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 5 1400

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $380 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,731 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.7 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($169 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +116.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 55.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 45.7 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
224.9% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 1400

2017

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $380 less on MSRP ($169 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +116.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+700% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Delivers 55.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 45.7 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $169 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (7,731 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 45.7 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($169 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
224.9% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$169 MSRP
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Ryzen 5 1400?

Yes. Ryzen 9 5900X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 116.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 403.9% 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 9 5900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 116.1% 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 9 5900X is the better fit. You are getting 403.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 5900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5900X is 224.9% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $169 MSRP, and it gives you a 116.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 55.1% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 45.7 PassMark/$), 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 9 5900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017), 700% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 5 1400 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	170 FPS	323 FPS
medium	148 FPS	291 FPS
high	119 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	193 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	307 FPS
medium	118 FPS	248 FPS
high	92 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	157 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	193 FPS
medium	58 FPS	156 FPS
high	45 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	103 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1400 Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	168 FPS	772 FPS
medium	148 FPS	647 FPS
high	139 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	105 FPS	450 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	619 FPS
medium	129 FPS	536 FPS
high	120 FPS	443 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	364 FPS
4K
low	114 FPS	365 FPS
medium	103 FPS	318 FPS
high	80 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	58 FPS	255 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1400 Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	193 FPS	832 FPS
medium	193 FPS	645 FPS
high	193 FPS	558 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	193 FPS	721 FPS
medium	193 FPS	565 FPS
high	193 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	407 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	511 FPS
medium	193 FPS	421 FPS
high	193 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	181 FPS	308 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1400 Open Ryzen 9 5900X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
1080p
low	193 FPS	974 FPS
medium	193 FPS	974 FPS
high	193 FPS	934 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	826 FPS
1440p
low	193 FPS	959 FPS
medium	193 FPS	843 FPS
high	193 FPS	726 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	617 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	694 FPS
medium	193 FPS	621 FPS
high	193 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1400 Open Ryzen 9 5900X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 1400 and Ryzen 9 5900X

Ryzen 5 1400

The Ryzen 5 1400 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,731 points. Launch price was $169.

Ryzen 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 1400 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 1400 versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X — a 34.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 5 1400 uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 1400 scores 7,731 against the Ryzen 9 5900X's 38,955 — a 133.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 1400 vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	12 / 24+200%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	4.8 GHz+41%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz	3.7 GHz+16%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	64 MB+700%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Zen (2017−2020)	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	7,731	38,955+404%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,174
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,888

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Ryzen 9 5900X 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: AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 1400) and A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 9 5900X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 5 1400) / AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 5 1400	Ryzen 9 5900X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 1400 launched at $169 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900X debuted at $549. On MSRP ($169 vs $549), the Ryzen 5 1400 is $380 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 1400 delivers 45.7 pts/$ vs 71.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900X — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 43.2% better value option.