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

✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 11 MB).
✅Costs $914 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Delivers 448.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 16.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-2145.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2145 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 18,024).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2145, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon W-2145

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (11 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.2 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($1,113 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Xeon W-2145

2017

Why buy it

✅+190.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 11 MB).
✅Costs $914 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Delivers 448.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 16.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $1,113 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-2145.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 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 W-2145 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 18,024).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2145, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (11 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.2 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($1,113 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-2145 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2145 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 W-2145 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.2% 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 W-2145 is the better fit. You are getting 1.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon W-2145 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-2145 is 459.3% more expensive on MSRP at $1,113 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 448.8% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 16.2 PassMark/$), 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) and 190.9% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 11 MB). 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 W-2145 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	200 FPS	196 FPS
medium	161 FPS	168 FPS
high	135 FPS	136 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	165 FPS
medium	119 FPS	139 FPS
high	96 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	80 FPS
medium	58 FPS	72 FPS
high	46 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-2145

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	442 FPS	330 FPS
medium	404 FPS	285 FPS
high	332 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	294 FPS
medium	359 FPS	256 FPS
high	303 FPS	238 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	208 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	231 FPS
medium	259 FPS	204 FPS
high	230 FPS	193 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	165 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-2145

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	442 FPS	451 FPS
medium	442 FPS	451 FPS
high	442 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	451 FPS
medium	442 FPS	451 FPS
high	442 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	451 FPS
medium	361 FPS	424 FPS
high	305 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	308 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-2145

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
1080p
low	442 FPS	451 FPS
medium	442 FPS	451 FPS
high	442 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	451 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	451 FPS
medium	442 FPS	451 FPS
high	442 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	451 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	451 FPS
medium	442 FPS	451 FPS
high	413 FPS	451 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-2145

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Xeon W-2145

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 W-2145

The Xeon W-2145 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 18,024 points. Launch price was $1,113.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-2145 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon W-2145 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon W-2145 — a 6.9% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2145 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon W-2145 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Xeon W-2145's 18,024 — a 1.9% lead for the Xeon W-2145. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 11 MB (total) on the Xeon W-2145.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.5 GHz+7%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+191%	11 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	17,685	18,024+2%
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 W-2145 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon W-2145 supports up to 512 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 4 (Xeon W-2145). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 48 (Xeon W-2145) — the Xeon W-2145 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600) and Intel X299,Intel C422 (Xeon W-2145).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	512 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	48+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) / not specified (Xeon W-2145). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-2145
Integrated GPU	No	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 Xeon W-2145 debuted at $1113. On MSRP ($199 vs $1113), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $914 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 16.2 pts/$ for the Xeon W-2145 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 138.3% better value option.