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 $2,413 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Delivers 862.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6138.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6138 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,898 vs 15,439).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6138

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($2,612 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Xeon Gold 6138

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,413 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Delivers 862.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon Gold 6138.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6138 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,898 vs 15,439).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($2,612 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6138 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6138 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 Gold 6138 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.7% more average FPS across 5 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6138 is the better fit. You are getting 713.4% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6138 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6138 is 1212.6% more expensive on MSRP at $2,612 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 17.7% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 862.9% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 9.2 PassMark/$), 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 2017). 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 Gold 6138 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	200 FPS	186 FPS
medium	161 FPS	151 FPS
high	135 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	146 FPS
medium	119 FPS	115 FPS
high	96 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	68 FPS
medium	58 FPS	57 FPS
high	46 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	442 FPS	212 FPS
medium	404 FPS	188 FPS
high	332 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	183 FPS
medium	359 FPS	166 FPS
high	303 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	119 FPS
medium	259 FPS	109 FPS
high	230 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	82 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	442 FPS	603 FPS
medium	442 FPS	603 FPS
high	442 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	603 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	603 FPS
medium	442 FPS	603 FPS
high	442 FPS	573 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	506 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	455 FPS
medium	361 FPS	357 FPS
high	305 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	259 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	442 FPS	603 FPS
medium	442 FPS	603 FPS
high	442 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	563 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	603 FPS
medium	442 FPS	587 FPS
high	442 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	433 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	462 FPS
medium	442 FPS	414 FPS
high	413 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	320 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Xeon Gold 6138

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 Gold 6138

The Xeon Gold 6138 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 24,108 points. Launch price was $2,612.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138 — a 12.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Xeon Gold 6138's 24,108 — a 30.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 6138. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,295 vs 1,261, a 2.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,898 vs 15,439 (156.2% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	20 / 40+233%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+14%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+80%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+16%	27.5 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	20 MB+3900%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	17,685	24,108+36%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,295+3%	1,261
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	15,439+713%

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6138 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6138). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6138) — the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600) and C621 (Xeon Gold 6138).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
Socket	AM4	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	48+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon Gold 6138 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6138). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation, Xeon Gold 6138 targets Server. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon Gold 6138
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	Yes	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6138 debuted at $2612. On MSRP ($199 vs $2612), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $2413 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 9.2 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6138 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 162.4% better value option.