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 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 78.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.2 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $170 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 78.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 68.2 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 5 5500?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 30.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 16.2% better PassMark, 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 30.9% more average FPS across 50 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 16.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 3700X is 106.9% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and it gives you a 30.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5500 is also 78.1% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 68.2 PassMark/$), 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 5 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019). 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.

Ryzen 5 5500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	181 FPS	200 FPS
medium	150 FPS	163 FPS
high	120 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	156 FPS
medium	124 FPS	121 FPS
high	98 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	84 FPS
medium	61 FPS	71 FPS
high	48 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	329 FPS	561 FPS
medium	285 FPS	525 FPS
high	254 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	291 FPS	545 FPS
medium	258 FPS	471 FPS
high	233 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	350 FPS
medium	206 FPS	304 FPS
high	189 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	483 FPS	561 FPS
medium	483 FPS	561 FPS
high	483 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	561 FPS
medium	411 FPS	561 FPS
high	361 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	499 FPS
medium	285 FPS	394 FPS
high	248 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	483 FPS	561 FPS
medium	483 FPS	561 FPS
high	483 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	483 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	561 FPS
medium	483 FPS	561 FPS
high	483 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	561 FPS
medium	404 FPS	501 FPS
high	360 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5500 and Ryzen 7 3700X

Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,311 points. Launch price was $159.

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.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 3700X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,311 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 14.9% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.4 GHz+5%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Cezanne (2021−2025)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	19,311	22,430+16%

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series (Ryzen 5 5500) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5500) / not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3700X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5500 launched at $159 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($159 vs $329), the Ryzen 5 5500 is $170 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5500 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 5 5500 the 56.2% better value option.