Ryzen 7 3700X vs Xeon E7-4890 v2

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: +22.1% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 30,946).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E7-4890 v2, which brings 15 cores / 30 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon E7-4890 v2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E7-4890 v2

2014

Why buy it

✅+38% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 15 cores / 30 threads, plus 32 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (32 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Xeon E7-4890 v2

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.1% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+38% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 15 cores / 30 threads, plus 32 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (32 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 30,946).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E7-4890 v2, which brings 15 cores / 30 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon E7-4890 v2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Xeon E7-4890 v2?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E7-4890 v2 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 E7-4890 v2 is the better fit. You are getting 38% better PassMark, backed by 15 cores and 30 threads.

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 $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 22.1% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E7-4890 v2 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 38% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2014). 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 E7-4890 v2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E7-4890 v2
1080p
low	200 FPS	186 FPS
medium	163 FPS	148 FPS
high	137 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	153 FPS
medium	121 FPS	119 FPS
high	100 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	72 FPS
medium	71 FPS	59 FPS
high	56 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E7-4890 v2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E7-4890 v2
1080p
low	561 FPS	368 FPS
medium	525 FPS	324 FPS
high	428 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	216 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	318 FPS
medium	471 FPS	282 FPS
high	394 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	184 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	199 FPS
medium	304 FPS	178 FPS
high	274 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	121 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E7-4890 v2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E7-4890 v2
1080p
low	561 FPS	774 FPS
medium	561 FPS	774 FPS
high	561 FPS	763 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	679 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	744 FPS
medium	561 FPS	638 FPS
high	538 FPS	605 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	537 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	479 FPS
medium	394 FPS	376 FPS
high	343 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	274 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E7-4890 v2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E7-4890 v2
1080p
low	561 FPS	774 FPS
medium	561 FPS	774 FPS
high	561 FPS	765 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	648 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	774 FPS
medium	561 FPS	686 FPS
high	561 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	581 FPS
medium	501 FPS	506 FPS
high	447 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	377 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon E7-4890 v2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Xeon E7-4890 v2

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 E7-4890 v2

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 15 cores and 30 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 37.5 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 155 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 30,946 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 3700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E7-4890 v2 offers 15 cores / 30 threads — the Xeon E7-4890 v2 has 7 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 — a 25.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X is built on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Xeon E7-4890 v2's 30,946 — a 31.9% lead for the Xeon E7-4890 v2. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 37.5 MB on the Xeon E7-4890 v2.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E7-4890 v2
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	15 / 30+88%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+29%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB	37.5 MB+17%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	—
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	—
PassMark	22,430	30,946+38%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	6,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	730
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	5,500

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E7-4890 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 — the Ryzen 7 3700X supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E7-4890 v2 supports up to 1536 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 4 (Xeon E7-4890 v2). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 32 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) — the Xeon E7-4890 v2 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X) and C602 (Xeon E7-4890 v2).

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon E7-4890 v2
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200+33%	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	1536 GB+1100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	32+33%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon E7-4890 v2). Primary use case: Xeon E7-4890 v2 targets Enterprise Server (Legacy). Direct competitor: Xeon E7-4890 v2 rivals Xeon E5-2697 v2.