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 7 2700X

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,450 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 53.0 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Delivers 28.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 53.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 7 2700X

2018

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Delivers 28.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 53.0 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,450 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 53.0 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Ryzen 7 2700X?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 15.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 28.5% 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 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 15.2% 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 7 3700X is the better fit. You are getting 28.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is in basically the same MSRP band at $329 MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you a 15.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 28.5% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 53.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 3700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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 7 2700X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	223 FPS	200 FPS
medium	191 FPS	163 FPS
high	157 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	184 FPS	156 FPS
medium	151 FPS	121 FPS
high	121 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	84 FPS
medium	73 FPS	71 FPS
high	58 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 2700X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	349 FPS	561 FPS
medium	306 FPS	525 FPS
high	270 FPS	428 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	318 FPS	545 FPS
medium	286 FPS	471 FPS
high	251 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	337 FPS
4K
low	233 FPS	350 FPS
medium	214 FPS	304 FPS
high	196 FPS	274 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 2700X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	436 FPS	561 FPS
medium	436 FPS	561 FPS
high	436 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	436 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	436 FPS	561 FPS
medium	436 FPS	561 FPS
high	408 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	470 FPS
4K
low	392 FPS	499 FPS
medium	324 FPS	394 FPS
high	285 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 2700X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
1080p
low	436 FPS	561 FPS
medium	436 FPS	561 FPS
high	436 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	436 FPS	561 FPS
1440p
low	436 FPS	561 FPS
medium	436 FPS	561 FPS
high	436 FPS	561 FPS
ultra	436 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	436 FPS	561 FPS
medium	436 FPS	501 FPS
high	429 FPS	447 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	396 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 2700X Open Ryzen 7 3700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 7 3700X

Ryzen 7 2700X

The Ryzen 7 2700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.35 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,450 points. Launch price was $329.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 7 3700X share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.35 GHz on the Ryzen 7 2700X versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 1.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 7 2700X uses the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture (12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 2700X scores 17,450 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 25% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 2700X vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Feature	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.35 GHz	4.4 GHz+1%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	12 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-42%
Architecture	Zen+ (2018−2019)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	17,450	22,430+29%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Ryzen 7 3700X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 2700X) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X).

Feature	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 7 2700X) / not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 2700X targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 7 2700X	Ryzen 7 3700X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 2700X launched at $329 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. On MSRP ($329 vs $329), the Ryzen 7 3700X is $0 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 7 2700X delivers 53.0 pts/$ vs 68.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 25% better value option.