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 3800XT

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840S across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $399 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840S mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1212.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 8W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7840S moves to FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7840S can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 7840S

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 105W, a 97W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen 7 3800XT needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,290 vs 23,441).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3800XT

2020

Ryzen 7 7840S

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 8W instead of 105W, a 97W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen 7 3800XT needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 7840S across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $399 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 7840S mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1212.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 8W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 7840S moves to FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 7840S can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,290 vs 23,441).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 7840S better than Ryzen 7 3800XT?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 7840S is ahead with a 9.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3800XT pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 3800XT also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3800XT is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% 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 7840S is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 3800XT makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 7840S is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and it gives you a 9.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 3800XT is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.6% better PassMark. Ryzen 7 3800XT is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (58.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 7840S is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FP7/FP7r2/FP8 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 7 3800XT Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 7840S Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3800XT	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	172 FPS	269 FPS
medium	145 FPS	243 FPS
high	129 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	147 FPS	236 FPS
medium	119 FPS	193 FPS
high	100 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	82 FPS	164 FPS
medium	72 FPS	136 FPS
high	58 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3800XT Open Ryzen 7 7840S

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3800XT	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	586 FPS	509 FPS
medium	502 FPS	419 FPS
high	387 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	341 FPS	322 FPS
1440p
low	507 FPS	445 FPS
medium	439 FPS	386 FPS
high	353 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	296 FPS	283 FPS
4K
low	315 FPS	293 FPS
medium	275 FPS	266 FPS
high	240 FPS	251 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	216 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3800XT Open Ryzen 7 7840S

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3800XT	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	586 FPS	582 FPS
medium	586 FPS	582 FPS
high	554 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	586 FPS	582 FPS
medium	562 FPS	582 FPS
high	485 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	405 FPS	464 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	541 FPS
medium	414 FPS	473 FPS
high	367 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	355 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3800XT Open Ryzen 7 7840S

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3800XT	Ryzen 7 7840S
1080p
low	586 FPS	582 FPS
medium	586 FPS	582 FPS
high	586 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	586 FPS	582 FPS
1440p
low	586 FPS	582 FPS
medium	586 FPS	582 FPS
high	586 FPS	582 FPS
ultra	547 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	570 FPS	572 FPS
medium	510 FPS	511 FPS
high	460 FPS	457 FPS
ultra	398 FPS	394 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3800XT Open Ryzen 7 7840S

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3800XT and Ryzen 7 7840S

Ryzen 7 3800XT

The Ryzen 7 3800XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 23,441 points. Launch price was $399.

Ryzen 7 7840S

The Ryzen 7 7840S is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,290 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 3800XT and Ryzen 7 7840S share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3800XT versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 7840S — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 7840S (base: 3.8 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3800XT uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 7840S uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3800XT scores 23,441 against the Ryzen 7 7840S's 23,290 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 3800XT. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3800XT vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 7 7840S.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3800XT	Ryzen 7 7840S
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz	5.1 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.8 GHz	3.8 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+100%	16 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	8 MB+1500%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	23,441	23,290
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	13,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,570
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,535

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3800XT uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 7840S uses FP7/FP7r2/FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 3800XT versus DDR5-5600, LPDDR5x-7500 on the Ryzen 7 7840S — the Ryzen 7 7840S supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 7840S supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 3800XT) vs 20 (Ryzen 7 7840S) — the Ryzen 7 3800XT offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3800XT	Ryzen 7 7840S
Socket	AM4	FP7/FP7r2/FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600, LPDDR5x-7500+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 3800XT has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen 7 7840S supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 7 3800XT) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 7 7840S). The Ryzen 7 7840S includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Ryzen 7 3800XT requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 3800XT targets Desktop, Ryzen 7 7840S targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 7840S rivals Core i7-1360P.