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

✅Costs $3,691 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 264.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 280W, a 215W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 79,889).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.9% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅266.7% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($3,990 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌330.8% higher power demand at 280W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

2019

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,691 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 264.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 20.0 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $3,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 280W, a 215W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.9% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 64 cores / 128 threads, plus 88 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅266.7% more PCIe lanes (88 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,845 vs 79,889).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X, which brings 64 cores / 128 threads and 88 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.0 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($3,990 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌330.8% higher power demand at 280W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 3990X better than Ryzen 5 5600X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 3990X 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, Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.9% more average FPS across 49 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 256 MB vs 32 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is the better fit. You are getting 265.7% better PassMark, backed by 64 cores and 128 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 700% larger total L3 cache (256 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is 1234.4% more expensive on MSRP at $3,990 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.9% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600X is also 264.9% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 20.0 PassMark/$), 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). 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

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	203 FPS	181 FPS
medium	174 FPS	152 FPS
high	140 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	157 FPS
medium	141 FPS	125 FPS
high	113 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	85 FPS	85 FPS
medium	76 FPS	72 FPS
high	60 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	47 FPS	46 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	464 FPS	584 FPS
medium	387 FPS	503 FPS
high	324 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	291 FPS	330 FPS
1440p
low	397 FPS	491 FPS
medium	334 FPS	433 FPS
high	290 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	253 FPS	277 FPS
4K
low	263 FPS	308 FPS
medium	226 FPS	275 FPS
high	205 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	204 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	546 FPS	681 FPS
medium	473 FPS	563 FPS
high	432 FPS	497 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	428 FPS
1440p
low	508 FPS	582 FPS
medium	413 FPS	488 FPS
high	375 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	368 FPS
4K
low	348 FPS	424 FPS
medium	292 FPS	338 FPS
high	255 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	199 FPS	234 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
1080p
low	546 FPS	942 FPS
medium	546 FPS	842 FPS
high	546 FPS	724 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	639 FPS
1440p
low	546 FPS	777 FPS
medium	546 FPS	677 FPS
high	546 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	524 FPS	502 FPS
4K
low	529 FPS	540 FPS
medium	484 FPS	489 FPS
high	435 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	379 FPS	373 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600X Open Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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 Threadripper 3990X

The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 64 cores and 128 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 256 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: TR4. Thermal design power (TDP): 280 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 79,889 points. Launch price was $3,999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X offers 64 cores / 128 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X has 58 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600X scores 21,845 against the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X's 79,889 — a 114.1% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X vs 256 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	64 / 128+967%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+7%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+28%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB	256 MB+700%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	21,845	79,889+266%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	64,366
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	22,045

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X uses TR4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600X) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) vs 88 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X) — the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X offers 64 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X) and TRX40 (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Socket	AM4	TR4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	88+267%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X) vs true (Ryzen Threadripper 3990X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 3990X rivals Core i9-10980XE.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	true
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X debuted at $3990. On MSRP ($299 vs $3990), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $3691 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers 73.1 pts/$ vs 20.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 3990X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 114% better value option.