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 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 31.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 67.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 4700G.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 20,180).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 4700G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 7 4700G

2020

Why buy it

✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 67.5 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Ryzen 7 4700G

2020

Why buy it

✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 31.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 67.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 4700G.

Why buy it

✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 20,180).
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 7 4700G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 67.5 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 4700G better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Yes. Ryzen 7 4700G is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.8% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 14.1% better PassMark, 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 4700G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.8% more average FPS across 45 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4700G is the better fit. You are getting 14.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 4700G is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 4700G is 50.3% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.8% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 31.7% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 67.5 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 7 4700G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 4700G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
1080p
low	200 FPS	215 FPS
medium	161 FPS	173 FPS
high	135 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	185 FPS
medium	119 FPS	147 FPS
high	96 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	87 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	89 FPS
medium	58 FPS	77 FPS
high	46 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	47 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
1080p
low	442 FPS	381 FPS
medium	404 FPS	317 FPS
high	332 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	243 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	330 FPS
medium	359 FPS	285 FPS
high	303 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	265 FPS
medium	259 FPS	238 FPS
high	230 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	186 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
1080p
low	442 FPS	504 FPS
medium	442 FPS	504 FPS
high	442 FPS	504 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	504 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	504 FPS
medium	442 FPS	504 FPS
high	442 FPS	468 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	439 FPS
medium	361 FPS	374 FPS
high	305 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	266 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
1080p
low	442 FPS	504 FPS
medium	442 FPS	504 FPS
high	442 FPS	504 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	504 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	504 FPS
medium	442 FPS	504 FPS
high	442 FPS	504 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	504 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	504 FPS
medium	442 FPS	493 FPS
high	413 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	368 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 4700G

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

Ryzen 7 4700G

The Ryzen 7 4700G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 20,180 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4700G offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 4700G has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4700G — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 4700G (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4700G uses Renoir (2020−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Ryzen 7 4700G's 20,180 — a 13.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 4700G. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 8 MB on the Ryzen 7 4700G.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.4 GHz+5%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+300%	8 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Renoir (2020−2023)
PassMark	17,685	20,180+14%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,295	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	—

🧠

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.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
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	No	No
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 4700G). The Ryzen 7 4700G includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (8CU)), while the Ryzen 5 3600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation, Ryzen 7 4700G targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700G
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon Graphics (8CU)
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 4700G debuted at $299. On MSRP ($199 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $100 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 67.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 4700G — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 27.3% better value option.