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 2600

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,344 vs 11,077).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.3% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Delivers 63.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 66.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen 5 2600

2018

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.3% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Delivers 63.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 66.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,344 vs 11,077).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 5 2600?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 26.3% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data, 74.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 63.9% higher 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 5600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 26.3% more average FPS across 43 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better fit. You are getting 74.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 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 5 5600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600 is in basically the same MSRP band at $199 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 26.3% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 63.9% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 66.1 PassMark/$), 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 5600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2018), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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 2600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	183 FPS	161 FPS
medium	157 FPS	130 FPS
high	127 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	141 FPS
medium	125 FPS	113 FPS
high	98 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	79 FPS
medium	60 FPS	69 FPS
high	47 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 2600 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	263 FPS	508 FPS
medium	227 FPS	419 FPS
high	202 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	236 FPS	447 FPS
medium	206 FPS	375 FPS
high	183 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	151 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	186 FPS	313 FPS
medium	165 FPS	268 FPS
high	146 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	111 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 2600 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	329 FPS	539 FPS
medium	329 FPS	526 FPS
high	329 FPS	483 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	414 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	539 FPS
medium	329 FPS	434 FPS
high	322 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	268 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	304 FPS	371 FPS
medium	248 FPS	298 FPS
high	215 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	167 FPS	197 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 2600 Open Ryzen 5 5600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	329 FPS	539 FPS
medium	329 FPS	539 FPS
high	329 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	539 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	539 FPS
medium	329 FPS	539 FPS
high	329 FPS	539 FPS
ultra	329 FPS	493 FPS
4K
low	329 FPS	501 FPS
medium	329 FPS	448 FPS
high	329 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	349 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 2600 Open Ryzen 5 5600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 5600

Ryzen 5 2600

The Ryzen 5 2600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,145 points. Launch price was $199.

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 5600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 12% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 2600 uses the Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) architecture (12 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 2600 scores 13,145 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 48.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 6,344 vs 11,077 (54.3% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,163 vs 2,052, a 55.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 4,893 vs 8,600 (54.9% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.4 GHz+13%
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	32 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB+500%	512K (per core)
Process	12 nm	7 nm-42%
Architecture	Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	13,145	21,550+64%
Cinebench R23 Multi	6,344	11,077+75%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,163	2,052+76%
Geekbench 6 Multi	4,893	8,600+76%

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 5600 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. PCIe lanes: 20 (Ryzen 5 2600) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) — the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B450,AMD X470,AMD B350,AMD X370 (Ryzen 5 2600) and B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600).

Feature	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	128 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	24+20%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 2600) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 2600 targets General Productivity, Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 2600 rivals Core i5-9400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V
Target Use	General Productivity	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 2600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($199 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $0 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 2600 delivers 66.1 pts/$ vs 108.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 48.5% better value option.