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.

Core i9-7940X

2017

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,452 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 18.2 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($1,399 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌57.1% higher power demand at 165W vs 105W.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 420.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 18.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,399 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 165W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Core i9-7940X

2017

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $1,100 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 420.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 18.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,399 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 165W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,452 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 18.2 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($1,399 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌57.1% higher power demand at 165W vs 105W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Core i9-7940X?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 11.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 7600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.3% 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 7600X is the better fit. You are getting 11.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is $1,100 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $1,399 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 420.7% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 18.2 PassMark/$), 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 7600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 14/28. 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.

Core i9-7940X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 7600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	168 FPS	266 FPS
medium	148 FPS	246 FPS
high	116 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	179 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	226 FPS
medium	121 FPS	189 FPS
high	95 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	157 FPS
medium	73 FPS	131 FPS
high	57 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	87 FPS

Open Core i9-7940X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	447 FPS	649 FPS
medium	384 FPS	524 FPS
high	331 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	303 FPS	386 FPS
1440p
low	392 FPS	544 FPS
medium	344 FPS	455 FPS
high	298 FPS	388 FPS
ultra	261 FPS	329 FPS
4K
low	250 FPS	341 FPS
medium	219 FPS	290 FPS
high	205 FPS	271 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	232 FPS

Open Core i9-7940X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	534 FPS	708 FPS
medium	451 FPS	652 FPS
high	409 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	365 FPS	484 FPS
1440p
low	485 FPS	708 FPS
medium	415 FPS	554 FPS
high	374 FPS	479 FPS
ultra	334 FPS	409 FPS
4K
low	379 FPS	463 FPS
medium	319 FPS	392 FPS
high	283 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	233 FPS	281 FPS

Open Core i9-7940X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
1080p
low	636 FPS	708 FPS
medium	636 FPS	708 FPS
high	636 FPS	708 FPS
ultra	610 FPS	708 FPS
1440p
low	636 FPS	708 FPS
medium	636 FPS	708 FPS
high	573 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	500 FPS	571 FPS
4K
low	524 FPS	560 FPS
medium	475 FPS	502 FPS
high	418 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	391 FPS

Open Core i9-7940X Open Ryzen 5 7600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-7940X and Ryzen 5 7600X

Core i9-7940X

The Core i9-7940X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 25,452 points. Launch price was $1,399.

Ryzen 5 7600X

The Ryzen 5 7600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 5 nm, 6 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5200. Passmark benchmark score: 28,325 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-7940X packs 14 cores / 28 threads, while the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-7940X has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Core i9-7940X versus 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 3.1 GHz vs 4.7 GHz). The Core i9-7940X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) (5 nm, 6 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-7940X scores 25,452 against the Ryzen 5 7600X's 28,325 — a 10.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-7940X vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Feature	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
Cores / Threads	14 / 28+133%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.3 GHz+20%
Base Clock	3.1 GHz	4.7 GHz+52%
L3 Cache	19.25 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+66%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	6 MB+500%
Process	14 nm	5 nm, 6 nm-64%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)
PassMark	25,452	28,325+11%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	15,300
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,800

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-7940X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7600X uses AM5 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
Socket	LGA2066	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR5-5200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	28

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i9-7940X) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Core i9-7940X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Core i9-7940X	Ryzen 5 7600X
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-7940X launched at $1399 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 7600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($1399 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $1100 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-7940X delivers 18.2 pts/$ vs 94.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 7600X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 135.6% better value option.