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 7600X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 141.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 39.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 7 1700X

2017

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,623 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.2 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 7600X

2022

Ryzen 7 1700X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 141.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 94.7 vs 39.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 7600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,623 vs 28,325).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.2 vs 94.7 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 7600X moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 7600X better than Ryzen 7 1700X?

Yes. Ryzen 5 7600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 27.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 81.3% 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 27.2% 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 81.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 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 5 7600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 7600X is $100 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and it gives you a 27.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 141.9% better value on MSRP (94.7 vs 39.2 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 1700X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

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 AM4, 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 7600X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 1700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	266 FPS	178 FPS
medium	246 FPS	150 FPS
high	210 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	226 FPS	149 FPS
medium	189 FPS	123 FPS
high	154 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	157 FPS	66 FPS
medium	131 FPS	58 FPS
high	101 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 7 1700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	649 FPS	280 FPS
medium	524 FPS	247 FPS
high	436 FPS	221 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	544 FPS	247 FPS
medium	455 FPS	224 FPS
high	388 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	164 FPS
4K
low	341 FPS	179 FPS
medium	290 FPS	166 FPS
high	271 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	122 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 7 1700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	708 FPS	391 FPS
medium	652 FPS	391 FPS
high	571 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	391 FPS
1440p
low	708 FPS	391 FPS
medium	554 FPS	391 FPS
high	479 FPS	368 FPS
ultra	409 FPS	311 FPS
4K
low	463 FPS	351 FPS
medium	392 FPS	285 FPS
high	341 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 7 1700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
1080p
low	708 FPS	391 FPS
medium	708 FPS	391 FPS
high	708 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	708 FPS	391 FPS
1440p
low	708 FPS	391 FPS
medium	708 FPS	391 FPS
high	658 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	571 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	560 FPS	391 FPS
medium	502 FPS	391 FPS
high	452 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	391 FPS	321 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 7600X Open Ryzen 7 1700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 1700X

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.

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 7600X 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 5.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7600X versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 7 1700X — a 33% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7600X (base: 4.7 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 7600X uses the Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023) architecture (5 nm, 6 nm), while the Ryzen 7 1700X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 7600X scores 28,325 against the Ryzen 7 1700X's 15,623 — a 57.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 7600X. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7600X vs 16384 kB on the Ryzen 7 1700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	5.3 GHz+39%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	4.7 GHz+38%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16384 kB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4096 kB
Process	5 nm, 6 nm-64%	14 nm
Architecture	Raphael (Zen4) (2022−2023)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	28,325+81%	15,623
Cinebench R23 Multi	15,300	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,900	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,800	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 7600X uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Ryzen 7 1700X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 7600X versus DDR4-2666 on the Ryzen 7 1700X — the Ryzen 5 7600X supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen 5 7600X) vs 24 (Ryzen 7 1700X) — the Ryzen 5 7600X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X670E,X670,B650E,B650,A620 (Ryzen 5 7600X) and AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 1700X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
Socket	AM5	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	28+17%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7600X) / not specified (Ryzen 7 1700X). The Ryzen 5 7600X includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)), while the Ryzen 7 1700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 7600X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 7600X rivals Intel Core i5-13600K.

Feature	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 7 1700X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Graphics (2-core)	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 7600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 1700X debuted at $399. On MSRP ($299 vs $399), the Ryzen 5 7600X is $100 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 7600X delivers 94.7 pts/$ vs 39.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 1700X — making the Ryzen 5 7600X the 83% better value option.