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 1500X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 4 MB).
✅400% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7520U.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $189 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7520U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7520U moves to FT6 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7520U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 7520U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while Ryzen 5 1500X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 1500X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (4,527 vs 4,641).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 1500X.

Ryzen 5 1500X

2017

Ryzen 5 7520U

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 4 MB).
✅400% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 7520U.

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FT6 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 610M, while Ryzen 5 1500X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $189 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 7520U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7520U moves to FT6 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 7520U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 1500X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (4,527 vs 4,641).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 16 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 1500X.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 1500X better than Ryzen 5 7520U?

Yes. Ryzen 5 1500X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 2.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 0.1% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 1500X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.4% 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 5 1500X is the better fit. You are getting 2.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 1500X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 1500X is at an unclear MSRP at $189 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (48.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 7520U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with FT6 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 5 1500X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7520U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	182 FPS	170 FPS
medium	156 FPS	135 FPS
high	127 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	143 FPS
medium	125 FPS	112 FPS
high	98 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	76 FPS
medium	59 FPS	64 FPS
high	46 FPS	51 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	40 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1500X Open Ryzen 5 7520U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	225 FPS	227 FPS
medium	194 FPS	227 FPS
high	178 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	197 FPS	227 FPS
medium	172 FPS	199 FPS
high	155 FPS	181 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	174 FPS
medium	125 FPS	153 FPS
high	103 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	107 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1500X Open Ryzen 5 7520U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	227 FPS	227 FPS
medium	227 FPS	227 FPS
high	227 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	227 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	227 FPS
medium	227 FPS	227 FPS
high	227 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	227 FPS	227 FPS
medium	227 FPS	227 FPS
high	227 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	219 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1500X Open Ryzen 5 7520U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 7520U
1080p
low	227 FPS	227 FPS
medium	227 FPS	227 FPS
high	227 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	227 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	227 FPS
medium	227 FPS	227 FPS
high	227 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	227 FPS	227 FPS
medium	227 FPS	227 FPS
high	227 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	227 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1500X Open Ryzen 5 7520U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 1500X and Ryzen 5 7520U

Ryzen 5 1500X

The Ryzen 5 1500X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,074 points. Launch price was $189.

Ryzen 5 7520U

The Ryzen 5 7520U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 9,063 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 1500X and Ryzen 5 7520U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 5 1500X versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7520U — a 15% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7520U (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Ryzen 5 1500X uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 1500X scores 9,074 against the Ryzen 5 7520U's 9,063 — a 0.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 1500X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 4,641 vs 4,527 (2.5% advantage for the Ryzen 5 1500X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,120 vs 797, a 33.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 1500X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 3,700 vs 2,744 (29.7% advantage for the Ryzen 5 1500X). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 1500X vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7520U.

Feature	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 7520U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.3 GHz+16%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+25%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+300%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Zen (2017−2020)	Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022)
PassMark	9,074	9,063
Cinebench R23 Multi	4,641+3%	4,527
Geekbench 6 Single	1,120+41%	797
Geekbench 6 Multi	3,700+35%	2,744

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 1500X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Ryzen 5 1500X versus LPDDR5-5500 on the Ryzen 5 7520U — the Ryzen 5 7520U supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 1500X supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Ryzen 5 1500X) vs 4 (Ryzen 5 7520U) — the Ryzen 5 1500X offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370,B450,X470 (Ryzen 5 1500X) and FT6 (Ryzen 5 7520U).

Feature	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 7520U
Socket	AM4	FT6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	LPDDR5-5500+25%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+300%	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20+400%	4

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 1500X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 5 7520U includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the Ryzen 5 1500X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 1500X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 1500X rivals Core i5-7500.