Ryzen 7 3700X vs Xeon W-1290E

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: +10.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290E, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon W-1290E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon W-1290E

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,060 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Xeon W-1290E

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290E, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon W-1290E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,060 vs 22,430).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Xeon W-1290E?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1290E 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.8% more average FPS across 4 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 17.7% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 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 $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 10.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon W-1290E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 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

Xeon W-1290E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	200 FPS	257 FPS
medium	163 FPS	237 FPS
high	137 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	221 FPS
medium	121 FPS	185 FPS
high	100 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	151 FPS
medium	71 FPS	127 FPS
high	56 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	87 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon W-1290E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	561 FPS	476 FPS
medium	525 FPS	431 FPS
high	428 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	331 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	417 FPS
medium	471 FPS	367 FPS
high	394 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	275 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	258 FPS
medium	304 FPS	226 FPS
high	274 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	184 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon W-1290E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	561 FPS	476 FPS
medium	561 FPS	476 FPS
high	561 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	476 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	476 FPS
medium	561 FPS	476 FPS
high	538 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	476 FPS
medium	394 FPS	476 FPS
high	343 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	361 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon W-1290E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	561 FPS	476 FPS
medium	561 FPS	476 FPS
high	561 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	476 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	476 FPS
medium	561 FPS	476 FPS
high	561 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	476 FPS
medium	501 FPS	476 FPS
high	447 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon W-1290E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Xeon W-1290E

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 W-1290E

The Xeon W-1290E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,060 points. Launch price was $552.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 3700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon W-1290E offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon W-1290E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon W-1290E — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1290E (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon W-1290E uses Comet Lake (2020−2025) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Xeon W-1290E's 19,060 — a 16.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1290E.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon W-1290E
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	10 / 20+25%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+60%	20 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	22,430+18%	19,060

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon W-1290E uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.