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

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $67 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 83.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900HX across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 13,955).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5900HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 5900HX

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.1% higher average FPS across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon RX Vega 8, while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 83.5 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Ryzen 9 5900HX

2021

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $67 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅Delivers 29.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 83.5 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $266 MSRP).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +16.1% higher average FPS across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon RX Vega 8, while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900HX across 24 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 13,955).
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5900HX can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 83.5 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($266 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900HX better than Ryzen 5 5600?

Yes. Ryzen 9 5900HX is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 16.1% average FPS lead across 24 shared CPU game tests in our data, 26% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 3.0% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 5900HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 16.1% more average FPS across 24 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5900HX is the better fit. You are getting 26% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 5900HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 5900HX is 33.7% more expensive on MSRP at $266 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 16.1% average FPS lead across 24 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600 is also 29.8% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 83.5 PassMark/$), 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 5600 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2021) and 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB). 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 5600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900HX Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	161 FPS	189 FPS
medium	130 FPS	156 FPS
high	112 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	160 FPS
medium	113 FPS	129 FPS
high	95 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	88 FPS
medium	69 FPS	77 FPS
high	55 FPS	61 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	47 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	508 FPS	555 FPS
medium	419 FPS	466 FPS
high	351 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	343 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	497 FPS
medium	375 FPS	417 FPS
high	323 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	301 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	342 FPS
medium	268 FPS	295 FPS
high	243 FPS	269 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	232 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	539 FPS	555 FPS
medium	526 FPS	555 FPS
high	483 FPS	555 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	555 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	555 FPS
medium	434 FPS	546 FPS
high	396 FPS	488 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	431 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	477 FPS
medium	298 FPS	404 FPS
high	255 FPS	354 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	288 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
1080p
low	539 FPS	555 FPS
medium	539 FPS	555 FPS
high	539 FPS	555 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	555 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	555 FPS
medium	539 FPS	555 FPS
high	539 FPS	555 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	528 FPS
medium	448 FPS	476 FPS
high	398 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	353 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5900HX

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 9 5900HX

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 9 5900HX

The Ryzen 9 5900HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,198 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900HX offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900HX has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900HX — a 4.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900HX (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900HX uses Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen 9 5900HX's 22,198 — a 3% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900HX. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 11,077 vs 13,955 (23% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900HX). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 1,845, a 10.6% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 7,587 (12.5% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5900HX.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.6 GHz+5%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+6%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Cezanne-H (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	21,550	22,198+3%
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	13,955+26%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052+11%	1,845
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600+13%	7,587

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900HX uses FP6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. 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. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5900HX) — the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and FP6 (Ryzen 9 5900HX).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
Socket	AM4	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+100%	64 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24+50%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 9 5900HX includes integrated graphics (Radeon RX Vega 8), while the Ryzen 5 5600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Ryzen 9 5900HX targets Gaming Laptop / Mobile Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900HX rivals Core i9-11980HK.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5900HX
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon RX Vega 8
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Gaming Laptop / Mobile Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900HX debuted at $266. On MSRP ($199 vs $266), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $67 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 83.5 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900HX — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 25.9% better value option.