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 8300G

2024

Why buy it

✅Costs $123 less on MSRP ($176 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 80.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($176 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,113 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 80.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $176 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 8300G moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Ryzen 3 8300G

2024

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $123 less on MSRP ($176 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Delivers 9.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 80.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($176 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅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 (14,113 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 73.1 vs 80.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $176 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 3 8300G moves to AM5 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Ryzen 3 8300G?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 8.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 54.8% better PassMark, 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 8.7% 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 54.8% 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 5600X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 3 8300G makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 5600X is 69.9% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $176 MSRP, and it gives you a 8.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 3 8300G is also 9.8% better value on MSRP (80.2 vs 73.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM5 + DDR5 setup, Ryzen 3 8300G can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Ryzen 3 8300G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of AM4. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 8300G Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	262 FPS	203 FPS
medium	232 FPS	174 FPS
high	199 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	168 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	169 FPS
medium	184 FPS	141 FPS
high	152 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	85 FPS
medium	129 FPS	76 FPS
high	99 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	47 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 8300G Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	347 FPS	464 FPS
medium	280 FPS	387 FPS
high	245 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	206 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	286 FPS	397 FPS
medium	238 FPS	334 FPS
high	214 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	212 FPS	263 FPS
medium	183 FPS	226 FPS
high	153 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	171 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 8300G Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	353 FPS	546 FPS
medium	353 FPS	473 FPS
high	353 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	353 FPS	508 FPS
medium	353 FPS	413 FPS
high	353 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	353 FPS	348 FPS
medium	353 FPS	292 FPS
high	352 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	292 FPS	199 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 8300G Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	353 FPS	546 FPS
medium	353 FPS	546 FPS
high	353 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	353 FPS	546 FPS
medium	353 FPS	546 FPS
high	353 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	353 FPS	529 FPS
medium	353 FPS	484 FPS
high	353 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	379 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 8300G Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 8300G and Ryzen 5 5600X

Ryzen 3 8300G

The Ryzen 3 8300G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 14,113 points. Launch price was $176.

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.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 8300G packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 8300G versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 6.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 8300G (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 3 8300G uses the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 8300G scores 14,113 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 43% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 8300G vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+7%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	3.7 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	32 MB+300%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	4 nm-43%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Phoenix2 (2024)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	14,113	21,845+55%

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 8300G uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	AM5	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	—	128 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 3 8300G) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 3 8300G	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 3 8300G launched at $176 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($176 vs $299), the Ryzen 3 8300G is $123 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 8300G delivers 80.2 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 3 8300G the 9.3% better value option.