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

✅+6.4% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen 9 5980HS.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5980HS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HS can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.1% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Ryzen 9 5980HS

2021

Why buy it

✅+6.4% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen 9 5980HS.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.1% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Graphics (8CU), while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5980HS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5980HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 5980HS can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,257 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen 9 5980HS?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 9 5980HS is ahead with a 9.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600 pulls ahead with 6.4% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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 6.4% 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 at an unclear MSRP at $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 6.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 9 5980HS is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 9.1% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 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 9 5980HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	161 FPS	277 FPS
medium	130 FPS	250 FPS
high	112 FPS	210 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	180 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	241 FPS
medium	113 FPS	195 FPS
high	95 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	168 FPS
medium	69 FPS	138 FPS
high	55 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	93 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	508 FPS	506 FPS
medium	419 FPS	464 FPS
high	351 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	342 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	485 FPS
medium	375 FPS	407 FPS
high	323 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	294 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	334 FPS
medium	268 FPS	288 FPS
high	243 FPS	263 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	227 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	539 FPS	506 FPS
medium	526 FPS	506 FPS
high	483 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	506 FPS
medium	434 FPS	506 FPS
high	396 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	463 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	506 FPS
medium	298 FPS	469 FPS
high	255 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	348 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5980HS
1080p
low	539 FPS	506 FPS
medium	539 FPS	506 FPS
high	539 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	506 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	506 FPS
medium	539 FPS	506 FPS
high	539 FPS	506 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	477 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	506 FPS
medium	448 FPS	463 FPS
high	398 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	346 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen 9 5980HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 9 5980HS

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 5980HS

The Ryzen 9 5980HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 20,257 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5980HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5980HS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5980HS — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5980HS (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen 9 5980HS's 20,257 — a 6.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5980HS.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5980HS
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+17%	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-HS (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	21,550+6%	20,257
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600	—

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5980HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — 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 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 16 (Ryzen 9 5980HS) — the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen 9 5980HS
Socket	AM4	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	LPDDR4-4266
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+300%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	No
PCIe Lanes	24+50%	16

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Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 9 5980HS includes integrated graphics (Radeon Graphics (8CU)), while the Ryzen 5 5600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Ryzen 9 5980HS targets Mobile High-End.