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: +14.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 177.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 39.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

2017

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,570 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.0 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $200 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 177.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 39.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.

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 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,570 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 39.0 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 38.4% 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 14.1% 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, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better fit. You are getting 38.4% 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 $200 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $399 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 177.5% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 39.0 PassMark/$), 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 2017), 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 7 PRO 1700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
1080p
low	161 FPS	185 FPS
medium	130 FPS	160 FPS
high	112 FPS	132 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	105 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	152 FPS
medium	113 FPS	125 FPS
high	95 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	67 FPS
medium	69 FPS	59 FPS
high	55 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	37 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
1080p
low	508 FPS	289 FPS
medium	419 FPS	256 FPS
high	351 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	255 FPS
medium	375 FPS	231 FPS
high	323 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	169 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	185 FPS
medium	268 FPS	172 FPS
high	243 FPS	158 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	125 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
1080p
low	539 FPS	389 FPS
medium	526 FPS	389 FPS
high	483 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	389 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	389 FPS
medium	434 FPS	389 FPS
high	396 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	320 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	364 FPS
medium	298 FPS	295 FPS
high	255 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	214 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
1080p
low	539 FPS	389 FPS
medium	539 FPS	389 FPS
high	539 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	389 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	389 FPS
medium	539 FPS	389 FPS
high	539 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	389 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	389 FPS
medium	448 FPS	389 FPS
high	398 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	323 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X

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 7 PRO 1700X

The Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 June 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 15,570 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 3.8 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X — a 14.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X's 15,570 — a 32.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+16%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+3%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	21,550+38%	15,570
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. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Ryzen 5 5600 supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X debuted at $399. On MSRP ($199 vs $399), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $200 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 39.0 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700X — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 94% better value option.