Ryzen 5 3500X vs Ryzen 7 4700U

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 3500X

2019

Why buy it

✅+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 (13,165 vs 13,174).
❌Launch MSRP is still $155 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4700U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 7 4700U

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 3500X

2019

Ryzen 7 4700U

2020

Why buy it

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

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,165 vs 13,174).
❌Launch MSRP is still $155 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 4700U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 4700U better than Ryzen 5 3500X?

Yes. Ryzen 7 4700U is the better overall CPU here. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

For gaming, the two CPUs are effectively a wash in the available data.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4700U is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 4700U is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3500X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 4700U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $155 MSRP, and it gives you 0.1% higher PassMark. Ryzen 5 3500X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (84.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 4700U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/6. 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 3500X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 4700U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 7 4700U
1080p
low	197 FPS	169 FPS
medium	159 FPS	139 FPS
high	133 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	146 FPS
medium	119 FPS	118 FPS
high	96 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	68 FPS
medium	58 FPS	59 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 7 4700U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 7 4700U
1080p
low	329 FPS	180 FPS
medium	329 FPS	153 FPS
high	327 FPS	139 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	121 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	157 FPS
medium	329 FPS	136 FPS
high	298 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	108 FPS
4K
low	286 FPS	124 FPS
medium	249 FPS	112 FPS
high	221 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 7 4700U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 7 4700U
1080p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	329 FPS
medium	243 FPS	329 FPS
high	204 FPS	317 FPS
ultra	160 FPS	257 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 7 4700U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 7 4700U
1080p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	329 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	329 FPS	329 FPS
medium	329 FPS	329 FPS
high	329 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	284 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 7 4700U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3500X and Ryzen 7 4700U

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.

Ryzen 7 4700U

The Ryzen 7 4700U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,174 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3500X packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4700U offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Ryzen 7 4700U has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500X versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4700U — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3500X uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4700U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3500X scores 13,165 against the Ryzen 7 4700U's 13,174 — a 0.1% lead for the Ryzen 7 4700U. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3500X vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 4700U.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 7 4700U
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	8 / 8+33%
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+300%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021)
PassMark	13,165	13,174

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3500X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 4700U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.