Ryzen 5 5560U vs Xeon D-2166NT

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 5560U

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 85W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 17 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-2166NT, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Xeon D-2166NT

2018

Why buy it

✅+106.3% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5560U across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,105 vs 15,202).
❌466.7% higher power demand at 85W vs 15W.

Ryzen 5 5560U

2021

Xeon D-2166NT

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.0% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 85W, a 70W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+106.3% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 17 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon D-2166NT, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5560U across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,105 vs 15,202).
❌466.7% higher power demand at 85W vs 15W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5560U better than Xeon D-2166NT?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon D-2166NT makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 5560U 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, Ryzen 5 5560U is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 39.0% 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 5560U is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5560U still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 5 5560U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 39.0% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 5560U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 12/24. 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 5560U Benchmark Check

Xeon D-2166NT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5560U	Xeon D-2166NT
1080p
low	169 FPS	171 FPS
medium	144 FPS	135 FPS
high	115 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	138 FPS
medium	121 FPS	108 FPS
high	95 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	65 FPS
medium	61 FPS	55 FPS
high	48 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	34 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5560U Open Xeon D-2166NT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5560U	Xeon D-2166NT
1080p
low	245 FPS	141 FPS
medium	211 FPS	125 FPS
high	191 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	209 FPS	125 FPS
medium	184 FPS	113 FPS
high	170 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	179 FPS	91 FPS
medium	162 FPS	85 FPS
high	147 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	113 FPS	58 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5560U Open Xeon D-2166NT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5560U	Xeon D-2166NT
1080p
low	380 FPS	378 FPS
medium	380 FPS	378 FPS
high	380 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	378 FPS
1440p
low	380 FPS	378 FPS
medium	380 FPS	378 FPS
high	367 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	311 FPS	318 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	378 FPS
medium	298 FPS	305 FPS
high	257 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	207 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5560U Open Xeon D-2166NT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5560U	Xeon D-2166NT
1080p
low	380 FPS	378 FPS
medium	380 FPS	378 FPS
high	380 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	378 FPS
1440p
low	380 FPS	378 FPS
medium	380 FPS	378 FPS
high	380 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	378 FPS
4K
low	380 FPS	378 FPS
medium	373 FPS	378 FPS
high	331 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	285 FPS	306 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5560U Open Xeon D-2166NT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5560U and Xeon D-2166NT

Ryzen 5 5560U

The Ryzen 5 5560U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 December 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-U (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200, LPDDR4X-4267. Passmark benchmark score: 15,202 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon D-2166NT

The Xeon D-2166NT is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2518. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,105 points. Launch price was $1,005.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5560U packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon D-2166NT offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon D-2166NT has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5560U versus 3 GHz on the Xeon D-2166NT — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5560U (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5560U uses the Cezanne-U (Zen 3) (2021) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon D-2166NT uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5560U scores 15,202 against the Xeon D-2166NT's 15,105 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 5560U. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Ryzen 5 5560U vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon D-2166NT.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5560U	Xeon D-2166NT
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4 GHz+33%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz+15%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB	16.5 MB+106%
L2 Cache	3 MB	12 MB+300%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Cezanne-U (Zen 3) (2021)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	15,202	15,105

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5560U uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon D-2166NT uses FCBGA2518 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.