Ryzen 5 5600X vs Xeon Phi 7290

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: +27.1% higher average FPS across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 245W, a 180W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,839 vs 21,845).
❌276.9% higher power demand at 245W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Xeon Phi 7290

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.1% higher average FPS across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 245W, a 180W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 288 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Phi 7290, which brings 72 cores / 288 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Xeon Phi 7290 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 16 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,839 vs 21,845).
❌276.9% higher power demand at 245W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Xeon Phi 7290?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Phi 7290 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 27.1% 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, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 22.5% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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 $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 27.1% average FPS lead across 16 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 72/288. 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 Phi 7290 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	203 FPS	177 FPS
medium	174 FPS	143 FPS
high	140 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	141 FPS
medium	141 FPS	111 FPS
high	113 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	66 FPS
medium	76 FPS	56 FPS
high	60 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	34 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon Phi 7290

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	464 FPS	136 FPS
medium	387 FPS	120 FPS
high	324 FPS	109 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	120 FPS
medium	334 FPS	108 FPS
high	290 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	87 FPS
medium	226 FPS	81 FPS
high	205 FPS	72 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	56 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon Phi 7290

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	546 FPS	446 FPS
medium	473 FPS	446 FPS
high	432 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	446 FPS
medium	413 FPS	434 FPS
high	375 FPS	374 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	326 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	394 FPS
medium	292 FPS	306 FPS
high	255 FPS	259 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon Phi 7290

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon Phi 7290
1080p
low	546 FPS	446 FPS
medium	546 FPS	446 FPS
high	546 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	446 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	446 FPS
medium	546 FPS	446 FPS
high	546 FPS	446 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	420 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	446 FPS
medium	484 FPS	405 FPS
high	435 FPS	361 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	310 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon Phi 7290

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Xeon Phi 7290

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 Phi 7290

The Xeon Phi 7290 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Knights Landing (2016) architecture. It features 72 cores and 288 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 245 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,839 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Phi 7290 offers 72 cores / 288 threads — the Xeon Phi 7290 has 66 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon Phi 7290 — a 92.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 1.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses Knights Landing (2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Xeon Phi 7290's 17,839 — a 20.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 0 kB (total) on the Xeon Phi 7290.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon Phi 7290
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	72 / 288+1100%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+171%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+147%	1.5 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB	0 kB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Knights Landing (2016)
PassMark	21,845+22%	17,839

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Phi 7290 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.