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Ryzen 5 2600 vs Ryzen 5 5600

CPUCPUGPUGPU
AMD

Ryzen 5 2600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2018
Ryzen family
·······
Buy on Amazon
VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022
Ryzen family
·······
Buy on Amazon

Ryzen 5 2600 vs Ryzen 5 5600 Performance Spectrum

Ryzen 5 2600
6 / 12
13,145
0.0%
brand logoRyzen 3 4300U
brand logoRyzen 5 2400G
brand logoFX-9590
brand logoRyzen 3 5425U
brand logoRyzen 7 8700F
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 9955WX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper 9960X
Ryzen 5 5600
6 / 12
21,550
+63.9%
brand logoRyzen 3 8440U
brand logoRyzen 5 4600HS
brand logoRyzen 7 PRO 5875U
brand logoRyzen 7 7445HS
brand logoRyzen 9 5900X
brand logoRyzen 9 9955HX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Ryzen 5 2600 vs Ryzen 5 5600 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low183 FPS
medium157 FPS
high127 FPS
ultra102 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low161 FPS
medium130 FPS
high112 FPS
ultra93 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low263 FPS
medium227 FPS
high202 FPS
ultra162 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low508 FPS
medium419 FPS
high351 FPS
ultra310 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low329 FPS
medium329 FPS
high329 FPS
ultra329 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low539 FPS
medium526 FPS
high483 FPS
ultra414 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low329 FPS
medium329 FPS
high329 FPS
ultra329 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low539 FPS
medium539 FPS
high539 FPS
ultra539 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Apex Legends

Apex Legends

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low263 FPS
medium239 FPS
high218 FPS
ultra195 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low300 FPS
medium279 FPS
high255 FPS
ultra230 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low257 FPS
medium192 FPS
high163 FPS
ultra143 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low267 FPS
medium205 FPS
high173 FPS
ultra150 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low157 FPS
medium138 FPS
high114 FPS
ultra92 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low163 FPS
medium143 FPS
high118 FPS
ultra98 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low300 FPS
medium254 FPS
high214 FPS
ultra185 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low351 FPS
medium299 FPS
high259 FPS
ultra220 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
Ryzen 5 2600
low198 FPS
medium174 FPS
high143 FPS
ultra131 FPS
1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low236 FPS
medium216 FPS
high181 FPS
ultra170 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

Ryzen 5 2600 vs Ryzen 5 5600: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Ryzen 5 2600

2018

Why buy it

    Trade-offs

    • ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • ❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,344 vs 11,077).
    • ❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
    • ❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 66.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

    Ryzen 5 5600

    2022

    Why buy it

    • ✅Better for gaming: +30.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
    • ✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
    • ✅Delivers 63.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 66.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
    • ✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

    Trade-offs

    • ❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

    Quick Answers

    So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 5 2600?
    Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 30.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 74.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 63.9% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.
    Which one is better for gaming?
    If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 30.4% 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 5600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 74.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also has 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 5600 is the better buy right now. Ryzen 5 5600 comes in in basically the same MSRP band at $199 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it still gives you a 30.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 63.9% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 66.1 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
    Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
    Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 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 is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

    Ryzen 5 2600 vs Ryzen 5 5600 Technical Specifications

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

    AMD

    Ryzen 5 2600

    The Ryzen 5 2600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) 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: 3 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,145 points. Launch price was $199.

    AMD

    Ryzen 5 5600

    The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

    ⚡

    Processing Power

    Both the Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 5600 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 2600 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 12% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 2600 uses the Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018) architecture (12 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 2600 scores 13,145 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 48.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 6,344 vs 11,077 (54.3% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,163 vs 2,052, a 55.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 4,893 vs 8,600 (54.9% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 2600 vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

    FeatureRyzen 5 2600Ryzen 5 5600
    Cores / Threads
    6 / 12
    6 / 12
    Boost Clock
    3.9 GHz
    4.4 GHz+13%
    Base Clock
    3.4 GHz
    3.5 GHz+3%
    L3 Cache
    16 MB (total)
    32 MB (total)+100%
    L2 Cache
    3 MB
    512K (per core)+16967%
    Process
    12 nm
    7 nm-42%
    Architecture
    Pinnacle Riege (Zen+) (2018)
    Vermeer (2020−2025)
    PassMark
    13,145
    21,550+64%
    Cinebench R23 Multi
    6,344
    11,077+75%
    Geekbench 6 Single
    1,163
    2,052+76%
    Geekbench 6 Multi
    4,893
    8,600+76%
    🧠

    Memory & Platform

    Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2933 on the Ryzen 5 2600 versus DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5600 — the Ryzen 5 5600 supports 9.1% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 5600 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 20 (Ryzen 5 2600) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) — the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B450,AMD X470,AMD B350,AMD X370 (Ryzen 5 2600) and B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600).

    FeatureRyzen 5 2600Ryzen 5 5600
    Socket
    AM4
    AM4
    PCIe Generation
    PCIe 3.0
    PCIe 4.0+33%
    Max RAM Speed
    DDR4-2933
    DDR4-3200+9%
    Max RAM Capacity
    64 GB
    128 GB+100%
    RAM Channels
    2
    2
    ECC Support
    Yes
    Yes
    PCIe Lanes
    20
    24+20%
    🔧

    Advanced Features

    Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 2600) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 2600 targets General Productivity, Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 2600 rivals Core i5-9400.

    FeatureRyzen 5 2600Ryzen 5 5600
    Integrated GPU
    No
    No
    Unlocked
    Yes
    Yes
    AVX-512
    No
    No
    Virtualization
    Yes
    AMD-V
    Target Use
    General Productivity
    Desktop
    💰

    Value Analysis

    At launch, the Ryzen 5 2600 was priced at $199, while the Ryzen 5 5600 came in at $199. On launch pricing ($199 vs $199), Ryzen 5 5600 was $0 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 2600 delivers 66.1 pts/$ vs 108.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 48.5% better value option.

    FeatureRyzen 5 2600Ryzen 5 5600
    MSRP
    $199
    $199
    Performance per Dollar
    66.1
    108.3+64%
    Release Date
    2018
    2022
    Search Ryzen 5 2600 on AmazonSearch Ryzen 5 5600 on Amazon

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