Ryzen 5 PRO 220 vs Xeon E5-2686 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 PRO 220

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 6W instead of 145W, a 139W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2 with DDR5 support instead of FCLGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 v4, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2686 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 220 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,860 vs 19,889).
❌2316.7% higher power demand at 145W vs 6W.
❌Older platform position on FCLGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 PRO 220 moves to FP7/FP7r2 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 PRO 220

2025

Xeon E5-2686 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 6W instead of 145W, a 139W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2 with DDR5 support instead of FCLGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 v4, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 PRO 220 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,860 vs 19,889).
❌2316.7% higher power demand at 145W vs 6W.
❌Older platform position on FCLGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 PRO 220 moves to FP7/FP7r2 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 PRO 220 better than Xeon E5-2686 v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2686 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 PRO 220 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 PRO 220 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 30.9% 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 PRO 220 is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 220 still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 5 PRO 220 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 30.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen 5 PRO 220 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2016), a healthier platform with FP7/FP7r2 and DDR5 instead of FCLGA2011-3, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 18/36. 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 PRO 220 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 PRO 220	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	259 FPS	176 FPS
medium	237 FPS	152 FPS
high	199 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	229 FPS	147 FPS
medium	191 FPS	123 FPS
high	155 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	68 FPS
medium	134 FPS	61 FPS
high	104 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 PRO 220 Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 PRO 220	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	386 FPS	365 FPS
medium	320 FPS	331 FPS
high	284 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	324 FPS	314 FPS
medium	280 FPS	285 FPS
high	255 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	218 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	243 FPS	195 FPS
medium	214 FPS	178 FPS
high	201 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	121 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 PRO 220 Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 PRO 220	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	497 FPS	496 FPS
medium	497 FPS	496 FPS
high	497 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	410 FPS
1440p
low	497 FPS	496 FPS
medium	497 FPS	436 FPS
high	497 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	349 FPS
4K
low	484 FPS	400 FPS
medium	425 FPS	322 FPS
high	362 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	239 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 PRO 220 Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 PRO 220	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	497 FPS	496 FPS
medium	497 FPS	496 FPS
high	497 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	496 FPS
1440p
low	497 FPS	496 FPS
medium	497 FPS	496 FPS
high	497 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	497 FPS	456 FPS
4K
low	497 FPS	496 FPS
medium	497 FPS	465 FPS
high	441 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	352 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 PRO 220 Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 PRO 220 and Xeon E5-2686 v4

Ryzen 5 PRO 220

The Ryzen 5 PRO 220 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,889 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E5-2686 v4

The Xeon E5-2686 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB. L2 cache: 4.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCLGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,860 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 PRO 220 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 v4 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 PRO 220 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 v4 — a 48.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 PRO 220 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 PRO 220 uses the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 PRO 220 scores 19,889 against the Xeon E5-2686 v4's 19,860 — a 0.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 PRO 220. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 PRO 220 vs 45 MB on the Xeon E5-2686 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 5 PRO 220	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	18 / 36+200%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+63%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+39%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB	45 MB+181%
L2 Cache	6 MB+33%	4.5 MB
Process	4 nm-71%	14 nm
Architecture	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4 + Zen 4c) (2023−2025)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	19,889	19,860
Geekbench 6 Single	—	895
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,822

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 PRO 220 uses the FP7/FP7r2 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses FCLGA2011-3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 PRO 220	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Socket	FP7/FP7r2	FCLGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	1536 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40