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 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +40.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $1,791 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1524.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 4.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 71W, a 6W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon E-2144G

2018

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,397 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 4.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($2,090 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Xeon E-2144G

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +40.7% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Costs $1,791 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1524.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 4.5 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $2,090 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 71W, a 6W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (9,397 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 4.5 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($2,090 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Xeon E-2144G?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2144G 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, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 40.7% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 132.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is $1,791 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $2,090 MSRP, and it gives you a 40.7% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 1524.9% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 4.5 PassMark/$), 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 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. 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 5600X Benchmark Check

Xeon E-2144G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
1080p
low	203 FPS	175 FPS
medium	174 FPS	140 FPS
high	140 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	152 FPS
medium	141 FPS	121 FPS
high	113 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	85 FPS
medium	76 FPS	74 FPS
high	60 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	45 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E-2144G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
1080p
low	464 FPS	235 FPS
medium	387 FPS	235 FPS
high	324 FPS	217 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	182 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	235 FPS
medium	334 FPS	214 FPS
high	290 FPS	190 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	159 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	202 FPS
medium	226 FPS	167 FPS
high	205 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	113 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E-2144G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
1080p
low	546 FPS	235 FPS
medium	473 FPS	235 FPS
high	432 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	235 FPS
medium	413 FPS	235 FPS
high	375 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	235 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	235 FPS
medium	292 FPS	235 FPS
high	255 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	235 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E-2144G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
1080p
low	546 FPS	235 FPS
medium	546 FPS	235 FPS
high	546 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	235 FPS
medium	546 FPS	235 FPS
high	546 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	235 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	235 FPS
medium	484 FPS	235 FPS
high	435 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	235 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E-2144G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Xeon E-2144G

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.

Xeon E-2144G

The Xeon E-2144G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 July 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 71 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 9,397 points. Launch price was $272.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E-2144G offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon E-2144G — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon E-2144G uses Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Xeon E-2144G's 9,397 — a 79.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2144G.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+2%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+300%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)
PassMark	21,845+132%	9,397

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E-2144G uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
Socket	AM4	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X) / not specified (Xeon E-2144G). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E-2144G
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Xeon E-2144G debuted at $2090. On MSRP ($299 vs $2090), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $1791 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 4.5 pts/$ for the Xeon E-2144G — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 176.8% better value option.