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

✅Costs $450 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 129.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 38.7 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 2920X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 2920X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 25,148).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2920X, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.7 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($649 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $450 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Delivers 129.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 38.7 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $649 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 2920X.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Threadripper 2920X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 25,148).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 2920X, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.7 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($649 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Threadripper 2920X better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 2920X makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 3600 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 21.5% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is the better fit. You are getting 42.2% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is 226.1% more expensive on MSRP at $649 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 21.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 129.3% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 38.7 PassMark/$), 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 5 3600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2018). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 Threadripper 2920X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	200 FPS	192 FPS
medium	161 FPS	168 FPS
high	135 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	112 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	155 FPS
medium	119 FPS	129 FPS
high	96 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	84 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	78 FPS
medium	58 FPS	70 FPS
high	46 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	43 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	442 FPS	485 FPS
medium	404 FPS	433 FPS
high	332 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	328 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	429 FPS
medium	359 FPS	388 FPS
high	303 FPS	332 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	286 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	276 FPS
medium	259 FPS	248 FPS
high	230 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	198 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	442 FPS	629 FPS
medium	442 FPS	626 FPS
high	442 FPS	566 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	495 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	629 FPS
medium	442 FPS	522 FPS
high	442 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	399 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	460 FPS
medium	361 FPS	369 FPS
high	305 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	274 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
1080p
low	442 FPS	629 FPS
medium	442 FPS	629 FPS
high	442 FPS	629 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	626 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	629 FPS
medium	442 FPS	629 FPS
high	442 FPS	563 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	492 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	503 FPS
medium	442 FPS	463 FPS
high	413 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	361 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

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 Threadripper 2920X

The Ryzen Threadripper 2920X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the ZEN+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 25,148 points. Launch price was $649.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X (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 Threadripper 2920X uses ZEN+ (2018−2019) (12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X's 25,148 — a 34.8% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.3 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+3%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	32 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-42%	12 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	ZEN+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	17,685	25,148+42%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,295	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Socket	AM4	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) / not specified (Ryzen Threadripper 2920X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	Yes	—
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X debuted at $649. On MSRP ($199 vs $649), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $450 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 38.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 2920X — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 78.5% better value option.