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.

Core i5-14600

2024

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,544 less on MSRP ($255 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 613.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 126.7 vs 17.8 PassMark/$ ($255 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 250W, a 185W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (31,945 vs 32,319).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.8 vs 126.7 PassMark/$ ($1,799 MSRP vs $255 MSRP).
❌284.6% higher power demand at 250W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core i5-14600 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-14600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-14600

2024

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,544 less on MSRP ($255 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Delivers 613.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 126.7 vs 17.8 PassMark/$ ($255 MSRP vs $1,799 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 250W, a 185W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of TR4 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (31,945 vs 32,319).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 17.8 vs 126.7 PassMark/$ ($1,799 MSRP vs $255 MSRP).
❌284.6% higher power demand at 250W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on TR4 with DDR4, while Core i5-14600 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-14600 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i5-14600 better than Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-14600 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i5-14600 is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 20 threads.

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

Core i5-14600 is the smarter buy today. Core i5-14600 is $1,544 cheaper on MSRP at $255 MSRP versus $1,799 MSRP, and it gives you 1.2% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.5% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 613.7% better value on MSRP (126.7 vs 17.8 PassMark/$), 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?

Core i5-14600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of TR4, and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 20 threads instead of 32/64. 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.

Core i5-14600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	259 FPS	198 FPS
medium	249 FPS	177 FPS
high	207 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	115 FPS
1440p
low	221 FPS	160 FPS
medium	190 FPS	134 FPS
high	151 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	132 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	152 FPS	73 FPS
medium	130 FPS	64 FPS
high	99 FPS	50 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	41 FPS

Open Core i5-14600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	616 FPS	536 FPS
medium	522 FPS	483 FPS
high	444 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	354 FPS
1440p
low	533 FPS	473 FPS
medium	467 FPS	424 FPS
high	398 FPS	360 FPS
ultra	343 FPS	299 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	295 FPS
medium	280 FPS	265 FPS
high	267 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	234 FPS	213 FPS

Open Core i5-14600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	647 FPS	768 FPS
medium	530 FPS	640 FPS
high	466 FPS	577 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	504 FPS
1440p
low	590 FPS	640 FPS
medium	490 FPS	533 FPS
high	426 FPS	465 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	408 FPS
4K
low	433 FPS	469 FPS
medium	374 FPS	377 FPS
high	339 FPS	336 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	280 FPS

Open Core i5-14600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
1080p
low	808 FPS	799 FPS
medium	808 FPS	799 FPS
high	726 FPS	704 FPS
ultra	652 FPS	616 FPS
1440p
low	788 FPS	728 FPS
medium	703 FPS	644 FPS
high	608 FPS	549 FPS
ultra	536 FPS	474 FPS
4K
low	539 FPS	522 FPS
medium	490 FPS	473 FPS
high	438 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	382 FPS	362 FPS

Open Core i5-14600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-14600 and Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Core i5-14600

The Core i5-14600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-5600, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 32,319 points. Launch price was $255.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 13 August 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 31,945 points. Launch price was $1,799.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-14600 packs 14 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Core i5-14600 versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — a 21.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-14600 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-14600 uses the Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses Zen+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-14600 scores 32,319 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX's 31,945 — a 1.2% lead for the Core i5-14600. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core i5-14600 vs 64 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX.

Feature	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Cores / Threads	14 / 20	32 / 64+129%
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+24%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	3 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	64 MB+167%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+300%	512K (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-R (2023−2025)	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	32,319+1%	31,945
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	33,213
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,206
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	7,612

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-14600 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Core i5-14600 versus DDR4-2933 on the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — the Core i5-14600 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 192 GB — 165.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-14600) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core i5-14600) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX) — the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Socket	LGA1700	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	192 GB	2048 GB+967%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	20	64+220%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-14600) vs AMD-V (Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX). The Core i5-14600 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 770), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-14600 targets Desktop, Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX targets Extreme Content Creation. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX rivals Core i9-9980XE.

Feature	Core i5-14600	Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	UHD Graphics 770	—
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Extreme Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i5-14600 launched at $255 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX debuted at $1799. On MSRP ($255 vs $1799), the Core i5-14600 is $1544 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i5-14600 delivers 126.7 pts/$ vs 17.8 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX — making the Core i5-14600 the 150.8% better value option.