Ryzen 5 240 vs Ryzen 5 5600X

AMD

Ryzen 5 240

6 Cores12 Thrd45 WWMax: 5 GHz2025

Popular choices:

Ryzen 5 5600X
VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600X

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.6 GHz2020

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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 5 240

2025

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +23.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
  • Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

  • Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

  • +100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 240 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 23,167).
  • Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 240 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • 44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
  • Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 240 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 240 better than Ryzen 5 5600X?
Yes. Ryzen 5 240 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 23.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 6.1% 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 5 240 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 23.0% 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 5 240 is the better fit. You are getting 6.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Ryzen 5 240 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 240 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 23.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen 5 240 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low265 FPS203 FPS
medium239 FPS174 FPS
high200 FPS140 FPS
ultra172 FPS107 FPS
1440p
low234 FPS169 FPS
medium191 FPS141 FPS
high156 FPS113 FPS
ultra138 FPS86 FPS
4K
low162 FPS85 FPS
medium135 FPS76 FPS
high104 FPS60 FPS
ultra91 FPS47 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low426 FPS464 FPS
medium353 FPS387 FPS
high308 FPS324 FPS
ultra271 FPS291 FPS
1440p
low369 FPS397 FPS
medium320 FPS334 FPS
high281 FPS290 FPS
ultra240 FPS253 FPS
4K
low265 FPS263 FPS
medium235 FPS226 FPS
high218 FPS205 FPS
ultra183 FPS171 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low579 FPS546 FPS
medium579 FPS473 FPS
high579 FPS432 FPS
ultra579 FPS358 FPS
1440p
low579 FPS508 FPS
medium579 FPS413 FPS
high520 FPS375 FPS
ultra449 FPS312 FPS
4K
low501 FPS348 FPS
medium445 FPS292 FPS
high380 FPS255 FPS
ultra315 FPS199 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low579 FPS546 FPS
medium579 FPS546 FPS
high579 FPS546 FPS
ultra579 FPS546 FPS
1440p
low579 FPS546 FPS
medium579 FPS546 FPS
high579 FPS546 FPS
ultra545 FPS524 FPS
4K
low565 FPS529 FPS
medium506 FPS484 FPS
high450 FPS435 FPS
ultra386 FPS379 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 240 and Ryzen 5 5600X

AMD

Ryzen 5 240

The Ryzen 5 240 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 4.3 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 23,167 points. Launch price was $299.

AMD

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

Both the Ryzen 5 240 and Ryzen 5 5600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 240 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 240 (base: 4.3 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 5 240 uses the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 240 scores 23,167 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 5.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 240. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 240 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

FeatureRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
6 / 12
Boost Clock
5 GHz+9%
4.6 GHz
Base Clock
4.3 GHz+16%
3.7 GHz
L3 Cache
16 MB (total)
32 MB+100%
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)+100%
512K (per core)
Process
4 nm-43%
7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture
Hawk Point (2024−2025)
Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark
23,167+6%
21,845
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 240 uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket
FP8
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 5 240) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

FeatureRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop
💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 240 launched at $0 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($0 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 240 is $299 cheaper.

FeatureRyzen 5 240Ryzen 5 5600X
MSRP
$0-100%
$299
Performance per Dollar
73.1
Release Date
2025
2020