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 3600

2019

Why buy it

✅+2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅71.4% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 14) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 88.9 vs 120.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8500G moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 8500G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.3% higher average FPS across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 35.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.0 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 740M, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,310 vs 9,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅+2% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅71.4% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 14) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.3% higher average FPS across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $20 less on MSRP ($179 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Delivers 35.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 120.0 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($179 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 740M, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 40 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 88.9 vs 120.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $179 MSRP).
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8500G moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 8500G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,310 vs 9,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8500G better than Ryzen 5 3600?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 5 8500G is ahead with a 7.3% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 3600 pulls ahead with 2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. Ryzen 5 3600 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 3600 is the better fit. You are getting 2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries 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 8500G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 8500G is $20 cheaper on MSRP at $179 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.3% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen 5 3600 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 35.0% better value on MSRP (120.0 vs 88.9 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 5 3600 can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap.

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

Ryzen 5 8500G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019) and a healthier platform with AM5 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 3600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 8500G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	200 FPS	267 FPS
medium	161 FPS	238 FPS
high	135 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	231 FPS
medium	119 FPS	186 FPS
high	96 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	159 FPS
medium	58 FPS	130 FPS
high	46 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	87 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	442 FPS	455 FPS
medium	404 FPS	371 FPS
high	332 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	279 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	394 FPS
medium	359 FPS	338 FPS
high	303 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	248 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	287 FPS
medium	259 FPS	251 FPS
high	230 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	193 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	442 FPS	537 FPS
medium	442 FPS	537 FPS
high	442 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	537 FPS
medium	442 FPS	537 FPS
high	442 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	441 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	497 FPS
medium	361 FPS	418 FPS
high	305 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	293 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
1080p
low	442 FPS	537 FPS
medium	442 FPS	537 FPS
high	442 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	537 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	537 FPS
medium	442 FPS	537 FPS
high	442 FPS	537 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	537 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	537 FPS
medium	442 FPS	519 FPS
high	413 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	393 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen 5 8500G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 5 8500G

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

Ryzen 5 8500G

The Ryzen 5 8500G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,481 points. Launch price was $229.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 5 8500G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8500G — a 17.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses Phoenix2 (2024) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Ryzen 5 8500G's 21,481 — a 19.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,500 vs 9,310 (2% advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,295 vs 2,500, a 63.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,898 vs 10,000 (136.2% advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8500G.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	5 GHz+19%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Phoenix2 (2024)
PassMark	17,685	21,481+21%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,500+2%	9,310
Geekbench 6 Single	1,295	2,500+93%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	10,000+427%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 5 8500G uses AM5 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus DDR5-5200 on the Ryzen 5 8500G — the Ryzen 5 8500G supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 8500G supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 14 (Ryzen 5 8500G) — the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600) and A620,B650,B650E,X670,X670E,B840,B850,X870,X870E (Ryzen 5 8500G).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
Socket	AM4	AM5
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24+71%	14

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 8500G). The Ryzen 5 8500G includes integrated graphics (Radeon 740M), while the Ryzen 5 3600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation, Ryzen 5 8500G targets General Use. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400; Ryzen 5 8500G rivals Core i5-13400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen 5 8500G
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 740M
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	General Use

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 8500G debuted at $179. On MSRP ($199 vs $179), the Ryzen 5 8500G is $20 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 120.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 8500G — making the Ryzen 5 8500G the 29.8% better value option.