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 4300GE

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $105 less on MSRP ($94 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 119.6 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($94 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 6, 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 Cinebench R23 multi-core (5,800 vs 9,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +60.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 88.9 vs 119.6 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $94 MSRP).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 3 4300GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 3 4300GE

2020

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $105 less on MSRP ($94 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 34.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 119.6 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($94 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 6, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +60.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 3600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (5,800 vs 9,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 88.9 vs 119.6 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $94 MSRP).
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 3 4300GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 3600 better than Ryzen 3 4300GE?

Yes. Ryzen 5 3600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 60.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 63.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 57.4% higher 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 60.2% 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 5 3600 is the better fit. You are getting 63.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 by a wide margin for a fresh build. Ryzen 5 3600 is 111.7% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $94 MSRP, and it gives you a 60.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 4300GE 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. Giving up that much average FPS in the shared benchmark data is simply too much for that budget trade-off.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 3 4300GE 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.

Ryzen 3 4300GE Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	183 FPS	200 FPS
medium	146 FPS	161 FPS
high	118 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	154 FPS
medium	124 FPS	119 FPS
high	98 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	70 FPS
medium	58 FPS	58 FPS
high	45 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4300GE Open Ryzen 5 3600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	263 FPS	442 FPS
medium	224 FPS	404 FPS
high	197 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	295 FPS
1440p
low	218 FPS	420 FPS
medium	190 FPS	359 FPS
high	168 FPS	303 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	263 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	297 FPS
medium	146 FPS	259 FPS
high	117 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	201 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4300GE Open Ryzen 5 3600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	281 FPS	442 FPS
medium	281 FPS	442 FPS
high	281 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	281 FPS	442 FPS
medium	281 FPS	442 FPS
high	281 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	432 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	442 FPS
medium	281 FPS	361 FPS
high	281 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	242 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4300GE Open Ryzen 5 3600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
1080p
low	281 FPS	442 FPS
medium	281 FPS	442 FPS
high	281 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	442 FPS
1440p
low	281 FPS	442 FPS
medium	281 FPS	442 FPS
high	281 FPS	442 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	442 FPS
4K
low	281 FPS	442 FPS
medium	281 FPS	442 FPS
high	281 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	281 FPS	357 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 4300GE Open Ryzen 5 3600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 4300GE and Ryzen 5 3600

Ryzen 3 4300GE

The Ryzen 3 4300GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 11,239 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 Ryzen 3 4300GE packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 3600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 4300GE versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 4.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 3 4300GE uses the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 4300GE scores 11,239 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 44.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 5,800 vs 9,500 (48.4% advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,472 vs 1,295, a 12.8% lead for the Ryzen 3 4300GE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,063 vs 1,898 (90.9% advantage for the Ryzen 3 4300GE). L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 4300GE vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.2 GHz+5%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Renoir (2020−2023)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	11,239	17,685+57%
Cinebench R23 Multi	5,800	9,500+64%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,472+14%	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,063+167%	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 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. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: A520,B450,B550,X470,X570 (Ryzen 3 4300GE) and AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600).

Feature	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support Yes virtualization. The Ryzen 3 4300GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 6), 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	Ryzen 3 4300GE	Ryzen 5 3600
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon Vega 6	—
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Yes	Yes
Target Use	—	Gaming/Budget Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 3 4300GE launched at $94 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 3600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($94 vs $199), the Ryzen 3 4300GE is $105 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 4300GE delivers 119.6 pts/$ vs 88.9 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 3600 — making the Ryzen 3 4300GE the 29.5% better value option.