Ryzen 5 5600X vs Xeon E3-1245 v6

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: +111.3% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 73W, a 8W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1245 v6 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E3-1245 v6

2017

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,711 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Xeon E3-1245 v6

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +111.3% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 73W, a 8W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1245 v6 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,711 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Xeon E3-1245 v6?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E3-1245 v6 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 111.3% 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 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 150.8% 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 at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 111.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2017), 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 E3-1245 v6 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	203 FPS	203 FPS
medium	174 FPS	158 FPS
high	140 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	170 FPS
medium	141 FPS	131 FPS
high	113 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	71 FPS
medium	76 FPS	58 FPS
high	60 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	464 FPS	218 FPS
medium	387 FPS	216 FPS
high	324 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	218 FPS
medium	334 FPS	193 FPS
high	290 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	182 FPS
medium	226 FPS	158 FPS
high	205 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	111 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	546 FPS	218 FPS
medium	473 FPS	218 FPS
high	432 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	218 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	218 FPS
medium	413 FPS	218 FPS
high	375 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	218 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	218 FPS
medium	292 FPS	218 FPS
high	255 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	218 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	546 FPS	218 FPS
medium	546 FPS	218 FPS
high	546 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	218 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	218 FPS
medium	546 FPS	218 FPS
high	546 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	218 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	218 FPS
medium	484 FPS	218 FPS
high	435 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	218 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Xeon E3-1245 v6

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 E3-1245 v6

The Xeon E3-1245 v6 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 8,711 points. Launch price was $284.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E3-1245 v6 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 4.1 GHz on the Xeon E3-1245 v6 — a 11.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon E3-1245 v6 uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Xeon E3-1245 v6's 8,711 — a 86% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 8 MB on the Xeon E3-1245 v6.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon E3-1245 v6
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+12%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	3.7 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+300%	8 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB+100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	21,845+151%	8,711

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E3-1245 v6 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.