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 $399 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Vega 3, while Ryzen 9 5900X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,468 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 49.8 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +226.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+1500% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Delivers 42.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 49.8 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅200% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
266% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Gold PRO 3150G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

2020

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $399 less on MSRP ($150 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Vega 3, while Ryzen 9 5900X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +226.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+1500% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Delivers 42.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 49.8 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $150 MSRP).
✅200% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,468 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 49.8 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($150 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
266% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$150 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Gold PRO 3150G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Athlon Gold PRO 3150G?

Yes. Ryzen 9 5900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 226.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 421.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 5900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 226.2% 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 9 5900X is the better fit. You are getting 421.6% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1500% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 4 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 5900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5900X is 266.0% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $150 MSRP, and it gives you a 226.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 42.5% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 49.8 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 9 5900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 1500% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 4 MB) and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 4/4. 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.

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	165 FPS	323 FPS
medium	141 FPS	291 FPS
high	110 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	307 FPS
medium	119 FPS	248 FPS
high	92 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	193 FPS
medium	58 FPS	156 FPS
high	46 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	103 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	187 FPS	772 FPS
medium	173 FPS	647 FPS
high	158 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	619 FPS
medium	147 FPS	536 FPS
high	133 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	112 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	129 FPS	365 FPS
medium	112 FPS	318 FPS
high	89 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	255 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	187 FPS	832 FPS
medium	187 FPS	645 FPS
high	187 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	187 FPS	721 FPS
medium	187 FPS	565 FPS
high	187 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	511 FPS
medium	183 FPS	421 FPS
high	160 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	130 FPS	308 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 9 5900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	187 FPS	974 FPS
medium	187 FPS	974 FPS
high	187 FPS	934 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	826 FPS
1440p
low	187 FPS	959 FPS
medium	187 FPS	843 FPS
high	187 FPS	726 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	617 FPS
4K
low	187 FPS	694 FPS
medium	187 FPS	621 FPS
high	187 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	437 FPS

Open Athlon Gold PRO 3150G Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon Gold PRO 3150G and Ryzen 9 5900X

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 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X — a 20.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G uses the Picasso (2019−2022) architecture (12 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G scores 7,468 against the Ryzen 9 5900X's 38,955 — a 135.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	12 / 24+200%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.8 GHz+23%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	64 MB+1500%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	12 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-42%
Architecture	Picasso (2019−2022)	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	7,468	38,955+422%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,174
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,888

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 5900X 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 9 5900X) — the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD AM4 (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) and A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 9 5900X).

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
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	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	24+200%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Athlon Gold PRO 3150G) / AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X). The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the Ryzen 9 5900X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Athlon Gold PRO 3150G	Ryzen 9 5900X
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon Vega 3	—
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Athlon Gold PRO 3150G launched at $150 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900X debuted at $549. On MSRP ($150 vs $549), the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G is $399 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon Gold PRO 3150G delivers 49.8 pts/$ vs 71.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900X — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 35.1% better value option.