Ryzen 7 5700X vs Xeon E5-1680 v4

AMD

Ryzen 7 5700X

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.6 GHz2022

Popular choices:

VS
Intel

Xeon E5-1680 v4

8 Cores16 Thrd140 WWMax: 4 GHz2016

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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 5700X

2022

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +26.7% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB).
  • Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Xeon E5-1680 v4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-1680 v4

2016

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • Lower PassMark (13,945 vs 26,609).
    • Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 32 MB).
    • 115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.

    Quick Answers

    So, is Ryzen 7 5700X better than Xeon E5-1680 v4?
    Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-1680 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 5700X 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 5700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 26.7% more average FPS across 49 shared CPU game tests.
    Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
    For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 5700X is the better fit. You are getting 90.8% 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 5700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5700X is at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 26.7% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2016), 60% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 20 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

    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.

    Path of Exile 2

    Path of Exile 2

    PresetRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    1080p
    low156 FPS178 FPS
    medium129 FPS152 FPS
    high115 FPS124 FPS
    ultra94 FPS99 FPS
    1440p
    low137 FPS148 FPS
    medium111 FPS123 FPS
    high95 FPS98 FPS
    ultra78 FPS77 FPS
    4K
    low77 FPS65 FPS
    medium67 FPS58 FPS
    high55 FPS45 FPS
    ultra43 FPS36 FPS
    Counter-Strike 2

    Counter-Strike 2

    PresetRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    1080p
    low649 FPS349 FPS
    medium549 FPS347 FPS
    high448 FPS296 FPS
    ultra404 FPS252 FPS
    1440p
    low552 FPS335 FPS
    medium484 FPS303 FPS
    high407 FPS259 FPS
    ultra350 FPS219 FPS
    4K
    low343 FPS216 FPS
    medium303 FPS195 FPS
    high277 FPS177 FPS
    ultra245 FPS145 FPS
    League of Legends

    League of Legends

    PresetRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    1080p
    low665 FPS349 FPS
    medium557 FPS349 FPS
    high509 FPS349 FPS
    ultra439 FPS349 FPS
    1440p
    low554 FPS349 FPS
    medium458 FPS349 FPS
    high419 FPS349 FPS
    ultra358 FPS349 FPS
    4K
    low402 FPS349 FPS
    medium322 FPS349 FPS
    high292 FPS349 FPS
    ultra229 FPS311 FPS
    Valorant

    Valorant

    PresetRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    1080p
    low665 FPS349 FPS
    medium665 FPS349 FPS
    high665 FPS349 FPS
    ultra665 FPS349 FPS
    1440p
    low665 FPS349 FPS
    medium665 FPS349 FPS
    high607 FPS349 FPS
    ultra533 FPS349 FPS
    4K
    low545 FPS349 FPS
    medium488 FPS349 FPS
    high439 FPS349 FPS
    ultra385 FPS349 FPS

    Technical Specifications

    Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 5700X and Xeon E5-1680 v4

    AMD

    Ryzen 7 5700X

    The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

    Intel

    Xeon E5-1680 v4

    The Xeon E5-1680 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-EP (2016) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 13,945 points. Launch price was $1,723.

    Processing Power

    Both the Ryzen 7 5700X and Xeon E5-1680 v4 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X versus 4 GHz on the Xeon E5-1680 v4 — a 14% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-1680 v4 uses Broadwell-EP (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 5700X scores 26,609 against the Xeon E5-1680 v4's 13,945 — a 62.5% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1680 v4.

    FeatureRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    Cores / Threads
    8 / 16
    8 / 16
    Boost Clock
    4.6 GHz+15%
    4 GHz
    Base Clock
    3.4 GHz
    3.4 GHz
    L3 Cache
    32 MB (total)+60%
    20 MB (total)
    L2 Cache
    512K (per core)+100%
    256K (per core)
    Process
    7 nm-50%
    14 nm
    Architecture
    Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
    Broadwell-EP (2016)
    PassMark
    26,609+91%
    13,945
    Cinebench R23 Multi
    14,000
    Geekbench 6 Single
    2,116
    Geekbench 6 Multi
    9,715
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-1680 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

    FeatureRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    Socket
    AM4
    LGA2011
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 4.0+33%
    PCIe 3.0
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR4-3200
    Max RAM Capacity
    128 GB
    RAM Channels
    2
    ECC Support
    Yes
    PCIe Lanes
    24
    🔧

    Advanced Features

    Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X) / not specified (Xeon E5-1680 v4). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.

    FeatureRyzen 7 5700XXeon E5-1680 v4
    Integrated GPU
    No
    Unlocked
    Yes
    AVX-512
    No
    Virtualization
    AMD-V
    Target Use
    Gaming