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

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 35,133).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 moves to FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 890M, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

2024

Why buy it

✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Why buy it

✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 890M, while Ryzen 5 3600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 35,133).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 moves to FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Yes. Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.1% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data, 98.7% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.1% more average FPS across 40 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is the better fit. You are getting 98.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.1% average FPS lead across 40 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 AI 9 HX 370 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 6/12. 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 AI 9 HX 370 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
1080p
low	200 FPS	246 FPS
medium	161 FPS	231 FPS
high	135 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	166 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	216 FPS
medium	119 FPS	184 FPS
high	96 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	150 FPS
medium	58 FPS	128 FPS
high	46 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	86 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
1080p
low	442 FPS	351 FPS
medium	404 FPS	298 FPS
high	332 FPS	254 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	230 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	304 FPS
medium	359 FPS	268 FPS
high	303 FPS	229 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	196 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	179 FPS
medium	259 FPS	162 FPS
high	230 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	135 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
1080p
low	442 FPS	758 FPS
medium	442 FPS	602 FPS
high	442 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	443 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	677 FPS
medium	442 FPS	545 FPS
high	442 FPS	469 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	400 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	491 FPS
medium	361 FPS	410 FPS
high	305 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	309 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
1080p
low	442 FPS	878 FPS
medium	442 FPS	811 FPS
high	442 FPS	695 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	627 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	759 FPS
medium	442 FPS	680 FPS
high	442 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	515 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	519 FPS
medium	442 FPS	473 FPS
high	413 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	369 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen AI 9 HX 370

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 AI 9 HX 370

The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Julho 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Strix Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 35,133 points. Launch price was $499.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 — a 19.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses Strix Point (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370's 35,133 — a 66.1% lead for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 24 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	5.1 GHz+21%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+33%	24 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Strix Point (2024−2025)
PassMark	17,685	35,133+99%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,295	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	—

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 7500 on the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 — the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports 199.8% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports up to 256 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 16 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) — the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600) and FP8 (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
Socket	AM4	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	7500+187400%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+52428700%	256
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	No
PCIe Lanes	24+50%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs AMD-V, SVM (Ryzen AI 9 HX 370). The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 890M), while the Ryzen 5 3600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400; Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 rivals Core Ultra 9 185H.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	AMD Radeon 890M
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	Yes	AMD-V, SVM
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($199 vs $0), the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is $199 cheaper.