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 8700F

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.2% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $229 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 84.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 115.7 vs 62.6 PassMark/$ ($270 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 64 MB).

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅+300% larger total L3 cache (64 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 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,500 vs 18,040).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 62.6 vs 115.7 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 8700F moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 7 8700F

2024

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.2% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $229 less on MSRP ($270 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 84.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 115.7 vs 62.6 PassMark/$ ($270 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 64 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8700F across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (17,500 vs 18,040).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 62.6 vs 115.7 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $270 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 7 8700F moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8700F better than Ryzen 9 PRO 3900?

Yes. Ryzen 7 8700F is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 20.2% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data, 3.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 20.2% more average FPS across 46 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 3.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 $229 cheaper on MSRP at $270 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it gives you a 20.2% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 84.7% better value on MSRP (115.7 vs 62.6 PassMark/$), 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 9 PRO 3900 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 7 8700F is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 12/24. 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 8700F Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	266 FPS	188 FPS
medium	240 FPS	150 FPS
high	206 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	233 FPS	156 FPS
medium	190 FPS	121 FPS
high	158 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	158 FPS	83 FPS
medium	131 FPS	69 FPS
high	102 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8700F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	483 FPS	589 FPS
medium	403 FPS	510 FPS
high	347 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	368 FPS
1440p
low	423 FPS	506 FPS
medium	374 FPS	446 FPS
high	322 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	273 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	283 FPS	317 FPS
medium	259 FPS	283 FPS
high	244 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	229 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8700F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	781 FPS	781 FPS
medium	781 FPS	690 FPS
high	767 FPS	615 FPS
ultra	649 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	766 FPS	664 FPS
medium	629 FPS	540 FPS
high	544 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	463 FPS	419 FPS
4K
low	530 FPS	471 FPS
medium	457 FPS	370 FPS
high	402 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	264 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8700F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
1080p
low	781 FPS	781 FPS
medium	781 FPS	781 FPS
high	781 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	781 FPS	706 FPS
1440p
low	781 FPS	781 FPS
medium	781 FPS	710 FPS
high	692 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	602 FPS	538 FPS
4K
low	615 FPS	574 FPS
medium	553 FPS	516 FPS
high	495 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	431 FPS	398 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8700F Open Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 8700F and Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

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.

Ryzen 9 PRO 3900

The Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 30 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 31,251 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 8700F packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8700F versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 — a 15.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F (base: 4.1 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 7 8700F uses the Phoenix (2023−2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 uses Zen 2 (2017−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 8700F scores 31,240 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900's 31,251 — a 0% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 18,040 vs 17,500 (3% advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,649 vs 1,688, a 44.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 8700F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 13,500 vs 10,000 (29.8% advantage for the Ryzen 7 8700F). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8700F vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900.

Feature	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+16%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	4.1 GHz+32%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	64 MB+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	6 MB+500%
Process	4 nm-43%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Phoenix (2023−2024)	Zen 2 (2017−2020)
PassMark	31,240	31,251
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,040+3%	17,500
Geekbench 6 Single	2,649+57%	1,688
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,500+35%	10,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 8700F uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 7 8700F versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 — 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: 20 (Ryzen 7 8700F) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 PRO 3900) — the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: XB650,B650,A620 (Ryzen 7 8700F) and X570,B550,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 PRO 3900).

Feature	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
Socket	AM5	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+100%	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	24+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 7 8700F targets High-performance Gaming w/ dGPU, Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 targets Professional Content Creation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 8700F rivals Core i7-14700F; Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 rivals Core i9-10900.

Feature	Ryzen 7 8700F	Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	High-performance Gaming w/ dGPU	Professional Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 8700F launched at $270 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 debuted at $499. On MSRP ($270 vs $499), the Ryzen 7 8700F is $229 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 7 8700F delivers 115.7 pts/$ vs 62.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 — making the Ryzen 7 8700F the 59.5% better value option.