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 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 45.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 61.3 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (14,000 vs 17,700).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 64 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 3900.

Ryzen 9 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅+26.4% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike Ryzen 7 5700X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.3 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Ryzen 9 3900

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 45.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 61.3 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅+26.4% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike Ryzen 7 5700X.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (14,000 vs 17,700).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 64 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 9 3900.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 61.3 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5700X better than Ryzen 9 3900?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 5700X is ahead with a 3.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 3900 pulls ahead with 26.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 9 3900 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 3900 is the better fit. You are getting 26.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 5700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5700X is $200 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $499 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 3900 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 26.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 45.2% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 61.3 PassMark/$), 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 5700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 5700X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 3900 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
1080p
low	156 FPS	159 FPS
medium	129 FPS	130 FPS
high	115 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	137 FPS	144 FPS
medium	111 FPS	115 FPS
high	95 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	78 FPS
medium	67 FPS	67 FPS
high	55 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	43 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Ryzen 9 3900

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
1080p
low	649 FPS	534 FPS
medium	549 FPS	470 FPS
high	448 FPS	384 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	552 FPS	460 FPS
medium	484 FPS	411 FPS
high	407 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	350 FPS	289 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	288 FPS
medium	303 FPS	261 FPS
high	277 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	213 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Ryzen 9 3900

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
1080p
low	665 FPS	709 FPS
medium	557 FPS	589 FPS
high	509 FPS	536 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	541 FPS
medium	458 FPS	448 FPS
high	419 FPS	401 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	347 FPS
4K
low	402 FPS	394 FPS
medium	322 FPS	315 FPS
high	292 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	224 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Ryzen 9 3900

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
1080p
low	665 FPS	765 FPS
medium	665 FPS	765 FPS
high	665 FPS	711 FPS
ultra	665 FPS	638 FPS
1440p
low	665 FPS	725 FPS
medium	665 FPS	644 FPS
high	607 FPS	553 FPS
ultra	533 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	545 FPS	516 FPS
medium	488 FPS	469 FPS
high	439 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	360 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Ryzen 9 3900

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 5700X and Ryzen 9 3900

Ryzen 7 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 9 3900

The Ryzen 9 3900 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) 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: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 30,588 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 5700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 9 3900 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 3900 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 9 3900 — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 3900 uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 5700X scores 26,609 against the Ryzen 9 3900's 30,588 — a 13.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 3900. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 14,000 vs 17,700 (23.3% advantage for the Ryzen 9 3900). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,116 vs 1,713, a 21% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,715 vs 10,983 (12.3% advantage for the Ryzen 9 3900). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 3900.

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+7%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+10%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	64 MB+100%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	26,609	30,588+15%
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,000	17,700+26%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,116+24%	1,713
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,715	10,983+13%

🧠

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: A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 7 5700X) and X570,B550,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 3900).

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming, Ryzen 9 3900 targets Workstation Desktop (low power). Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K; Ryzen 9 3900 rivals Core i9-9900.

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 9 3900
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	Workstation Desktop (low power)

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 5700X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 3900 debuted at $499. On MSRP ($299 vs $499), the Ryzen 7 5700X is $200 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 7 5700X delivers 89.0 pts/$ vs 61.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 3900 — making the Ryzen 7 5700X the 36.9% better value option.