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: +22.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Delivers 9.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 67.0 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
50.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$199 MSRP

Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,330 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 67.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Delivers 9.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 67.0 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $100 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌
50.3% HIGHER MSRP
$299 MSRPvs$199 MSRP

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (13,330 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 67.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Ryzen 5 PRO 2600?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 22.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 63.9% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

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 22.4% more average FPS across 50 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 63.9% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 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 50.3% more expensive on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 22.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 9.1% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 67.0 PassMark/$), 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 2018), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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

Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
1080p
low	203 FPS	186 FPS
medium	174 FPS	159 FPS
high	140 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	152 FPS
medium	141 FPS	125 FPS
high	113 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	67 FPS
medium	76 FPS	59 FPS
high	60 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	37 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
1080p
low	464 FPS	255 FPS
medium	387 FPS	221 FPS
high	324 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	157 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	229 FPS
medium	334 FPS	201 FPS
high	290 FPS	179 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	146 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	180 FPS
medium	226 FPS	161 FPS
high	205 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	107 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
1080p
low	546 FPS	333 FPS
medium	473 FPS	333 FPS
high	432 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	333 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	333 FPS
medium	413 FPS	333 FPS
high	375 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	302 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	333 FPS
medium	292 FPS	270 FPS
high	255 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	189 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
1080p
low	546 FPS	333 FPS
medium	546 FPS	333 FPS
high	546 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	333 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	333 FPS
medium	546 FPS	333 FPS
high	546 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	333 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	333 FPS
medium	484 FPS	333 FPS
high	435 FPS	333 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	320 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

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.

Ryzen 5 PRO 2600

The Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 13,330 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 — a 16.5% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600's 13,330 — a 48.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+18%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+9%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+100%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	21,845+64%	13,330

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 4.0.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X) / not specified (Ryzen 5 PRO 2600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 5 PRO 2600
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 debuted at $199. On MSRP ($299 vs $199), the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 is $100 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 67.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 PRO 2600 — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 8.7% better value option.