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 $990 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $1,189 MSRP).
✅Delivers 192.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 30.4 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $1,189 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 270W, a 205W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon w5-3425.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w5-3425 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 36,178).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w5-3425, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 112 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon w5-3425 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon w5-3425

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +51.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 112 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅366.7% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 30.4 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($1,189 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌315.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Ryzen 5 3600

2019

Xeon w5-3425

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $990 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $1,189 MSRP).
✅Delivers 192.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 88.9 vs 30.4 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $1,189 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 270W, a 205W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon w5-3425.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +51.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 112 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅366.7% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w5-3425 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,685 vs 36,178).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w5-3425, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 112 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon w5-3425 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 30.4 vs 88.9 PassMark/$ ($1,189 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌315.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 3600.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon w5-3425 better than Ryzen 5 3600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon w5-3425 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 w5-3425 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 51.1% 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 w5-3425 is the better fit. You are getting 104.6% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Xeon w5-3425 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 3600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon w5-3425 is 497.5% more expensive on MSRP at $1,189 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 51.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 3600 is also 192.1% better value on MSRP (88.9 vs 30.4 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon w5-3425 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2019), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of AM4, more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 6/12, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 w5-3425 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
1080p
low	200 FPS	172 FPS
medium	161 FPS	155 FPS
high	135 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	154 FPS	143 FPS
medium	119 FPS	123 FPS
high	96 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	77 FPS
medium	58 FPS	71 FPS
high	46 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon w5-3425

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
1080p
low	442 FPS	579 FPS
medium	404 FPS	497 FPS
high	332 FPS	417 FPS
ultra	295 FPS	378 FPS
1440p
low	420 FPS	490 FPS
medium	359 FPS	433 FPS
high	303 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	263 FPS	322 FPS
4K
low	297 FPS	303 FPS
medium	259 FPS	269 FPS
high	230 FPS	251 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	219 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon w5-3425

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
1080p
low	442 FPS	898 FPS
medium	442 FPS	812 FPS
high	442 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	691 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	781 FPS
medium	442 FPS	703 FPS
high	442 FPS	667 FPS
ultra	432 FPS	595 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	523 FPS
medium	361 FPS	440 FPS
high	305 FPS	399 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	332 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon w5-3425

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
1080p
low	442 FPS	904 FPS
medium	442 FPS	904 FPS
high	442 FPS	884 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	765 FPS
1440p
low	442 FPS	904 FPS
medium	442 FPS	847 FPS
high	442 FPS	727 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	619 FPS
4K
low	442 FPS	683 FPS
medium	442 FPS	604 FPS
high	413 FPS	534 FPS
ultra	357 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3600 Open Xeon w5-3425

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3600 and Xeon w5-3425

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 w5-3425

The Xeon w5-3425 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 36,178 points. Launch price was $1,189.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 3600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon w5-3425 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon w5-3425 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus 4.6 GHz on the Xeon w5-3425 — a 9.1% clock advantage for the Xeon w5-3425 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3600 uses the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon w5-3425 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3600 scores 17,685 against the Xeon w5-3425's 36,178 — a 68.7% lead for the Xeon w5-3425. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600 vs 30 MB on the Xeon w5-3425.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.6 GHz+10%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+7%	30 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Matisse (2019−2020)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	17,685	36,178+105%
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 w5-3425 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 3600 versus DDR5-4800 on the Xeon w5-3425 — the Xeon w5-3425 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon w5-3425 supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 8 (Xeon w5-3425). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 3600) vs 112 (Xeon w5-3425) — the Xeon w5-3425 offers 88 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD B550,AMD X570,AMD B450,AMD X470 (Ryzen 5 3600) and W790 (Xeon w5-3425).

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
Socket	AM4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	4096 GB+3100%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	112+367%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 3600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon w5-3425 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: Yes (Ryzen 5 3600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon w5-3425). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3600	Xeon w5-3425
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	No
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 w5-3425 debuted at $1189. On MSRP ($199 vs $1189), the Ryzen 5 3600 is $990 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 3600 delivers 88.9 pts/$ vs 30.4 pts/$ for the Xeon w5-3425 — making the Ryzen 5 3600 the 98% better value option.