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 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $4,262 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $4,421 MSRP).
✅Delivers 433.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 22.8 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $4,421 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 300W, a 235W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6741P across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 100,660).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6741P, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 136 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon 6741P moves to LGA4710 and DDR5.

Xeon 6741P

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 136 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4710 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅466.7% more PCIe lanes (136 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.8 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($4,421 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌361.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Xeon 6741P

2025

Why buy it

✅Costs $4,262 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $4,421 MSRP).
✅Delivers 433.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 22.8 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $4,421 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 300W, a 235W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +31.9% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 48 cores / 96 threads, plus 136 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4710 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅466.7% more PCIe lanes (136 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6741P across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 100,660).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6741P, which brings 48 cores / 96 threads and 136 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon 6741P moves to LGA4710 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.8 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($4,421 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌361.5% higher power demand at 300W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6741P better than Ryzen 5 5500?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon 6741P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 5500 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 6741P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 31.9% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 288 MB vs 16 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6741P is the better fit. You are getting 421.3% better PassMark, backed by 48 cores and 96 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 1700% larger total L3 cache (288 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Xeon 6741P is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon 6741P is 2680.5% more expensive on MSRP at $4,421 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and it gives you a 31.9% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5500 is also 433.4% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 22.8 PassMark/$), 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 6741P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), a healthier platform with LGA4710 and DDR5 instead of AM4, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 288 MB L3 cache instead of 16 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 48 cores / 96 threads instead of 6/12. 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 5500 Benchmark Check

Xeon 6741P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
1080p
low	181 FPS	187 FPS
medium	150 FPS	165 FPS
high	120 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	155 FPS
medium	124 FPS	131 FPS
high	98 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	70 FPS
medium	61 FPS	63 FPS
high	48 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	40 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon 6741P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
1080p
low	329 FPS	520 FPS
medium	285 FPS	460 FPS
high	254 FPS	376 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	309 FPS
1440p
low	291 FPS	425 FPS
medium	258 FPS	383 FPS
high	233 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	256 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	262 FPS
medium	206 FPS	239 FPS
high	189 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	176 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon 6741P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
1080p
low	483 FPS	849 FPS
medium	483 FPS	768 FPS
high	483 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	641 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	737 FPS
medium	411 FPS	662 FPS
high	361 FPS	626 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	558 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	493 FPS
medium	285 FPS	402 FPS
high	248 FPS	364 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	303 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon 6741P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
1080p
low	483 FPS	978 FPS
medium	483 FPS	883 FPS
high	483 FPS	763 FPS
ultra	483 FPS	659 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	800 FPS
medium	483 FPS	698 FPS
high	483 FPS	601 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	514 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	574 FPS
medium	404 FPS	516 FPS
high	360 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	395 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Xeon 6741P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5500 and Xeon 6741P

Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,311 points. Launch price was $159.

Xeon 6741P

The Xeon 6741P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 48 cores and 96 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 288 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 300 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 100,660 points. Launch price was $4,421.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon 6741P offers 48 cores / 96 threads — the Xeon 6741P has 42 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon 6741P — a 10% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5500 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon 6741P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,311 against the Xeon 6741P's 100,660 — a 135.6% lead for the Xeon 6741P. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500 vs 288 MB (total) on the Xeon 6741P.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	48 / 96+700%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+11%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+44%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB	288 MB (total)+1700%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm	Intel 3 nm-57%
Architecture	Cezanne (2021−2025)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	19,311	100,660+421%
Geekbench 6 Single	—	3,195

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon 6741P uses LGA4710 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus DDR5-6400 on the Xeon 6741P — the Xeon 6741P supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 5 5500 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 4 TB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5500) vs 8 (Xeon 6741P). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5500) vs 136 (Xeon 6741P) — the Xeon 6741P offers 112 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
Socket	AM4	LGA4710
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	4 TB+3100%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	136+467%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5500) vs VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT (Xeon 6741P). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500 targets Desktop, Xeon 6741P targets Data Center. Direct competitor: Xeon 6741P rivals EPYC 9555.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Xeon 6741P
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, VT-x EPT
Target Use	Desktop	Data Center

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5500 launched at $159 MSRP, while the Xeon 6741P debuted at $4421. On MSRP ($159 vs $4421), the Ryzen 5 5500 is $4262 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5500 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 22.8 pts/$ for the Xeon 6741P — making the Ryzen 5 5500 the 136.9% better value option.