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).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,052 vs 2,864).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 22,246).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

2025

Why buy it

✅+39.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 890M, while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

2025

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).
✅50% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+39.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Draws 28W instead of 65W, a 37W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 890M, while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (2,052 vs 2,864).
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 22,246).
❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌132.1% higher power demand at 65W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 better than Ryzen 5 5600?

Yes. Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 100.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 56.0% higher 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 AI 9 HX PRO 375 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.7% 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 AI 9 HX PRO 375 is the better fit. You are getting 100.8% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 2.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 AI 9 HX PRO 375 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 5600 Benchmark Check

Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
1080p
low	161 FPS	245 FPS
medium	130 FPS	230 FPS
high	112 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	216 FPS
medium	113 FPS	184 FPS
high	95 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	150 FPS
medium	69 FPS	128 FPS
high	55 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	86 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
1080p
low	508 FPS	261 FPS
medium	419 FPS	220 FPS
high	351 FPS	194 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	232 FPS
medium	375 FPS	203 FPS
high	323 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	154 FPS
medium	268 FPS	140 FPS
high	243 FPS	135 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	115 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
1080p
low	539 FPS	738 FPS
medium	526 FPS	587 FPS
high	483 FPS	508 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	429 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	661 FPS
medium	434 FPS	533 FPS
high	396 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	388 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	482 FPS
medium	298 FPS	403 FPS
high	255 FPS	359 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	301 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
1080p
low	539 FPS	840 FPS
medium	539 FPS	809 FPS
high	539 FPS	694 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	757 FPS
medium	539 FPS	680 FPS
high	539 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	515 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	518 FPS
medium	448 FPS	473 FPS
high	398 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	369 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375

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 AI 9 HX PRO 375

The Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Point (2024−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 33,619 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 uses Strix Point (2024−2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375's 33,619 — a 43.8% lead for the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 11,077 vs 22,246 (67% advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 2,864, a 33% lead for the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 15,012 (54.3% advantage for the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 16 MB on the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	12 / 24+100%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+75%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+100%	16 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Strix Point (2024−2025)
PassMark	21,550	33,619+56%
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	22,246+101%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052	2,864+40%
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600	15,012+75%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus LPDDR5x-8000 on the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 — the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 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 AI 9 HX PRO 375) — 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 FP8,FP7 (Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
Socket	AM4	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	LPDDR5x-8000+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24+50%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) vs AMD-V, IOMMU (Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375). The Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 890M), while the Ryzen 5 5600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 targets Mobile Workstation / High-end Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 rivals Core i9-14900HX.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Radeon 890M
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V, IOMMU
Target Use	Desktop	Mobile Workstation / High-end Gaming

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 debuted at $0. On MSRP ($199 vs $0), the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 is $199 cheaper.