Core i7-7700K vs Ryzen 3 5300U

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 i7-7700K

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $305 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌566.7% higher power demand at 100W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 3 5300U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 3 5300U

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 100W, a 85W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 6, while Core i7-7700K needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-7700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,453 vs 9,625).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).

Core i7-7700K

2017

Ryzen 3 5300U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +15.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 100W, a 85W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (12 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 6, while Core i7-7700K needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $305 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 5300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌566.7% higher power demand at 100W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 3 5300U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i7-7700K across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,453 vs 9,625).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Core i7-7700K better than Ryzen 3 5300U?

Yes. Core i7-7700K is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 15.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i7-7700K is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 15.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i7-7700K is the better fit. You are getting 1.8% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Core i7-7700K is the smarter buy today. Core i7-7700K is at an unclear MSRP at $305 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 15.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (31.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 3 5300U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017). 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.

Core i7-7700K Benchmark Check

Ryzen 3 5300U Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i7-7700K	Ryzen 3 5300U
1080p
low	220 FPS	172 FPS
medium	174 FPS	141 FPS
high	138 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	178 FPS	148 FPS
medium	139 FPS	120 FPS
high	111 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	90 FPS	69 FPS
medium	76 FPS	60 FPS
high	60 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	46 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core i7-7700K Open Ryzen 3 5300U

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i7-7700K	Ryzen 3 5300U
1080p
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	227 FPS
high	241 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	222 FPS	154 FPS
1440p
low	241 FPS	226 FPS
medium	241 FPS	191 FPS
high	231 FPS	169 FPS
ultra	196 FPS	136 FPS
4K
low	241 FPS	166 FPS
medium	200 FPS	147 FPS
high	169 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	89 FPS

Open Core i7-7700K Open Ryzen 3 5300U

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i7-7700K	Ryzen 3 5300U
1080p
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	236 FPS
high	241 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	236 FPS
1440p
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	236 FPS
high	241 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	236 FPS
high	241 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	234 FPS

Open Core i7-7700K Open Ryzen 3 5300U

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i7-7700K	Ryzen 3 5300U
1080p
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	236 FPS
high	241 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	236 FPS
1440p
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	236 FPS
high	241 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	236 FPS
4K
low	241 FPS	236 FPS
medium	241 FPS	236 FPS
high	241 FPS	236 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	236 FPS

Open Core i7-7700K Open Ryzen 3 5300U

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-7700K and Ryzen 3 5300U

Core i7-7700K

The Core i7-7700K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 4.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 91 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,625 points. Launch price was $339.

Ryzen 3 5300U

The Ryzen 3 5300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,453 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-7700K and Ryzen 3 5300U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i7-7700K versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 3 5300U — a 16.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-7700K (base: 4.2 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core i7-7700K uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-7700K scores 9,625 against the Ryzen 3 5300U's 9,453 — a 1.8% lead for the Core i7-7700K. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-7700K vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 5300U.

Feature	Core i7-7700K	Ryzen 3 5300U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+18%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	4.2 GHz+62%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm-50%
Architecture	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)	Lucienne-U (Zen 2) (2021)
PassMark	9,625+2%	9,453
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	5,522
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,457
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,526

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-7700K uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 5300U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-7700K	Ryzen 3 5300U
Socket	LGA1151	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	No
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-7700K) / Yes (Ryzen 3 5300U). The Ryzen 3 5300U includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 6), while the Core i7-7700K requires a dedicated GPU.