Ryzen 7 3700X vs Steam Deck OLED APU

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: +138.5% higher average FPS across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Steam Deck OLED APU mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.

Steam Deck OLED APU

2023

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,457 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Steam Deck OLED APU

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +138.5% higher average FPS across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Steam Deck OLED APU mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,457 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Steam Deck OLED APU?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3700X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 138.5% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data and 403.3% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 138.5% more average FPS across 19 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better fit. You are getting 403.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is at an unclear MSRP at $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 138.5% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Steam Deck OLED APU is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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

Steam Deck OLED APU Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Steam Deck OLED APU
1080p
low	200 FPS	111 FPS
medium	163 FPS	111 FPS
high	137 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	83 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	111 FPS
medium	121 FPS	109 FPS
high	100 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	67 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	66 FPS
medium	71 FPS	55 FPS
high	56 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	34 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Steam Deck OLED APU

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Steam Deck OLED APU
1080p
low	561 FPS	111 FPS
medium	525 FPS	111 FPS
high	428 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	111 FPS
medium	471 FPS	111 FPS
high	394 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	111 FPS
medium	304 FPS	111 FPS
high	274 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	64 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Steam Deck OLED APU

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Steam Deck OLED APU
1080p
low	561 FPS	111 FPS
medium	561 FPS	111 FPS
high	561 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	111 FPS
medium	561 FPS	111 FPS
high	538 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	111 FPS
medium	394 FPS	111 FPS
high	343 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	111 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Steam Deck OLED APU

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Steam Deck OLED APU
1080p
low	561 FPS	111 FPS
medium	561 FPS	111 FPS
high	561 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	111 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	111 FPS
medium	561 FPS	111 FPS
high	561 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	111 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	111 FPS
medium	501 FPS	111 FPS
high	447 FPS	111 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	111 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Steam Deck OLED APU

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Steam Deck OLED APU

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.

Steam Deck OLED APU

The Steam Deck OLED APU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 November 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 6 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 4 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,457 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 3700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Steam Deck OLED APU offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Ryzen 7 3700X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 3.5 GHz on the Steam Deck OLED APU — a 22.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Steam Deck OLED APU uses Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Steam Deck OLED APU's 4,457 — a 133.7% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 4 MB on the Steam Deck OLED APU.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Steam Deck OLED APU
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+26%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+700%	4 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB+300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	6 nm-14%
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Van Gogh (Custom) (2023)
PassMark	22,430+403%	4,457