Core i5-6500 vs Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U

Core i5-6500 vs Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U Performance Spectrum

Core i5-6500

4 / 4

5,600

0.0%

5,639

+0.7%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

About PassMark

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.

Core i5-6500 vs Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i5-6500 vs Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i5-6500

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +11.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (5,600 vs 5,639).
❌Launch MSRP is still $239 MSRP, while Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌333.3% higher power demand at 65W vs 15W.

Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 65W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i5-6500 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 6 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U better than Core i5-6500?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Core i5-6500 is ahead with a 11.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Core i5-6500 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (6 MB vs 4 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U is still the much better call for a fresh build. Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $239 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.7% better PassMark. Core i5-6500 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2015 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (23.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA1151.

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

Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2015) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i5-6500 vs Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i5-6500

The Core i5-6500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 July 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,600 points. Launch price was $192.

Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U

The Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Raven Ridge (2017−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 5,639 points. Launch price was $149.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i5-6500 and Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-6500 versus 3.4 GHz on the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-6500 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-6500 uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U uses Raven Ridge (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6500 scores 5,600 against the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U's 5,639 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-6500 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U.

Feature	Core i5-6500	Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+6%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+60%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)+50%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Raven Ridge (2017−2019)
PassMark	5,600	5,639

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Memory & Platform

The Core i5-6500 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.