Ryzen 3 7440U vs Ryzen 5 3500X

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 7440U

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,100 vs 13,165).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 3500X

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $155 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 7440U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 7440U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen 3 7440U

2023

Ryzen 5 3500X

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+300% 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 (13,100 vs 13,165).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $155 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 7440U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 7440U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 7440U better than Ryzen 5 3500X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 3 7440U is ahead with a 0.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 3500X pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 3500X also has the bigger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 3500X is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 6 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 3 7440U is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3500X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 3 7440U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $155 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 3500X is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.5% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 3500X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 3 7440U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of AM4. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 7440U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3500X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 7440U	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	172 FPS	197 FPS
medium	141 FPS	159 FPS
high	112 FPS	133 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	154 FPS
medium	119 FPS	119 FPS
high	94 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	70 FPS
medium	73 FPS	58 FPS
high	57 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 7440U Open Ryzen 5 3500X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 7440U	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	328 FPS	329 FPS
medium	273 FPS	329 FPS
high	238 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	294 FPS
1440p
low	289 FPS	329 FPS
medium	235 FPS	329 FPS
high	210 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	214 FPS	286 FPS
medium	180 FPS	249 FPS
high	149 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	198 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 7440U Open Ryzen 5 3500X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 7440U	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	328 FPS	329 FPS
medium	328 FPS	329 FPS
high	328 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	328 FPS	329 FPS
medium	328 FPS	329 FPS
high	328 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	301 FPS
4K
low	328 FPS	309 FPS
medium	328 FPS	243 FPS
high	328 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	160 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 7440U Open Ryzen 5 3500X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 7440U	Ryzen 5 3500X
1080p
low	328 FPS	329 FPS
medium	328 FPS	329 FPS
high	328 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	328 FPS	329 FPS
medium	328 FPS	329 FPS
high	328 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	328 FPS	329 FPS
medium	328 FPS	329 FPS
high	328 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	329 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 7440U Open Ryzen 5 3500X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 7440U and Ryzen 5 3500X

Ryzen 3 7440U

The Ryzen 3 7440U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 May 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 13,100 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 3500X

The Ryzen 5 3500X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). 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: 13,165 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 7440U packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3500X offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Ryzen 5 3500X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 7440U versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500X — a 13.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 7440U (base: 3 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 3 7440U uses the Phoenix-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3500X uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 7440U scores 13,100 against the Ryzen 5 3500X's 13,165 — a 0.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 3500X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 7440U vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500X.

Feature	Ryzen 3 7440U	Ryzen 5 3500X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 6+50%
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz+15%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz	3.6 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	4 nm-43%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Phoenix-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	13,100	13,165

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 7440U uses the FP7 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 3500X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.