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

✅Draws 45W instead of 105W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5800X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,167 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+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

❌Launch MSRP is still $449 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 240 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 240 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 240

2025

Ryzen 7 5800X

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 105W, a 60W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+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 7 5800X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,167 vs 27,712).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $449 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 240 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 45W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 240 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5800X better than Ryzen 5 240?

Yes. Ryzen 7 5800X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 19.6% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 5800X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.2% 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 7 5800X is the better fit. You are getting 19.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 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 7 5800X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5800X is at an unclear MSRP at $449 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (61.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 240 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FP8 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 5 240 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 5800X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	265 FPS	206 FPS
medium	239 FPS	178 FPS
high	200 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	110 FPS
1440p
low	234 FPS	170 FPS
medium	191 FPS	142 FPS
high	156 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	88 FPS
4K
low	162 FPS	83 FPS
medium	135 FPS	74 FPS
high	104 FPS	59 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	46 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 240 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	426 FPS	662 FPS
medium	353 FPS	558 FPS
high	308 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	271 FPS	417 FPS
1440p
low	369 FPS	563 FPS
medium	320 FPS	493 FPS
high	281 FPS	423 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	265 FPS	350 FPS
medium	235 FPS	308 FPS
high	218 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	250 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 240 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	579 FPS	693 FPS
medium	579 FPS	651 FPS
high	579 FPS	570 FPS
ultra	579 FPS	464 FPS
1440p
low	579 FPS	693 FPS
medium	579 FPS	573 FPS
high	520 FPS	498 FPS
ultra	449 FPS	413 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	484 FPS
medium	445 FPS	410 FPS
high	380 FPS	363 FPS
ultra	315 FPS	302 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 240 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 7 5800X
1080p
low	579 FPS	693 FPS
medium	579 FPS	693 FPS
high	579 FPS	693 FPS
ultra	579 FPS	693 FPS
1440p
low	579 FPS	693 FPS
medium	579 FPS	693 FPS
high	579 FPS	672 FPS
ultra	545 FPS	593 FPS
4K
low	565 FPS	604 FPS
medium	506 FPS	550 FPS
high	450 FPS	495 FPS
ultra	386 FPS	436 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 240 Open Ryzen 7 5800X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 240 and Ryzen 7 5800X

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.

Ryzen 7 5800X

The Ryzen 7 5800X 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 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. Passmark benchmark score: 27,712 points. Launch price was $449.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 240 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 5800X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 5800X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 240 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5800X — a 6.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 240 (base: 4.3 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Ryzen 5 240 uses the Hawk Point (2024−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 240 scores 23,167 against the Ryzen 7 5800X's 27,712 — a 17.9% lead for the Ryzen 7 5800X. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 240 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 240	Ryzen 7 5800X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+6%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	4.3 GHz+13%	3.8 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	27,712+20%

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 240 uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 5800X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.