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.

EPYC 72F3

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Trade-offs

❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 72F3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 27,252).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 72F3, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while EPYC 72F3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

EPYC 72F3

2021

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads.

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than EPYC 72F3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 27,252).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than EPYC 72F3, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while EPYC 72F3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is EPYC 72F3 better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. EPYC 72F3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 5600X 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, EPYC 72F3 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.7% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 256 MB vs 32 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, EPYC 72F3 is the better fit. You are getting 24.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 32 MB).

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

EPYC 72F3 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. EPYC 72F3 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

EPYC 72F3 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020), 3D V-Cache and a much larger 256 MB L3 cache instead of 32 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That extra cache should hold up really well in CPU-limited games and high-refresh builds.

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.

EPYC 72F3 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	EPYC 72F3	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	231 FPS	203 FPS
medium	184 FPS	174 FPS
high	149 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	196 FPS	169 FPS
medium	151 FPS	141 FPS
high	117 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	85 FPS
medium	63 FPS	76 FPS
high	49 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	40 FPS	47 FPS

Open EPYC 72F3 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	EPYC 72F3	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	583 FPS	464 FPS
medium	510 FPS	387 FPS
high	412 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	489 FPS	397 FPS
medium	436 FPS	334 FPS
high	362 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	304 FPS	263 FPS
medium	274 FPS	226 FPS
high	245 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	171 FPS

Open EPYC 72F3 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	EPYC 72F3	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	681 FPS	546 FPS
medium	681 FPS	473 FPS
high	681 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	681 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	681 FPS	508 FPS
medium	597 FPS	413 FPS
high	534 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	466 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	485 FPS	348 FPS
medium	387 FPS	292 FPS
high	343 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	199 FPS

Open EPYC 72F3 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	EPYC 72F3	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	681 FPS	546 FPS
medium	681 FPS	546 FPS
high	681 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	681 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	681 FPS	546 FPS
medium	681 FPS	546 FPS
high	655 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	565 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	643 FPS	529 FPS
medium	574 FPS	484 FPS
high	499 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	379 FPS

Open EPYC 72F3 Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of EPYC 72F3 and Ryzen 5 5600X

EPYC 72F3

The EPYC 72F3 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 15 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Milan (2021−2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm+ process technology. Socket: SP3. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 27,252 points. Launch price was $2,468.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The EPYC 72F3 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the EPYC 72F3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the EPYC 72F3 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 11.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The EPYC 72F3 uses the Milan (2021−2023) architecture (7 nm+), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the EPYC 72F3 scores 27,252 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 22% lead for the EPYC 72F3. L3 cache: 256 MB (total) on the EPYC 72F3 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	EPYC 72F3	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.6 GHz+12%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	3.7 GHz
L3 Cache	256 MB (total)+700%	32 MB
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm+	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Milan (2021−2023)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	27,252+25%	21,845