Ryzen 7 3700X vs Xeon E5-2699A v4

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: +17.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 26,759).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2699A v4, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2699A v4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-2699A v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+19.3% higher PassMark.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Xeon E5-2699A v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+19.3% higher PassMark.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 26,759).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2699A v4, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2699A v4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Xeon E5-2699A v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2699A v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 3700X is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2699A v4 is the better fit. You are getting 19.3% better PassMark, backed by 22 cores and 44 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 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 $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 17.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-2699A v4 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 19.3% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 7 3700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2016). 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

Xeon E5-2699A v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E5-2699A v4
1080p
low	200 FPS	183 FPS
medium	163 FPS	161 FPS
high	137 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	102 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	153 FPS
medium	121 FPS	129 FPS
high	100 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	69 FPS
medium	71 FPS	62 FPS
high	56 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E5-2699A v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E5-2699A v4
1080p
low	561 FPS	364 FPS
medium	525 FPS	330 FPS
high	428 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	226 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	313 FPS
medium	471 FPS	284 FPS
high	394 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	190 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	195 FPS
medium	304 FPS	178 FPS
high	274 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	121 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E5-2699A v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E5-2699A v4
1080p
low	561 FPS	669 FPS
medium	561 FPS	669 FPS
high	561 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	647 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	669 FPS
medium	561 FPS	617 FPS
high	538 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	530 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	466 FPS
medium	394 FPS	380 FPS
high	343 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	288 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E5-2699A v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E5-2699A v4
1080p
low	561 FPS	669 FPS
medium	561 FPS	669 FPS
high	561 FPS	669 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	663 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	669 FPS
medium	561 FPS	669 FPS
high	561 FPS	637 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	526 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	633 FPS
medium	501 FPS	557 FPS
high	447 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	405 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E5-2699A v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Xeon E5-2699A v4

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.

Xeon E5-2699A v4

The Xeon E5-2699A v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 October 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-EP (2016) architecture. It features 22 cores and 44 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 55 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 26,759 points. Launch price was $4,938.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 3700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2699A v4 offers 22 cores / 44 threads — the Xeon E5-2699A v4 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2699A v4 — a 20% 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 Xeon E5-2699A v4 uses Broadwell-EP (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Xeon E5-2699A v4's 26,759 — a 17.6% lead for the Xeon E5-2699A v4. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 55 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2699A v4.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E5-2699A v4
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	22 / 44+175%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+22%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB	55 MB (total)+72%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Broadwell-EP (2016)
PassMark	22,430	26,759+19%

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2699A v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.