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 5600

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 79.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,465 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 79.0 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($259 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $60 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅Delivers 37.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 79.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $259 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,465 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 79.0 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($259 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 5.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.9% 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, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better fit. You are getting 5.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600 is $60 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $259 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 37.1% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 79.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 5600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
1080p
low	161 FPS	220 FPS
medium	130 FPS	183 FPS
high	112 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	187 FPS
medium	113 FPS	153 FPS
high	95 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	91 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	89 FPS
medium	69 FPS	79 FPS
high	55 FPS	62 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	48 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
1080p
low	508 FPS	392 FPS
medium	419 FPS	324 FPS
high	351 FPS	289 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	249 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	348 FPS
medium	375 FPS	296 FPS
high	323 FPS	269 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	227 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	268 FPS
medium	268 FPS	233 FPS
high	243 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	180 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
1080p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	526 FPS	512 FPS
high	483 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	423 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	434 FPS	420 FPS
high	396 FPS	378 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	346 FPS
medium	298 FPS	296 FPS
high	255 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	198 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
1080p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	539 FPS	512 FPS
high	539 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	512 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	539 FPS	512 FPS
high	539 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	512 FPS
medium	448 FPS	459 FPS
high	398 FPS	403 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	349 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). 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: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G

The Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 June 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 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: 20,465 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G uses Cezanne (2021−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G's 20,465 — a 5.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Cezanne (2021−2025)
PassMark	21,550+5%	20,465
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 4.0.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) / not specified (Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G debuted at $259. On MSRP ($199 vs $259), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $60 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 79.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 PRO 5650G — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 31.3% better value option.