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 4500

2022

Why buy it

✅+8.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Costs $71 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 124.4 vs 79.4 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 4600GE.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 4600GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 4600GE

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 7, while Ryzen 5 4500 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (7,800 vs 8,433).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 79.4 vs 124.4 PassMark/$ ($200 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 4500.

Ryzen 5 4500

2022

Ryzen 5 4600GE

2020

Why buy it

✅+8.1% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Costs $71 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Delivers 56.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 124.4 vs 79.4 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $200 MSRP).
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 5 4600GE.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 7, while Ryzen 5 4500 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 4600GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (7,800 vs 8,433).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 79.4 vs 124.4 PassMark/$ ($200 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 4500.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 4500 better than Ryzen 5 4600GE?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 4600GE is ahead with a 0.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4500 pulls ahead with 8.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 4500 is the better fit. You are getting 8.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 4500 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 4500 is $71 cheaper on MSRP at $129 MSRP versus $200 MSRP, and it gives you 8.1% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 4600GE is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 56.6% better value on MSRP (124.4 vs 79.4 PassMark/$), 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 4500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020) 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 4500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 4600GE Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
1080p
low	178 FPS	177 FPS
medium	142 FPS	143 FPS
high	113 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	152 FPS	152 FPS
medium	120 FPS	121 FPS
high	94 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	69 FPS
medium	59 FPS	59 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	37 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4500 Open Ryzen 5 4600GE

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
1080p
low	304 FPS	298 FPS
medium	261 FPS	257 FPS
high	230 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	198 FPS
1440p
low	266 FPS	261 FPS
medium	232 FPS	229 FPS
high	209 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	179 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	225 FPS
medium	205 FPS	202 FPS
high	183 FPS	182 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	156 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4500 Open Ryzen 5 4600GE

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
1080p
low	401 FPS	397 FPS
medium	401 FPS	397 FPS
high	401 FPS	397 FPS
ultra	401 FPS	397 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	397 FPS
medium	401 FPS	397 FPS
high	401 FPS	397 FPS
ultra	368 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	399 FPS	393 FPS
medium	337 FPS	332 FPS
high	290 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	230 FPS	227 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4500 Open Ryzen 5 4600GE

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
1080p
low	401 FPS	397 FPS
medium	401 FPS	397 FPS
high	401 FPS	397 FPS
ultra	401 FPS	397 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	397 FPS
medium	401 FPS	397 FPS
high	401 FPS	397 FPS
ultra	401 FPS	397 FPS
4K
low	401 FPS	397 FPS
medium	401 FPS	397 FPS
high	373 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	311 FPS	316 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 4500 Open Ryzen 5 4600GE

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 5 4600GE

Ryzen 5 4500

The Ryzen 5 4500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 16,049 points. Launch price was $129.

Ryzen 5 4600GE

The Ryzen 5 4600GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 15,889 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 5 4600GE share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4500 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4600GE — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 4600GE (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). Both are built on the Renoir (2020−2023) architecture using a 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 4500 scores 16,049 against the Ryzen 5 4600GE's 15,889 — a 1% lead for the Ryzen 5 4500. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 8,433 vs 7,800 (7.8% advantage for the Ryzen 5 4500). Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.2 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Renoir (2020−2023)	Renoir (2020−2023)
PassMark	16,049+1%	15,889
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,433+8%	7,800
Geekbench 6 Single	1,560	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,235	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 4500 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: 16 (Ryzen 5 4500) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 4600GE) — the Ryzen 5 4600GE offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B450,X570,B550 (Ryzen 5 4500) and AM4 (Ryzen 5 4600GE).

Feature	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	24+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 4500 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 5 4600GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 7), while the Ryzen 5 4500 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 4500 targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 4500 rivals Core i5-10400F.

Feature	Ryzen 5 4500	Ryzen 5 4600GE
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon Vega 7
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 4500 launched at $129 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 4600GE debuted at $200. On MSRP ($129 vs $200), the Ryzen 5 4500 is $71 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 4500 delivers 124.4 pts/$ vs 79.4 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 4600GE — making the Ryzen 5 4500 the 44.1% better value option.