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 $2,800 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 477.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 15.4 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 255W, a 190W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-3175X.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-3175X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,500 vs 31,350).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 39 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-3175X, which brings 28 cores / 56 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon W-3175X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (39 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 28 cores / 56 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 15.4 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌292.3% higher power demand at 255W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Xeon W-3175X

2018

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,800 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 477.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 15.4 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 255W, a 190W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon W-3175X.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (39 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 28 cores / 56 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-3175X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (9,500 vs 31,350).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 39 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-3175X, which brings 28 cores / 56 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 15.4 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($2,999 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌292.3% higher power demand at 255W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-3175X better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-3175X 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-3175X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 39.1% 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, Xeon W-3175X is the better fit. You are getting 230% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 28 cores and 56 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 20.3% larger total L3 cache (39 MB vs 32 MB).

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

Xeon W-3175X is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-3175X is 1407.0% more expensive on MSRP at $2,999 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 39.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 477.8% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 15.4 PassMark/$), 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

Xeon W-3175X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-3175X
1080p
low	200 FPS	195 FPS
medium	161 FPS	157 FPS
high	135 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	160 FPS
medium	119 FPS	125 FPS
high	96 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	73 FPS
medium	58 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-3175X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-3175X
1080p
low	442 FPS	443 FPS
medium	404 FPS	387 FPS
high	332 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	260 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	382 FPS
medium	359 FPS	336 FPS
high	303 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	221 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	238 FPS
medium	259 FPS	211 FPS
high	230 FPS	187 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	154 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-3175X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-3175X
1080p
low	442 FPS	1018 FPS
medium	442 FPS	908 FPS
high	442 FPS	877 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	790 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	734 FPS
medium	442 FPS	634 FPS
high	442 FPS	602 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	538 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	469 FPS
medium	361 FPS	369 FPS
high	305 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	270 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-3175X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-3175X
1080p
low	442 FPS	938 FPS
medium	442 FPS	850 FPS
high	442 FPS	735 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	639 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	743 FPS
medium	442 FPS	650 FPS
high	442 FPS	559 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	479 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	536 FPS
medium	442 FPS	476 FPS
high	413 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	363 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon W-3175X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Xeon W-3175X

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-3175X

The Xeon W-3175X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 28 cores and 56 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 38.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 255 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 46,125 points. Launch price was $2,999.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-3175X offers 28 cores / 56 threads — the Xeon W-3175X has 22 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon W-3175X — a 10% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon W-3175X uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Xeon W-3175X's 46,125 — a 89.1% lead for the Xeon W-3175X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 9,500 vs 31,350 (107% advantage for the Xeon W-3175X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,295 vs 1,467, a 12.5% lead for the Xeon W-3175X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,898 vs 17,358 (160.6% advantage for the Xeon W-3175X). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 38.5 MB (total) on the Xeon W-3175X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-3175X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	28 / 56+367%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+11%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+16%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	38.5 MB (total)+20%
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	46,125+161%
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,500	31,350+230%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,295	1,467+13%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,898	17,358+815%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon W-3175X uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon W-3175X supports up to 512 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 6 (Xeon W-3175X). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 48 (Xeon W-3175X) — the Xeon W-3175X 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 C621 (Xeon W-3175X).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon W-3175X
Socket	AM4	LGA3647
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	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	48+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Xeon W-3175X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon W-3175X). 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-3175X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	Yes	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming/Budget Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 3600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon W-3175X debuted at $2999. On MSRP ($199 vs $2999), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $2800 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 15.4 pts/$ for the Xeon W-3175X — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 141% better value option.