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: +4.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $12,651 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $12,980 MSRP).
✅Delivers 967.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 6.4 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $12,980 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 350W, a 285W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 82,913).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 113 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Max 9480, which brings 56 cores / 112 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon Max 9480 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Max 9480

2023

Why buy it

✅+269.7% higher PassMark.
✅+251.6% larger total L3 cache (113 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 56 cores / 112 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅233.3% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.4 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($12,980 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌438.5% higher power demand at 350W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Xeon Max 9480

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $12,651 less on MSRP ($329 MSRP vs $12,980 MSRP).
✅Delivers 967.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 68.2 vs 6.4 PassMark/$ ($329 MSRP vs $12,980 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 350W, a 285W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+269.7% higher PassMark.
✅+251.6% larger total L3 cache (113 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 56 cores / 112 threads, plus 80 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅233.3% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 82,913).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 113 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Max 9480, which brings 56 cores / 112 threads and 80 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon Max 9480 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.4 vs 68.2 PassMark/$ ($12,980 MSRP vs $329 MSRP).
❌438.5% higher power demand at 350W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Xeon Max 9480?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Max 9480 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 Max 9480 is the better fit. You are getting 269.7% better PassMark, backed by 56 cores and 112 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 251.6% larger total L3 cache (113 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 $12,651 cheaper on MSRP at $329 MSRP versus $12,980 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Max 9480 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 269.7% better PassMark. It is also 967.3% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 6.4 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon Max 9480 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of AM4, 251.6% larger total L3 cache (113 MB vs 32 MB), more multi-core headroom with 56 cores / 112 threads instead of 8/16, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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

Xeon Max 9480 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
1080p
low	200 FPS	186 FPS
medium	163 FPS	168 FPS
high	137 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	153 FPS
medium	121 FPS	129 FPS
high	100 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	71 FPS
medium	71 FPS	63 FPS
high	56 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	40 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Max 9480

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
1080p
low	561 FPS	246 FPS
medium	525 FPS	221 FPS
high	428 FPS	184 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	146 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	205 FPS
medium	471 FPS	187 FPS
high	394 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	124 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	128 FPS
medium	304 FPS	119 FPS
high	274 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	83 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Max 9480

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
1080p
low	561 FPS	815 FPS
medium	561 FPS	738 FPS
high	561 FPS	704 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	624 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	725 FPS
medium	561 FPS	652 FPS
high	538 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	548 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	487 FPS
medium	394 FPS	398 FPS
high	343 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	294 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Max 9480

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
1080p
low	561 FPS	1066 FPS
medium	561 FPS	953 FPS
high	561 FPS	813 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	670 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	885 FPS
medium	561 FPS	761 FPS
high	561 FPS	646 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	532 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	644 FPS
medium	501 FPS	565 FPS
high	447 FPS	494 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	413 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Max 9480

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Xeon Max 9480

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 Max 9480

The Xeon Max 9480 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids HBM (2023) architecture. It features 56 cores and 112 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 112.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 350 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 82,913 points. Launch price was $12,980.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 3700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Max 9480 offers 56 cores / 112 threads — the Xeon Max 9480 has 48 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Max 9480 — a 22.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon Max 9480 uses Sapphire Rapids HBM (2023) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Xeon Max 9480's 82,913 — a 114.8% lead for the Xeon Max 9480. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 112.5 MB on the Xeon Max 9480.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	56 / 112+600%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+26%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+89%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB	112.5 MB+252%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-30%	10 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Sapphire Rapids HBM (2023)
PassMark	22,430	82,913+270%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	55,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Max 9480 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus DDR5-4800 on the Xeon Max 9480 — the Xeon Max 9480 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Max 9480 supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 8 (Xeon Max 9480). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 3700X) vs 80 (Xeon Max 9480) — the Xeon Max 9480 offers 56 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 7 3700X) and C741 (Xeon Max 9480).

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
Socket	AM4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	4096 GB+3100%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	80+233%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 7 3700X) / VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Max 9480). Primary use case: Xeon Max 9480 targets HPC Server. Direct competitor: Xeon Max 9480 rivals EPYC 9684X.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Max 9480
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	Yes
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	HPC Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 3700X launched at $329 MSRP, while the Xeon Max 9480 debuted at $12980. On MSRP ($329 vs $12980), the Ryzen 7 3700X is $12651 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 7 3700X delivers 68.2 pts/$ vs 6.4 pts/$ for the Xeon Max 9480 — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 165.7% better value option.