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 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,931 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1218.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 135W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2690 v4 across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 35 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2690 v4, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2690 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+118.8% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,255 vs 19,311).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($2,090 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌107.7% higher power demand at 135W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Xeon E5-2690 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,931 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1218.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 135W, a 70W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+118.8% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2690 v4 across 37 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 35 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2690 v4, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,255 vs 19,311).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($2,090 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌107.7% higher power demand at 135W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5500 better than Xeon E5-2690 v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2690 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 5500 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5500 is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5500 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5500 is $1,931 cheaper on MSRP at $159 MSRP versus $2,090 MSRP, and it gives you 0.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-2690 v4 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.1% average FPS lead across 37 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1218.3% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 9.2 PassMark/$), 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 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 14/28. 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 5500 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2690 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	181 FPS	177 FPS
medium	150 FPS	154 FPS
high	120 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	148 FPS
medium	124 FPS	125 FPS
high	98 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	69 FPS
medium	61 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	329 FPS	364 FPS
medium	285 FPS	330 FPS
high	254 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	291 FPS	313 FPS
medium	258 FPS	284 FPS
high	233 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	195 FPS
medium	206 FPS	178 FPS
high	189 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	120 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	483 FPS	481 FPS
medium	483 FPS	481 FPS
high	483 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	481 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	481 FPS
medium	411 FPS	481 FPS
high	361 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	481 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	447 FPS
medium	285 FPS	363 FPS
high	248 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	277 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	483 FPS	481 FPS
medium	483 FPS	481 FPS
high	483 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	483 FPS	481 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	481 FPS
medium	483 FPS	481 FPS
high	483 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	481 FPS
medium	404 FPS	470 FPS
high	360 FPS	416 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	358 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5500 and Xeon E5-2690 v4

Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. 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: 19,311 points. Launch price was $159.

Xeon E5-2690 v4

The Xeon E5-2690 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 35 MB. L2 cache: 3.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 19,255 points. Launch price was $2,090.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon E5-2690 v4 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2690 v4 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5500 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,311 against the Xeon E5-2690 v4's 19,255 — a 0.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5500. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500 vs 35 MB on the Xeon E5-2690 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 28+133%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+20%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+38%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB	35 MB+119%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	3.5 MB+600%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Cezanne (2021−2025)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	19,311	19,255

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2690 v4 supports up to 1536 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5500) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2690 v4). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5500) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2690 v4) — the Xeon E5-2690 v4 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series (Ryzen 5 5500) and Intel X99,Intel C612 (Xeon E5-2690 v4).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	1536 GB+1100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	40+67%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5500) / not specified (Xeon E5-2690 v4). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon E5-2690 v4
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5500 launched at $159 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 debuted at $2090. On MSRP ($159 vs $2090), the Ryzen 5 5500 is $1931 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5500 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 9.2 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2690 v4 — making the Ryzen 5 5500 the 171.8% better value option.