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Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen AI Max 385

CPUCPUGPUGPU
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022
Ryzen family
·······
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VS
AMD

Ryzen AI Max 385

8 Cores16 Thrd55 WWMax: 5 GHz2025
Similar parts
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Buy on Amazon

Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen AI Max 385 Performance Spectrum

Ryzen 5 5600
6 / 12
21,550
0.0%
brand logoRyzen 3 8440U
brand logoRyzen 5 4600HS
brand logoRyzen 7 PRO 5875U
brand logoRyzen 7 7445HS
brand logoRyzen 9 5900X
brand logoRyzen 9 9955HX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper 9960X
Ryzen AI Max 385
8 / 16
32,274
+49.8%
brand logoRyzen 7 5800U
brand logoRyzen 5 5600
brand logoRyzen 7 8840HS
brand logoRyzen 7 7840HS
brand logoRyzen 9 7900
brand logoRyzen 9 9950X
brand logoRyzen Threadripper 3990X
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX

About PassMark

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.

Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen AI Max 385 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low161 FPS
medium130 FPS
high112 FPS
ultra93 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low257 FPS
medium234 FPS
high203 FPS
ultra174 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low508 FPS
medium419 FPS
high351 FPS
ultra310 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low592 FPS
medium500 FPS
high391 FPS
ultra346 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low539 FPS
medium526 FPS
high483 FPS
ultra414 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low780 FPS
medium611 FPS
high534 FPS
ultra447 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low539 FPS
medium539 FPS
high539 FPS
ultra539 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low807 FPS
medium807 FPS
high779 FPS
ultra700 FPS
Among Us

Among Us

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low60 FPS
medium60 FPS
high60 FPS
ultra60 FPS
Apex Legends

Apex Legends

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low300 FPS
medium279 FPS
high255 FPS
ultra230 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low300 FPS
medium300 FPS
high300 FPS
ultra300 FPS
ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low267 FPS
medium205 FPS
high173 FPS
ultra150 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low291 FPS
medium222 FPS
high193 FPS
ultra172 FPS
Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low163 FPS
medium143 FPS
high118 FPS
ultra98 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low276 FPS
medium246 FPS
high191 FPS
ultra151 FPS
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low351 FPS
medium299 FPS
high259 FPS
ultra220 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low359 FPS
medium314 FPS
high272 FPS
ultra231 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone

1080P
Ryzen 5 5600
low236 FPS
medium216 FPS
high181 FPS
ultra170 FPS
1080P
Ryzen AI Max 385
low241 FPS
medium221 FPS
high187 FPS
ultra174 FPS
Check FPS with Custom Builds

Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen AI Max 385: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Why buy it

  • ✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max 385 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • ❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 16,500).
  • ❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 385 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • ❌18.2% higher power demand at 65W vs 55W.
  • ❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max 385 moves to FP11 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI Max 385

2025

Why buy it

  • ✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • ✅Draws 55W instead of 65W, a 10W reduction.
  • ✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
  • ✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 8050S, while Ryzen 5 5600 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max 385 better than Ryzen 5 5600?
Yes. Ryzen AI Max 385 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 8.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 49% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 49.8% higher PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.
Which one is better for gaming?
If gaming is the priority, Ryzen AI Max 385 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 8.1% 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 AI Max 385 is the stronger fit. You are getting 49% 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 AI Max 385 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Ryzen AI Max 385 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it still gives you a 8.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Ryzen AI Max 385 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2022), a healthier platform with FP11 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen AI Max 385 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

AMD

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.

AMD

Ryzen AI Max 385

The Ryzen AI Max 385 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 32,274 points. Launch price was $499.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen AI Max 385 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen AI Max 385 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max 385 — a 12.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses Strix Halo (2025) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen AI Max 385's 32,274 — a 39.8% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 385. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 11,077 vs 16,500 (39.3% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 2,800, a 30.8% lead for the Ryzen AI Max 385 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 14,000 (47.8% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 385). Both processors carry 32 MB (total) of L3 cache.

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Ryzen AI Max 385
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock
4.4 GHz
5 GHz+14%
Base Clock
3.5 GHz
3.6 GHz+3%
L3 Cache
32 MB (total)
32 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512K (per core)+51100%
1 MB (per core)
Process
7 nm
4 nm-43%
Architecture
Vermeer (2020−2025)
Strix Halo (2025)
PassMark
21,550
32,274+50%
Cinebench R23 Multi
11,077
16,500+49%
Geekbench 6 Single
2,052
2,800+36%
Geekbench 6 Multi
8,600
14,000+63%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen AI Max 385 uses FP11 (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 Max 385 — the Ryzen AI Max 385 supports 150% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 4 (Ryzen AI Max 385). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 20 (Ryzen AI Max 385) — the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and Strix Halo platform (Ryzen AI Max 385).

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Ryzen AI Max 385
Socket
AM4
FP11
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0
PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
LPDDR5x-8000+150%
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
4+100%
ECC Support
Yes
No
PCIe Lanes
24+20%
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen AI Max 385 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen AI Max 385 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 8050S), while the Ryzen 5 5600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Ryzen AI Max 385 targets High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Ryzen AI Max 385 rivals Core Ultra 9 285H.

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Ryzen AI Max 385
Integrated GPU
No
Yes
IGPU Model
—
Radeon 8050S
Unlocked
Yes
Yes
AVX-512
No
Yes
Virtualization
AMD-V
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop
High-performance AI / Gaming Laptop
💰

Value Analysis

At launch, the Ryzen 5 5600 was priced at $199, while the Ryzen AI Max 385 came in at $0. On launch pricing ($199 vs $0), Ryzen AI Max 385 was $199 cheaper.

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Ryzen AI Max 385
MSRP
$199
$0-100%
Performance per Dollar
108.3
—
Release Date
2022
2025
Search Ryzen 5 5600 on AmazonSearch Ryzen AI Max 385 on Amazon

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