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

✅Better for gaming: +26.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 35.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 65.7 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 19,636).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Ryzen 7 4700GE

2020

Why buy it

✅+11% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 65.7 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Ryzen 7 4700GE

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 35.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 65.7 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+11% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 19,636).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 65.7 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

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

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 3600 is ahead with a 26.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4700GE pulls ahead with 11% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 3600 also has the bigger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 4700GE is the better fit. You are getting 11% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 4700GE is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 4700GE is 50.3% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you 11% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 3600 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 26.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 35.3% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 65.7 PassMark/$), 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 4700GE 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 4700GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
1080p
low	200 FPS	174 FPS
medium	161 FPS	141 FPS
high	135 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	149 FPS
medium	119 FPS	119 FPS
high	96 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	79 FPS
medium	58 FPS	69 FPS
high	46 FPS	54 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	42 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
1080p
low	442 FPS	336 FPS
medium	404 FPS	288 FPS
high	332 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	291 FPS
medium	359 FPS	258 FPS
high	303 FPS	233 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	200 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	236 FPS
medium	259 FPS	217 FPS
high	230 FPS	198 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	173 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
1080p
low	442 FPS	491 FPS
medium	442 FPS	491 FPS
high	442 FPS	491 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	491 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	491 FPS
medium	442 FPS	491 FPS
high	442 FPS	449 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	433 FPS
medium	361 FPS	366 FPS
high	305 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	262 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
1080p
low	442 FPS	491 FPS
medium	442 FPS	491 FPS
high	442 FPS	491 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	491 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	491 FPS
medium	442 FPS	491 FPS
high	442 FPS	491 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	491 FPS
medium	442 FPS	444 FPS
high	413 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	329 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 4700GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 4700GE

The Ryzen 7 4700GE 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 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,636 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 4700GE offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 4700GE has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 7 4700GE — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 4700GE (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 7 4700GE uses Renoir (2020−2023) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Ryzen 7 4700GE's 19,636 — a 10.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 4700GE. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 8 MB on the Ryzen 7 4700GE.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.3 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+16%	3.1 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	19,636+11%
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.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) / not specified (Ryzen 7 4700GE). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 4700GE
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	Yes	—
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 4700GE 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 65.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 4700GE — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 30% better value option.