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-6350

2013

Why buy it

✅Costs $167 less on MSRP ($132 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,640 vs 21,845).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 35.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($132 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +117.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 107.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 35.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $132 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
126.5% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$132 MSRP

FX-6350

2013

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $167 less on MSRP ($132 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +117.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 107.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 35.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $132 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W 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 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (4,640 vs 21,845).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 35.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($132 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌
126.5% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$132 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than FX-6350?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 117.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 370.8% 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 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 117.7% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 370.8% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is 126.5% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $132 MSRP, and it gives you a 117.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 107.8% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 35.2 PassMark/$), 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 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2013) 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-6350 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	116 FPS	203 FPS
medium	116 FPS	174 FPS
high	116 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	116 FPS	169 FPS
medium	116 FPS	141 FPS
high	95 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	85 FPS
medium	58 FPS	76 FPS
high	45 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	47 FPS

Open FX-6350 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	116 FPS	464 FPS
medium	116 FPS	387 FPS
high	116 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	116 FPS	397 FPS
medium	116 FPS	334 FPS
high	116 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	116 FPS	263 FPS
medium	116 FPS	226 FPS
high	116 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	171 FPS

Open FX-6350 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	116 FPS	546 FPS
medium	116 FPS	473 FPS
high	116 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	116 FPS	508 FPS
medium	116 FPS	413 FPS
high	116 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	116 FPS	348 FPS
medium	116 FPS	292 FPS
high	116 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	199 FPS

Open FX-6350 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	116 FPS	546 FPS
medium	116 FPS	546 FPS
high	116 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	116 FPS	546 FPS
medium	116 FPS	546 FPS
high	116 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	116 FPS	529 FPS
medium	116 FPS	484 FPS
high	116 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	379 FPS

Open FX-6350 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FX-6350 and Ryzen 5 5600X

FX-6350

The FX-6350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 April 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Vishera (2012−2015) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L2 cache: 6144 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,640 points. Launch price was $69.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 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. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The FX-6350 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, matching the Ryzen 5 5600X's 6 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the FX-6350 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.9 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The FX-6350 uses the Vishera (2012−2015) architecture (32 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the FX-6350 scores 4,640 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 129.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.6 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.9 GHz+5%	3.7 GHz
L3 Cache	—	32 MB
L2 Cache	6144 kB+1100%	512K (per core)
Process	32 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-78%
Architecture	Vishera (2012−2015)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	4,640	21,845+371%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The FX-6350 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
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-6350) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	FX-6350	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The FX-6350 launched at $132 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($132 vs $299), the FX-6350 is $167 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the FX-6350 delivers 35.2 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 70.1% better value option.