Ryzen 5 6600U vs Xeon E5-2689 v4

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 6600U

2022

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 165W, a 150W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2689 v4 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,992 vs 17,084).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2689 v4, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.

Xeon E5-2689 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $2,723 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 6600U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1000% higher power demand at 165W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 6600U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 6600U

2022

Xeon E5-2689 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 165W, a 150W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2689 v4 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,992 vs 17,084).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2689 v4, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $2,723 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 6600U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌1000% higher power demand at 165W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 6600U moves to FP7 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2689 v4 better than Ryzen 5 6600U?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2689 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 6600U 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 E5-2689 v4 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 9.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2689 v4 is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2689 v4 is the smarter buy today. Xeon E5-2689 v4 is at an unclear MSRP at $2,723 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 9.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 6600U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2016) and a healthier platform with FP7 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011-3. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 6600U Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2689 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 6600U	Xeon E5-2689 v4
1080p
low	167 FPS	166 FPS
medium	145 FPS	144 FPS
high	117 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	139 FPS
medium	121 FPS	117 FPS
high	98 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	63 FPS
medium	72 FPS	57 FPS
high	57 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	35 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 6600U Open Xeon E5-2689 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 6600U	Xeon E5-2689 v4
1080p
low	353 FPS	379 FPS
medium	294 FPS	338 FPS
high	259 FPS	291 FPS
ultra	228 FPS	248 FPS
1440p
low	304 FPS	327 FPS
medium	258 FPS	296 FPS
high	234 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	202 FPS	216 FPS
4K
low	226 FPS	212 FPS
medium	195 FPS	191 FPS
high	179 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	144 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 6600U Open Xeon E5-2689 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 6600U	Xeon E5-2689 v4
1080p
low	425 FPS	427 FPS
medium	425 FPS	427 FPS
high	414 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	344 FPS	427 FPS
1440p
low	425 FPS	427 FPS
medium	400 FPS	427 FPS
high	360 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	301 FPS	427 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	427 FPS
medium	284 FPS	387 FPS
high	246 FPS	352 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	290 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 6600U Open Xeon E5-2689 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 6600U	Xeon E5-2689 v4
1080p
low	425 FPS	427 FPS
medium	425 FPS	427 FPS
high	425 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	427 FPS
1440p
low	425 FPS	427 FPS
medium	425 FPS	427 FPS
high	425 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	427 FPS
4K
low	425 FPS	427 FPS
medium	425 FPS	427 FPS
high	414 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	359 FPS	367 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 6600U Open Xeon E5-2689 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 6600U and Xeon E5-2689 v4

Ryzen 5 6600U

The Ryzen 5 6600U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FP7. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,992 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E5-2689 v4

The Xeon E5-2689 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB. L2 cache: 2.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 17,084 points. Launch price was $2,723.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 6600U packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2689 v4 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2689 v4 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 6600U versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2689 v4 — a 16.9% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 6600U (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 5 6600U uses the Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022) architecture (6 nm), while the Xeon E5-2689 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 6600U scores 16,992 against the Xeon E5-2689 v4's 17,084 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E5-2689 v4. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 6600U vs 25 MB on the Xeon E5-2689 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 5 6600U	Xeon E5-2689 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+18%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.1 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	25 MB+56%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2.5 MB+400%
Process	6 nm-57%	14 nm
Architecture	Rembrandt-U (Zen 3+) (2022)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	16,992	17,084

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 6600U uses the FP7 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2689 v4 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.