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.

Core i7-8700

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Costs $47 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 15.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 42.1 vs 36.6 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,747 vs 12,794).
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.6 vs 42.1 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-8700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-8700.

Core i7-8700

2017

Ryzen AI 5 330

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Costs $47 less on MSRP ($303 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅Delivers 15.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 42.1 vs 36.6 PassMark/$ ($303 MSRP vs $350 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,747 vs 12,794).
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 5 330 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-8700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 36.6 vs 42.1 PassMark/$ ($350 MSRP vs $303 MSRP).
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i7-8700 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Core i7-8700.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI 5 330 better than Core i7-8700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i7-8700 is ahead with a 21.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI 5 330 pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark. Core i7-8700 also has the bigger cache pool with 200% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI 5 330 is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen AI 5 330 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen AI 5 330 is 15.5% more expensive on MSRP at $350 MSRP versus $303 MSRP, and it gives you 0.4% better PassMark. Core i7-8700 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2017 platform. Even with 15.1% better value on paper (42.1 vs 36.6 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Ryzen AI 5 330 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2017), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 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.

Core i7-8700 Benchmark Check

Ryzen AI 5 330 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	183 FPS	169 FPS
medium	150 FPS	136 FPS
high	122 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	142 FPS
medium	125 FPS	113 FPS
high	101 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	87 FPS	79 FPS
medium	76 FPS	67 FPS
high	60 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	42 FPS

Open Core i7-8700 Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	319 FPS	168 FPS
medium	319 FPS	142 FPS
high	311 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	270 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	319 FPS	142 FPS
medium	312 FPS	122 FPS
high	283 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	97 FPS
4K
low	318 FPS	101 FPS
medium	264 FPS	90 FPS
high	240 FPS	77 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	65 FPS

Open Core i7-8700 Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	319 FPS	320 FPS
medium	319 FPS	320 FPS
high	319 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	320 FPS
1440p
low	319 FPS	320 FPS
medium	319 FPS	320 FPS
high	319 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	319 FPS	320 FPS
medium	319 FPS	320 FPS
high	302 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	226 FPS

Open Core i7-8700 Open Ryzen AI 5 330

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
1080p
low	319 FPS	320 FPS
medium	319 FPS	320 FPS
high	319 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	320 FPS
1440p
low	319 FPS	320 FPS
medium	319 FPS	320 FPS
high	319 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	319 FPS	320 FPS
medium	319 FPS	320 FPS
high	319 FPS	320 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	320 FPS

Open Core i7-8700 Open Ryzen AI 5 330

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-8700 and Ryzen AI 5 330

Core i7-8700

The Core i7-8700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12288 kB. L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,747 points. Launch price was $303.

Ryzen AI 5 330

The Ryzen AI 5 330 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 16 July 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Krackan Point 2 (2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5, LPDDR5X. Passmark benchmark score: 12,794 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-8700 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI 5 330 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-8700 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i7-8700 versus 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen AI 5 330 — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-8700 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-8700 uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 uses Krackan Point 2 (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-8700 scores 12,747 against the Ryzen AI 5 330's 12,794 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen AI 5 330. L3 cache: 12288 kB on the Core i7-8700 vs 4 MB on the Ryzen AI 5 330.

Feature	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+2%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+60%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	12288 kB+200%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+300%
Process	14 nm	4 nm-71%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)	Krackan Point 2 (2025)
PassMark	12,747	12,794
Cinebench R23 Multi	7,969	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,535	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,200	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-8700 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
Socket	LGA1151	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-8700) / not specified (Ryzen AI 5 330). The Core i7-8700 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Ryzen AI 5 330 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-8700 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Core i7-8700 rivals Ryzen 5 2600.

Feature	Core i7-8700	Ryzen AI 5 330
Integrated GPU	Yes	—
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 630	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-8700 launched at $303 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 5 330 debuted at $350. On MSRP ($303 vs $350), the Core i7-8700 is $47 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-8700 delivers 42.1 pts/$ vs 36.6 pts/$ for the Ryzen AI 5 330 — making the Core i7-8700 the 14% better value option.