M2 vs Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

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.

M2

2022

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 20W instead of 65W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,699 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌225% higher power demand at 65W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

M2

2022

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 20W instead of 65W, a 45W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,699 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌225% higher power demand at 65W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 better than Ryzen 7 PRO 1700?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 is ahead with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M2 pulls ahead with 1.6% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 is the better fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

M2 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M2 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you 1.6% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (44.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 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?

M2 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 8/16. 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.

M2 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700
1080p
low	175 FPS	176 FPS
medium	140 FPS	154 FPS
high	113 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	145 FPS
medium	111 FPS	121 FPS
high	88 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	66 FPS
medium	55 FPS	59 FPS
high	44 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	37 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700
1080p
low	288 FPS	286 FPS
medium	246 FPS	253 FPS
high	213 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	253 FPS
medium	220 FPS	229 FPS
high	193 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	167 FPS
4K
low	174 FPS	183 FPS
medium	159 FPS	170 FPS
high	136 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	124 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700
1080p
low	373 FPS	367 FPS
medium	373 FPS	367 FPS
high	373 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	367 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	367 FPS
medium	373 FPS	367 FPS
high	373 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	363 FPS	319 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	363 FPS
medium	314 FPS	295 FPS
high	277 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	214 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M2	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700
1080p
low	373 FPS	367 FPS
medium	373 FPS	367 FPS
high	373 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	367 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	367 FPS
medium	373 FPS	367 FPS
high	373 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	367 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	367 FPS
medium	373 FPS	367 FPS
high	373 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	313 FPS

Open M2 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M2 and Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

M2

The M2 is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 10 June 2022 (3 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.48 GHz. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 14,933 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700

The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 14,699 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The M2 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.48 GHz on the M2 versus 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 (base: 2.424 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 is built on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the M2 scores 14,933 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700's 14,699 — a 1.6% lead for the M2.

Feature	M2	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.48 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.424 GHz	3 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	—	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	20 MB+3900%	512K (per core)
Process	5 nm-64%	14 nm
Architecture	—	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	14,933+2%	14,699