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 1600

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z2 Go across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $219 MSRP, while Ryzen Z2 Go mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen Z2 Go can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen Z2 Go

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 680M, while Ryzen 5 1600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,188 vs 12,261).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Ryzen 5 1600

2017

Ryzen Z2 Go

2025

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 2W instead of 65W, a 63W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 680M, while Ryzen 5 1600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z2 Go across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $219 MSRP, while Ryzen Z2 Go mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3150% higher power demand at 65W vs 2W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen Z2 Go can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,188 vs 12,261).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Z2 Go better than Ryzen 5 1600?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen Z2 Go is ahead with a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 1600 pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 1600 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 1600 is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen Z2 Go is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 1600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen Z2 Go is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $219 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 1600 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.6% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 1600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (56.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Z2 Go is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2017) and a healthier platform with a newer socket and DDR5 instead of AM4. 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 1600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen Z2 Go Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	176 FPS	176 FPS
medium	153 FPS	139 FPS
high	127 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	145 FPS
medium	121 FPS	113 FPS
high	97 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	77 FPS
medium	59 FPS	65 FPS
high	47 FPS	52 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	40 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen Z2 Go

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	203 FPS	286 FPS
medium	177 FPS	241 FPS
high	162 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	125 FPS	184 FPS
1440p
low	180 FPS	249 FPS
medium	159 FPS	213 FPS
high	145 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	115 FPS	163 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	195 FPS
medium	127 FPS	172 FPS
high	108 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	119 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen Z2 Go

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	307 FPS	305 FPS
medium	307 FPS	305 FPS
high	307 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	305 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	305 FPS
medium	307 FPS	305 FPS
high	307 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	302 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	307 FPS	305 FPS
medium	269 FPS	305 FPS
high	237 FPS	277 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	220 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen Z2 Go

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen Z2 Go
1080p
low	307 FPS	305 FPS
medium	307 FPS	305 FPS
high	307 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	305 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	305 FPS
medium	307 FPS	305 FPS
high	307 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	305 FPS
4K
low	307 FPS	305 FPS
medium	307 FPS	305 FPS
high	307 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	307 FPS	305 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 1600 Open Ryzen Z2 Go

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 1600 and Ryzen Z2 Go

Ryzen 5 1600

The Ryzen 5 1600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 11 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,261 points. Launch price was $219.

Ryzen Z2 Go

The Ryzen Z2 Go is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Rembrandt R (2025) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 6 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 8 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 12,188 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 1600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Z2 Go offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Ryzen 5 1600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 1600 versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Z2 Go — a 17.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen Z2 Go (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 1600 uses the Zen 2 (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen Z2 Go uses Rembrandt R (2025) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 1600 scores 12,261 against the Ryzen Z2 Go's 12,188 — a 0.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 1600. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 1600 vs 8 MB on the Ryzen Z2 Go.

Feature	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen Z2 Go
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4.3 GHz+19%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+7%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)+100%	8 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB+300%
Process	14 nm	6 nm-57%
Architecture	Zen 2 (2017−2020)	Rembrandt R (2025)
PassMark	12,261	12,188
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	5,802
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,842
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,073

🧠

Memory & Platform

Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Ryzen 5 1600 versus LPDDR5-6400 on the Ryzen Z2 Go — the Ryzen Z2 Go supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 64 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 1600) vs 16 (Ryzen Z2 Go) — the Ryzen 5 1600 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 300 series,AMD 400 series (Ryzen 5 1600) and Rembrandt-R (Ryzen Z2 Go).

Feature	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen Z2 Go
Socket	AM4	—
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	LPDDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24+50%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Ryzen 5 1600) / SVM (Ryzen Z2 Go). The Ryzen Z2 Go includes integrated graphics (Radeon 680M), while the Ryzen 5 1600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen Z2 Go targets Budget. Direct competitor: Ryzen Z2 Go rivals Core Ultra 5 135U.