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

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 69.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 3700.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 22,777).

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 69.2 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $130 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅Delivers 28.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 69.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 3700.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 across 45 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 22,777).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 69.2 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Yes. Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.6% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data, 28.8% 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 PRO 3700 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.6% 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 PRO 3700 is the better fit. You are getting 28.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 is 65.3% more expensive on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.6% average FPS lead across 45 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 28.4% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 69.2 PassMark/$), 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 PRO 3700 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 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 PRO 3700 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 PRO 3700
1080p
low	200 FPS	163 FPS
medium	161 FPS	132 FPS
high	135 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	143 FPS
medium	119 FPS	114 FPS
high	96 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	80 FPS
medium	58 FPS	69 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 PRO 3700
1080p
low	442 FPS	484 FPS
medium	404 FPS	408 FPS
high	332 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	284 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	416 FPS
medium	359 FPS	364 FPS
high	303 FPS	298 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	250 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	268 FPS
medium	259 FPS	236 FPS
high	230 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	179 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 PRO 3700
1080p
low	442 FPS	569 FPS
medium	442 FPS	534 FPS
high	442 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	412 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	550 FPS
medium	442 FPS	455 FPS
high	442 FPS	414 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	353 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	396 FPS
medium	361 FPS	320 FPS
high	305 FPS	282 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	222 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 PRO 3700
1080p
low	442 FPS	569 FPS
medium	442 FPS	569 FPS
high	442 FPS	569 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	569 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	569 FPS
medium	442 FPS	569 FPS
high	442 FPS	552 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	481 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	493 FPS
medium	442 FPS	442 FPS
high	413 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	345 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 PRO 3700

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 PRO 3700

The Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 30 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 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: 22,777 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). Both are built on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture using a 7 nm, 12 nm process. In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700's 22,777 — a 25.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 7 PRO 3700
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)	32 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	17,685	22,777+29%
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 PRO 3700
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
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 PRO 3700). 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 PRO 3700
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 PRO 3700 debuted at $329. On MSRP ($199 vs $329), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $130 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 69.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 3700 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 24.8% better value option.