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 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 32,274).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 385 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max 385 moves to FP11 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI Max 385 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen AI Max 385

2025

Why buy it

✅+43.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 8050S, while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 7 3700X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Ryzen AI Max 385

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+43.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 8050S, while Ryzen 7 3700X needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 7 3700X.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 32,274).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 385 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max 385 moves to FP11 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI Max 385 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max 385 better than Ryzen 7 3700X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 3700X is ahead with a 7.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI Max 385 pulls ahead with 43.9% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI Max 385 is the better fit. You are getting 43.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen AI Max 385 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 3700X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI Max 385 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you 43.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 3700X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 3700X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 AI Max 385 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2019), a healthier platform with FP11 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 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.

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Ryzen AI Max 385 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	200 FPS	257 FPS
medium	163 FPS	234 FPS
high	137 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	222 FPS
medium	121 FPS	183 FPS
high	100 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	154 FPS
medium	71 FPS	127 FPS
high	56 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	86 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen AI Max 385

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	561 FPS	592 FPS
medium	525 FPS	500 FPS
high	428 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	346 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	508 FPS
medium	471 FPS	452 FPS
high	394 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	303 FPS
medium	304 FPS	273 FPS
high	274 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen AI Max 385

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	561 FPS	780 FPS
medium	561 FPS	611 FPS
high	561 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	447 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	676 FPS
medium	561 FPS	534 FPS
high	538 FPS	463 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	389 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	476 FPS
medium	394 FPS	394 FPS
high	343 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	288 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen AI Max 385

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
1080p
low	561 FPS	807 FPS
medium	561 FPS	807 FPS
high	561 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	700 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	796 FPS
medium	561 FPS	706 FPS
high	561 FPS	619 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	536 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	554 FPS
medium	501 FPS	499 FPS
high	447 FPS	448 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	389 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Ryzen AI Max 385

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen AI Max 385

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (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: 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: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

Ryzen AI Max 385

The Ryzen AI Max 385 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 32,274 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen AI Max 385 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max 385 — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Ryzen AI Max 385's 32,274 — a 36% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 385. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max 385.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5 GHz+14%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Strix Halo (2025)
PassMark	22,430	32,274+44%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	16,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,800
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	14,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses FP11 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus LPDDR5x-8000 on the Ryzen AI Max 385 — the Ryzen AI Max 385 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 4 (Ryzen AI Max 385). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 20 (Ryzen AI Max 385) — the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X) and Strix Halo platform (Ryzen AI Max 385).

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
Socket	AM4	FP11
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	LPDDR5x-8000+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X) / AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max 385). The Ryzen AI Max 385 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 8050S), while the Ryzen 7 3700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen AI Max 385 targets High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Ryzen AI Max 385 rivals Core Ultra 9 285H.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Ryzen AI Max 385
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 8050S
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 3700X launched at $329 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI Max 385 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($329 vs $0), the Ryzen AI Max 385 is $329 cheaper.