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

✅+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 8700F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 31,240).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 115.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 8700F moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 8700F.

Ryzen 7 8700F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +58.9% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $29 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 58.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 115.7 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($270 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Spire), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Ryzen 7 8700F

2024

Why buy it

✅+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: +58.9% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $29 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 58.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 115.7 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($270 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Spire), unlike Ryzen 5 5600X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8700F across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 31,240).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 115.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 8700F moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 8700F.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8700F better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Yes. Ryzen 7 8700F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 58.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data, 43% 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 8700F is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 58.9% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 8700F is the better fit. You are getting 43% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 8700F is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 8700F is $29 cheaper on MSRP at $270 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 58.9% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 58.4% better value on MSRP (115.7 vs 73.1 PassMark/$), 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 5 5600X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 8700F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. 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 5600X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 8700F Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	203 FPS	266 FPS
medium	174 FPS	240 FPS
high	140 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	233 FPS
medium	141 FPS	190 FPS
high	113 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	158 FPS
medium	76 FPS	131 FPS
high	60 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	88 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 8700F

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	464 FPS	483 FPS
medium	387 FPS	403 FPS
high	324 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	308 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	423 FPS
medium	334 FPS	374 FPS
high	290 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	273 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	283 FPS
medium	226 FPS	259 FPS
high	205 FPS	244 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 8700F

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	546 FPS	781 FPS
medium	473 FPS	781 FPS
high	432 FPS	767 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	649 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	766 FPS
medium	413 FPS	629 FPS
high	375 FPS	544 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	463 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	530 FPS
medium	292 FPS	457 FPS
high	255 FPS	402 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	338 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 8700F

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
1080p
low	546 FPS	781 FPS
medium	546 FPS	781 FPS
high	546 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	781 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	781 FPS
medium	546 FPS	781 FPS
high	546 FPS	692 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	602 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	615 FPS
medium	484 FPS	553 FPS
high	435 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	431 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 7 8700F

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 7 8700F

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 8700F

The Ryzen 7 8700F is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 April 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4.1 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 31,240 points. Launch price was $270.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 8700F offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 8700F has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8700F — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F (base: 3.7 GHz vs 4.1 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 8700F uses Phoenix (2023−2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Ryzen 7 8700F's 31,240 — a 35.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 8700F. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8700F.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	4.1 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	32 MB+100%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Phoenix (2023−2024)
PassMark	21,845	31,240+43%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,040
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,649
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	13,500

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 8700F uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 7 8700F — the Ryzen 7 8700F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 8700F 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 5 5600X) vs 20 (Ryzen 7 8700F) — the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X) and XB650,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 8700F).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
Socket	AM4	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 7 8700F supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop, Ryzen 7 8700F targets High-performance Gaming w/ dGPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 8700F rivals Core i7-14700F.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 8700F
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	High-performance Gaming w/ dGPU

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 8700F debuted at $270. On MSRP ($299 vs $270), the Ryzen 7 8700F is $29 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 115.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 8700F — making the Ryzen 7 8700F the 45.2% better value option.