Ryzen 5 1600 vs Ryzen 5 2600E

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 1600

2017

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,261 vs 12,346).
❌Launch MSRP is still $219 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 2600E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Ryzen 5 2600E

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 5 1600

2017

Ryzen 5 2600E

2018

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,261 vs 12,346).
❌Launch MSRP is still $219 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 2600E mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 2600E better than Ryzen 5 1600?

Yes. Ryzen 5 2600E is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.4% average FPS lead across 36 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.7% 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 2600E is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.4% more average FPS across 36 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 2600E is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 2600E is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 1600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 2600E is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $219 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.4% average FPS lead across 36 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 1600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (56.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2600E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017) 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 1600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 2600E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	176 FPS	176 FPS
medium	153 FPS	154 FPS
high	127 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	103 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	145 FPS
medium	121 FPS	122 FPS
high	97 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	66 FPS
medium	59 FPS	59 FPS
high	47 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	203 FPS	252 FPS
medium	177 FPS	219 FPS
high	162 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	156 FPS
1440p
low	180 FPS	227 FPS
medium	159 FPS	199 FPS
high	145 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	115 FPS	145 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	178 FPS
medium	127 FPS	160 FPS
high	108 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	106 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	307 FPS	309 FPS
medium	307 FPS	309 FPS
high	307 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	309 FPS
medium	307 FPS	309 FPS
high	307 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	302 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	307 FPS	309 FPS
medium	269 FPS	292 FPS
high	237 FPS	253 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	200 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 2600E
1080p
low	307 FPS	309 FPS
medium	307 FPS	309 FPS
high	307 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	309 FPS
medium	307 FPS	309 FPS
high	307 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	309 FPS
4K
low	307 FPS	309 FPS
medium	307 FPS	309 FPS
high	307 FPS	309 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	309 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen 5 2600E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 1600 and Ryzen 5 2600E

Ryzen 5 1600

The Ryzen 5 1600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 12,261 points. Launch price was $219.

Ryzen 5 2600E

The Ryzen 5 2600E is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 12,346 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 1600 and Ryzen 5 2600E share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 1600 versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600E — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 2600E (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 5 1600 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 2600E uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 1600 scores 12,261 against the Ryzen 5 2600E's 12,346 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 2600E. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 2600E
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4 GHz+11%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+3%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	12 nm-14%
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	12,261	12,346