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 4600GE

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 102.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 79.4 vs 39.2 PassMark/$ ($200 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 7, while Ryzen 7 1700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 1700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 7 1700X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (15,623 vs 15,889).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.2 vs 79.4 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 4600GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 4600GE

2020

Ryzen 7 1700X

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $199 less on MSRP ($200 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 102.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 79.4 vs 39.2 PassMark/$ ($200 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 95W, a 60W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 7, while Ryzen 7 1700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 1700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (15,623 vs 15,889).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.2 vs 79.4 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
❌171.4% higher power demand at 95W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 4600GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 4600GE better than Ryzen 7 1700X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 1700X is ahead with a 5.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4600GE pulls ahead with 1.7% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 1700X also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4600GE is the better fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 4600GE is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 4600GE is $199 cheaper on MSRP at $200 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and it gives you 1.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 1700X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 102.9% better value on MSRP (79.4 vs 39.2 PassMark/$), 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 4600GE is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 4600GE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 1700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	177 FPS	178 FPS
medium	143 FPS	150 FPS
high	114 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	149 FPS
medium	121 FPS	123 FPS
high	94 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	66 FPS
medium	59 FPS	58 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4600GE Open Ryzen 7 1700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	298 FPS	280 FPS
medium	257 FPS	247 FPS
high	229 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	261 FPS	247 FPS
medium	229 FPS	224 FPS
high	208 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	164 FPS
4K
low	225 FPS	179 FPS
medium	202 FPS	166 FPS
high	182 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	122 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4600GE Open Ryzen 7 1700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	397 FPS	391 FPS
medium	397 FPS	391 FPS
high	397 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	391 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	391 FPS
medium	397 FPS	391 FPS
high	397 FPS	368 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	311 FPS
4K
low	393 FPS	351 FPS
medium	332 FPS	285 FPS
high	286 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4600GE Open Ryzen 7 1700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	397 FPS	391 FPS
medium	397 FPS	391 FPS
high	397 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	391 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	391 FPS
medium	397 FPS	391 FPS
high	397 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	397 FPS	391 FPS
medium	397 FPS	391 FPS
high	378 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	316 FPS	321 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4600GE Open Ryzen 7 1700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 4600GE and Ryzen 7 1700X

Ryzen 5 4600GE

The Ryzen 5 4600GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 15,889 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 1700X

The Ryzen 7 1700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16384 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,623 points. Launch price was $399.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 4600GE packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 1700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 1700X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4600GE versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 7 1700X — a 10% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 4600GE (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 4600GE uses the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 1700X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 4600GE scores 15,889 against the Ryzen 7 1700X's 15,623 — a 1.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 4600GE. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4600GE vs 16384 kB on the Ryzen 7 1700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+11%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.4 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	16384 kB+100%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	4096 kB+700%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Renoir (2020−2023)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	15,889+2%	15,623
Cinebench R23 Multi	7,800	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 1700X 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. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AM4 (Ryzen 5 4600GE) and AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 1700X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 4600GE) / not specified (Ryzen 7 1700X). The Ryzen 5 4600GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 7), while the Ryzen 7 1700X requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Ryzen 5 4600GE	Ryzen 7 1700X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 7	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 4600GE launched at $200 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 1700X debuted at $399. On MSRP ($200 vs $399), the Ryzen 5 4600GE is $199 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 4600GE delivers 79.4 pts/$ vs 39.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 1700X — making the Ryzen 5 4600GE the 67.9% better value option.