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 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.0% 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 73.1 vs 105.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $140 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 1700.

Ryzen 7 1700

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $159 less on MSRP ($140 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 105.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($140 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,772 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Ryzen 7 1700

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Costs $159 less on MSRP ($140 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 44.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 105.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($140 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 105.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $140 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 1700.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,772 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Ryzen 7 1700?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 21.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 47.9% 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 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 21.0% 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 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 47.9% 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 5600X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 1700 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 5600X is 113.6% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $140 MSRP, and it gives you a 21.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 1700 is also 44.4% better value on MSRP (105.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$), 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 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017), 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 extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 5600X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 1700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	203 FPS	168 FPS
medium	174 FPS	144 FPS
high	140 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	142 FPS
medium	141 FPS	119 FPS
high	113 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	64 FPS
medium	76 FPS	58 FPS
high	60 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 1700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	464 FPS	277 FPS
medium	387 FPS	245 FPS
high	324 FPS	219 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	244 FPS
medium	334 FPS	221 FPS
high	290 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	162 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	177 FPS
medium	226 FPS	165 FPS
high	205 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	120 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 1700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	546 FPS	369 FPS
medium	473 FPS	369 FPS
high	432 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	369 FPS
medium	413 FPS	369 FPS
high	375 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	311 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	350 FPS
medium	292 FPS	284 FPS
high	255 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 1700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
1080p
low	546 FPS	369 FPS
medium	546 FPS	369 FPS
high	546 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	369 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	369 FPS
medium	546 FPS	369 FPS
high	546 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	369 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	369 FPS
medium	484 FPS	369 FPS
high	435 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	311 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 1700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 7 1700

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 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. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 1700

The Ryzen 7 1700 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 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16384 kB. L2 cache: 4096 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,772 points. Launch price was $329.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 1700 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 1700 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 1700 — a 21.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 1700 uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Ryzen 7 1700's 14,772 — a 38.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 16384 kB on the Ryzen 7 1700.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+24%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+23%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+100%	16384 kB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	4096 kB+700%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	21,845+48%	14,772
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	8,065
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,000
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	5,000

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 4.0. 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,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X) and B350,X370,B450,X470,A520,B550,X570 (Ryzen 7 1700).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop, Ryzen 7 1700 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 1700 rivals Core i7-7700K.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 1700
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 1700 debuted at $140. On MSRP ($299 vs $140), the Ryzen 7 1700 is $159 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 105.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 1700 — making the Ryzen 7 1700 the 36.3% better value option.