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.

FX-6120

2012

Why buy it

✅Costs $11 less on MSRP ($188 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +253.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 428.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
5.9% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$188 MSRP

FX-6120

2012

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $11 less on MSRP ($188 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +253.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 428.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 20.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $188 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (3,853 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.5 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($188 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
5.9% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$188 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than FX-6120?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 253.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 459.3% 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 5 5600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 253.1% 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 5600 is the better fit. You are getting 459.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600 is 5.9% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $188 MSRP, and it gives you a 253.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 428.4% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 20.5 PassMark/$), 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 5 5600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2012), 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/6. 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.

FX-6120 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	96 FPS	161 FPS
medium	96 FPS	130 FPS
high	96 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	141 FPS
medium	96 FPS	113 FPS
high	94 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	79 FPS
medium	57 FPS	69 FPS
high	45 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	96 FPS	508 FPS
medium	96 FPS	419 FPS
high	96 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	447 FPS
medium	96 FPS	375 FPS
high	96 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	313 FPS
medium	96 FPS	268 FPS
high	96 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	209 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	96 FPS	539 FPS
medium	96 FPS	526 FPS
high	96 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	414 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	539 FPS
medium	96 FPS	434 FPS
high	96 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	371 FPS
medium	96 FPS	298 FPS
high	96 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	197 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 5 5600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	96 FPS	539 FPS
medium	96 FPS	539 FPS
high	96 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	96 FPS	539 FPS
medium	96 FPS	539 FPS
high	96 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	96 FPS	501 FPS
medium	96 FPS	448 FPS
high	96 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	349 FPS

Open FX-6120 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FX-6120 and Ryzen 5 5600

FX-6120

The FX-6120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,853 points. Launch price was $69.

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 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: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The FX-6120 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, matching the Ryzen 5 5600's 6 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the FX-6120 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The FX-6120 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the FX-6120 scores 3,853 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 139.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-6120 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.4 GHz+5%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	6 MB+1100%	512K (per core)
Process	32 nm	7 nm-78%
Architecture	Zambezi (2011−2012)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	3,853	21,550+459%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	11,077
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,600

🧠

Memory & Platform

The FX-6120 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
Socket	AM3+	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 4.0+100%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (FX-6120) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

Feature	FX-6120	Ryzen 5 5600
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The FX-6120 launched at $188 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($188 vs $199), the FX-6120 is $11 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the FX-6120 delivers 20.5 pts/$ vs 108.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 136.3% better value option.