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 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 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,063 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +79.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅500% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 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

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

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 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +79.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅500% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 4) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,063 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 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.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 5 7520U?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 79.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 147.5% 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 79.8% 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 147.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is at an unclear MSRP at $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 79.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2019) 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 7520U Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 7520U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	170 FPS	200 FPS
medium	135 FPS	163 FPS
high	108 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	143 FPS	156 FPS
medium	112 FPS	121 FPS
high	90 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	76 FPS	84 FPS
medium	64 FPS	71 FPS
high	51 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7520U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 7520U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	227 FPS	561 FPS
medium	227 FPS	525 FPS
high	204 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	175 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	545 FPS
medium	199 FPS	471 FPS
high	181 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	154 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	174 FPS	350 FPS
medium	153 FPS	304 FPS
high	127 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7520U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 7520U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	227 FPS	561 FPS
medium	227 FPS	561 FPS
high	227 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	561 FPS
medium	227 FPS	561 FPS
high	227 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	227 FPS	499 FPS
medium	227 FPS	394 FPS
high	227 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7520U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 7520U	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	227 FPS	561 FPS
medium	227 FPS	561 FPS
high	227 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	561 FPS
medium	227 FPS	561 FPS
high	227 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	227 FPS	561 FPS
medium	227 FPS	501 FPS
high	227 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	227 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7520U Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 7520U and Ryzen 7 3700X

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.

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 7520U packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 3700X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7520U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 2.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 7520U uses the Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) architecture (6 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 7520U scores 9,063 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 84.9% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7520U vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 7520U	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.6 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	32 MB+700%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	6 nm-14%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	9,063	22,430+147%
Cinebench R23 Multi	4,527	—
Geekbench 6 Single	797	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,744	—

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 7520U uses the FT6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5-5500 on the Ryzen 5 7520U versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 3700X — the Ryzen 5 7520U supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 3700X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 4 (Ryzen 5 7520U) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 3700X) — the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FT6 (Ryzen 5 7520U) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 7520U	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	FT6	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5-5500+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	128 GB+700%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	4	24+500%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7520U) / not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X). The Ryzen 5 7520U includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the Ryzen 7 3700X requires a dedicated GPU.