876	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3500U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2400 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 3700X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 12 (Ryzen 5 3500U) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 3700X) — the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 12 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Mobile (Ryzen 5 3500U) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500U	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	FP5	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2400	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	12	24+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 3500U) / not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X). The Ryzen 5 3500U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 8), while the Ryzen 7 3700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3500U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3500U rivals Core i5-10210U.