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

✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).
✅Costs $4,703 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $5,002 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1182.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 5.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $5,002 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-3245M across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 28,494).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-3245M, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon W-3245M

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +47.2% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 5.7 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($5,002 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Xeon W-3245M

2019

Why buy it

✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB).
✅Costs $4,703 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $5,002 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1182.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 5.7 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $5,002 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +47.2% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-3245M across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 28,494).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-3245M, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (22 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 5.7 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($5,002 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-3245M better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-3245M 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, Xeon W-3245M is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 47.2% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon W-3245M is the better fit. You are getting 30.4% better PassMark, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Xeon W-3245M is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-3245M is 1572.9% more expensive on MSRP at $5,002 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 47.2% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 1182.5% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 5.7 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2019) and 45.5% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 22 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 W-3245M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
1080p
low	203 FPS	185 FPS
medium	174 FPS	150 FPS
high	140 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	148 FPS
medium	141 FPS	117 FPS
high	113 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	82 FPS
medium	76 FPS	70 FPS
high	60 FPS	56 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon W-3245M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
1080p
low	464 FPS	531 FPS
medium	387 FPS	447 FPS
high	324 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	335 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	461 FPS
medium	334 FPS	399 FPS
high	290 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	290 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	287 FPS
medium	226 FPS	248 FPS
high	205 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	199 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon W-3245M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
1080p
low	546 FPS	712 FPS
medium	473 FPS	712 FPS
high	432 FPS	712 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	712 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	712 FPS
medium	413 FPS	712 FPS
high	375 FPS	677 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	603 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	524 FPS
medium	292 FPS	428 FPS
high	255 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	314 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon W-3245M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
1080p
low	546 FPS	712 FPS
medium	546 FPS	712 FPS
high	546 FPS	712 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	712 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	712 FPS
medium	546 FPS	712 FPS
high	546 FPS	696 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	601 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	646 FPS
medium	484 FPS	566 FPS
high	435 FPS	504 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Xeon W-3245M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Xeon W-3245M

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 W-3245M

The Xeon W-3245M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 22 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 28,494 points. Launch price was $5,002.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-3245M offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon W-3245M has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 4.6 GHz on the Xeon W-3245M — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon W-3245M uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Xeon W-3245M's 28,494 — a 26.4% lead for the Xeon W-3245M. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 22 MB on the Xeon W-3245M.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+16%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+45%	22 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	16 MB+3100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	21,845	28,494+30%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	18,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,474
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,572

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon W-3245M uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon W-3245M supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600X) vs 6 (Xeon W-3245M). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) vs 64 (Xeon W-3245M) — the Xeon W-3245M offers 40 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X) and C621 (Xeon W-3245M).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
Socket	AM4	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	2048 GB+1500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	64+167%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 5600X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon W-3245M supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon W-3245M). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop, Xeon W-3245M targets Professional Workstation / Mac Pro. Direct competitor: Xeon W-3245M rivals Xeon Gold 6242.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Xeon W-3245M
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Professional Workstation / Mac Pro

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Xeon W-3245M debuted at $5002. On MSRP ($299 vs $5002), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $4703 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 5.7 pts/$ for the Xeon W-3245M — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 171.1% better value option.