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 3 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 11.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +32.2% higher average FPS across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen 3 3100.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 108.3 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($99 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 11.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.5 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($99 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +32.2% higher average FPS across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen 3 3100.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (11,928 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 108.3 vs 120.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $99 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 3 3100?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 32.2% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data, 80.7% 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 32.2% more average FPS across 19 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 80.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 5600 is 101.0% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $99 MSRP, and it gives you a 32.2% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 3100 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is so cheap, but its absolute performance tier is too low to be the smarter recommendation now. At roughly 11,928 PassMark with 4 cores and 8 threads, it only makes sense as a bare-minimum stopgap or a very constrained existing-platform upgrade.

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 2020), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. 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.

Ryzen 3 3100 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	166 FPS	161 FPS
medium	136 FPS	130 FPS
high	118 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	141 FPS
medium	115 FPS	113 FPS
high	94 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	79 FPS
medium	58 FPS	69 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	271 FPS	508 FPS
medium	228 FPS	419 FPS
high	191 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	447 FPS
medium	200 FPS	375 FPS
high	169 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	313 FPS
medium	148 FPS	268 FPS
high	118 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	298 FPS	539 FPS
medium	298 FPS	526 FPS
high	298 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	414 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	539 FPS
medium	298 FPS	434 FPS
high	298 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	371 FPS
medium	268 FPS	298 FPS
high	226 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	197 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 5600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	298 FPS	539 FPS
medium	298 FPS	539 FPS
high	298 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	539 FPS
medium	298 FPS	539 FPS
high	298 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	501 FPS
medium	298 FPS	448 FPS
high	298 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	349 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 5 5600

Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,928 points. Launch price was $99.

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 Ryzen 3 3100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 12% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 3100 scores 11,928 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 57.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.4 GHz+13%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	11,928	21,550+81%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	11,077
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,600

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 3 3100) and B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600).

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 3 3100 targets Desktop, Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Ryzen 5 5600
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 3 3100 launched at $99 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($99 vs $199), the Ryzen 3 3100 is $100 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 3100 delivers 120.5 pts/$ vs 108.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600 — making the Ryzen 3 3100 the 10.7% better value option.