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 3500X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $44 less on MSRP ($155 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,165 vs 21,550).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 84.9 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($155 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +44.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 27.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 84.9 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $155 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen 5 3500X.

Trade-offs

❌
28.4% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$155 MSRP

Ryzen 5 3500X

2019

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $44 less on MSRP ($155 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +44.8% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Delivers 27.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 84.9 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $155 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen 5 3500X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,165 vs 21,550).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 84.9 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($155 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Trade-offs

❌
28.4% HIGHER MSRP
$199 MSRPvs$155 MSRP

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 5 3500X?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 44.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data, 63.7% 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 5600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 44.8% more average FPS across 2 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 63.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600 is 28.4% more expensive on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $155 MSRP, and it gives you a 44.8% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 27.5% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 84.9 PassMark/$), 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 2019) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/6. 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 3500X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	197 FPS	161 FPS
medium	159 FPS	130 FPS
high	133 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	141 FPS
medium	119 FPS	113 FPS
high	96 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	79 FPS
medium	58 FPS	69 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 5 5600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 5 5600
1080p
low	329 FPS	508 FPS
medium	329 FPS	419 FPS
high	327 FPS	351 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	310 FPS
1440p
low	329 FPS	447 FPS
medium	329 FPS	375 FPS
high	298 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	286 FPS	313 FPS
medium	249 FPS	268 FPS
high	221 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 5 5600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	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	329 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	339 FPS
4K
low	309 FPS	371 FPS
medium	243 FPS	298 FPS
high	204 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	160 FPS	197 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 5 5600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3500X	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	329 FPS	349 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3500X Open Ryzen 5 5600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3500X and Ryzen 5 5600

Ryzen 5 3500X

The Ryzen 5 3500X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 September 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 13,165 points. Launch price was $149.

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

The Ryzen 5 3500X packs 6 cores / 6 threads, matching the Ryzen 5 5600's 6 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3500X versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 7.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3500X uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3500X scores 13,165 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 48.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. Both processors carry 32 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.4 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	32 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark	13,165	21,550+64%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	11,077
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	8,600

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series (Ryzen 5 3500X) and B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 5 5600
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 5 3500X) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3500X	Ryzen 5 5600
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	Yes
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3500X launched at $155 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($155 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 3500X is $44 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3500X delivers 84.9 pts/$ vs 108.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 24.2% better value option.