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 $3,916 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1379.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 6.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2699 v4 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 24,711).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2699 v4, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2699 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.0 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($4,115 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Xeon E5-2699 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,916 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1379.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 6.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2699 v4 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 24,711).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2699 v4, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.0 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($4,115 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2699 v4 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2699 v4 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, Xeon E5-2699 v4 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.4% 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, Xeon E5-2699 v4 is the better fit. You are getting 39.7% better PassMark, backed by 22 cores and 44 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2699 v4 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E5-2699 v4 is 1967.8% more expensive on MSRP at $4,115 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 1379.9% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 6.0 PassMark/$), 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 5 3600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2016). 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

Xeon E5-2699 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	200 FPS	187 FPS
medium	161 FPS	164 FPS
high	135 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	154 FPS
medium	119 FPS	130 FPS
high	96 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	70 FPS
medium	58 FPS	62 FPS
high	46 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	442 FPS	211 FPS
medium	404 FPS	192 FPS
high	332 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	182 FPS
medium	359 FPS	165 FPS
high	303 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	115 FPS
medium	259 FPS	105 FPS
high	230 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	74 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	442 FPS	618 FPS
medium	442 FPS	618 FPS
high	442 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	618 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	618 FPS
medium	442 FPS	618 FPS
high	442 FPS	590 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	532 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	469 FPS
medium	361 FPS	382 FPS
high	305 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	289 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	442 FPS	618 FPS
medium	442 FPS	618 FPS
high	442 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	618 FPS
medium	442 FPS	618 FPS
high	442 FPS	572 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	484 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	551 FPS
medium	442 FPS	493 FPS
high	413 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	373 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Xeon E5-2699 v4

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.

Xeon E5-2699 v4

The Xeon E5-2699 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 22 cores and 44 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 55 MB. L2 cache: 5.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 24,711 points. Launch price was $4,115.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 offers 22 cores / 44 threads — the Xeon E5-2699 v4 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Xeon E5-2699 v4's 24,711 — a 33.1% lead for the Xeon E5-2699 v4. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 55 MB on the Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	22 / 44+267%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+17%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+64%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	55 MB+72%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	5.5 MB+1000%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	17,685	24,711+40%
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 Xeon E5-2699 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 2400 on the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — the Xeon E5-2699 v4 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2699 v4 supports up to 1536 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2699 v4). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2699 v4) — the Xeon E5-2699 v4 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600) and C612 (Xeon E5-2699 v4).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	2400+59900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+8738033%	1536
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	40+67%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2699 v4). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400; Xeon E5-2699 v4 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	Yes	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 debuted at $4115. On MSRP ($199 vs $4115), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $3916 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 6.0 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 174.7% better value option.