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.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Vega 3, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,468 vs 17,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 49.8 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +117.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Delivers 78.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 49.8 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅200% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon Gold PRO 3150G.

Trade-offs

❌
32.7% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Gold PRO 3150G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

2020

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $49 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Vega 3, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +117.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Delivers 78.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 49.8 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅200% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Athlon Gold PRO 3150G.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,468 vs 17,685).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 49.8 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Trade-offs

❌
32.7% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Gold PRO 3150G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 3600 better than Athlon Gold PRO 3150G?

Yes. Ryzen 5 3600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 117.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 136.8% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 3600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 117.4% 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 5 3600 is the better fit. You are getting 136.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 3600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 3600 is 32.7% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and it gives you a 117.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 78.5% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 49.8 PassMark/$), 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?

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G 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.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	165 FPS	200 FPS
medium	141 FPS	161 FPS
high	110 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	154 FPS
medium	119 FPS	119 FPS
high	92 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	70 FPS
medium	58 FPS	58 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	173 FPS	404 FPS
high	158 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	420 FPS
medium	147 FPS	359 FPS
high	133 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	129 FPS	297 FPS
medium	112 FPS	259 FPS
high	89 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	201 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	187 FPS	442 FPS
high	187 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	187 FPS	442 FPS
high	187 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	183 FPS	361 FPS
high	160 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	130 FPS	242 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	187 FPS	442 FPS
high	187 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	187 FPS	442 FPS
high	187 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	442 FPS
medium	187 FPS	442 FPS
high	187 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	357 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon Gold PRO 3150G and Ryzen 5 3600

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 7,468 points. Launch price was $149.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). 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: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 3600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 7.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G scores 7,468 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 81.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.2 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	12 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-42%
Architecture	Picasso (2019−2022)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	7,468	17,685+137%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 3600 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) — the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) and AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600).

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	8	24+200%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) / Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the Ryzen 5 3600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 5 3600
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	—
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	Yes
Target Use	—	Gaming/Budget Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G launched at $150 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($150 vs $199), the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is $49 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G delivers 49.8 pts/$ vs 88.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 56.4% better value option.