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

✅+4.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $800 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 390.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 22.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 18,780).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

2017

Why buy it

✅+69.5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,961 vs 2,052).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

2017

Why buy it

✅+4.6% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $800 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Delivers 390.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 22.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $999 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 180W, a 115W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Why buy it

✅+69.5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅166.7% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 18,780).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Ryzen Threadripper 1950, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,961 vs 2,052).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($999 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌176.9% higher power demand at 180W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Ryzen Threadripper 1950?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Ryzen Threadripper 1950 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 5600 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is the better fit. You are getting 69.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 5600 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600 is $800 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $999 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.5% average FPS lead across 9 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 69.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. It is also 390.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 22.1 PassMark/$), 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). 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 Threadripper 1950 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	161 FPS	173 FPS
medium	130 FPS	153 FPS
high	112 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	99 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	139 FPS
medium	113 FPS	117 FPS
high	95 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	65 FPS
medium	69 FPS	59 FPS
high	55 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	508 FPS	336 FPS
medium	419 FPS	304 FPS
high	351 FPS	261 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	210 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	287 FPS
medium	375 FPS	264 FPS
high	323 FPS	228 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	182 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	184 FPS
medium	268 FPS	169 FPS
high	243 FPS	147 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	115 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	539 FPS	552 FPS
medium	526 FPS	505 FPS
high	483 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	407 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	531 FPS
medium	434 FPS	439 FPS
high	396 FPS	385 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	341 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	401 FPS
medium	298 FPS	318 FPS
high	255 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	234 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
1080p
low	539 FPS	552 FPS
medium	539 FPS	552 FPS
high	539 FPS	552 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	487 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	552 FPS
medium	539 FPS	535 FPS
high	539 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	391 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	416 FPS
medium	448 FPS	382 FPS
high	398 FPS	343 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	295 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Ryzen Threadripper 1950

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen Threadripper 1950

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 Threadripper 1950

The Ryzen Threadripper 1950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 29 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: SP3r2. Thermal design power (TDP): 180 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,077 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 3.2 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 — a 31.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 uses Zen (2017−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Ryzen Threadripper 1950's 22,077 — a 2.4% lead for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 11,077 vs 18,780 (51.6% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 1,961, a 4.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 10,100 (16% advantage for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen Threadripper 1950.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	16 / 32+167%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+38%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+9%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	32 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Zen (2017−2020)
PassMark	21,550	22,077+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	18,780+70%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052+5%	1,961
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600	10,100+17%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 uses SP3r2 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 4 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 64 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950) — the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 offers 40 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and X399 (Ryzen Threadripper 1950).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Socket	AM4	SP3r2
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	64+167%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Ryzen Threadripper 1950 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen Threadripper 1950 rivals Core i9-7960X.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Ryzen Threadripper 1950
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 debuted at $999. On MSRP ($199 vs $999), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $800 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 22.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen Threadripper 1950 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 132.2% better value option.