Ryzen 5 5500 vs Xeon W-2245

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

✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2245 across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 19,422).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2245, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $159 MSRP, while Xeon W-2245 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon W-2245

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.4% higher average FPS across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Xeon W-2245

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 155W, a 90W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.4% higher average FPS across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2245 across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 19,422).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2245, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $159 MSRP, while Xeon W-2245 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌138.5% higher power demand at 155W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-2245 better than Ryzen 5 5500?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2245 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon W-2245 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.4% more average FPS across 16 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon W-2245 is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon W-2245 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-2245 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.4% average FPS lead across 16 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5500 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2019). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 W-2245 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon W-2245
1080p
low	181 FPS	184 FPS
medium	150 FPS	147 FPS
high	120 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	151 FPS
medium	124 FPS	118 FPS
high	98 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	82 FPS
medium	61 FPS	69 FPS
high	48 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon W-2245

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon W-2245
1080p
low	329 FPS	396 FPS
medium	285 FPS	329 FPS
high	254 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	254 FPS
1440p
low	291 FPS	351 FPS
medium	258 FPS	300 FPS
high	233 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	226 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	246 FPS
medium	206 FPS	214 FPS
high	189 FPS	199 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	171 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon W-2245

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon W-2245
1080p
low	483 FPS	486 FPS
medium	483 FPS	486 FPS
high	483 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	486 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	486 FPS
medium	411 FPS	486 FPS
high	361 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	486 FPS
medium	285 FPS	486 FPS
high	248 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	378 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon W-2245

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon W-2245
1080p
low	483 FPS	486 FPS
medium	483 FPS	486 FPS
high	483 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	483 FPS	486 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	486 FPS
medium	483 FPS	486 FPS
high	483 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	486 FPS
medium	404 FPS	486 FPS
high	360 FPS	486 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon W-2245

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5500 and Xeon W-2245

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 W-2245

The Xeon W-2245 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 155 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 19,422 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-2245 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon W-2245 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus 4.7 GHz on the Xeon W-2245 — a 11.2% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2245 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5500 is built on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,311 against the Xeon W-2245's 19,422 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon W-2245. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500 vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon W-2245.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon W-2245
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.7 GHz+12%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.9 GHz+8%
L3 Cache	16 MB	16.5 MB+3%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	—
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Cezanne (2021−2025)	—
PassMark	19,311	19,422

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-2245 uses LGA2066 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.