Ryzen 5 5600 vs Xeon E-2386G

AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Popular choices:

VS
Intel

Xeon E-2386G

6 Cores12 Thrd95 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2021

Popular choices:

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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.

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

  • +10.7% higher PassMark.
  • +166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
  • Draws 65W instead of 95W, a 30W reduction.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon E-2386G.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2386G across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Xeon E-2386G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E-2386G

2021

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +4.2% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (19,468 vs 21,550).
  • Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).
  • 46.2% higher power demand at 95W vs 65W.
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Xeon E-2386G?
Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2386G 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 5 5600 is the better fit. You are getting 10.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 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 $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 10.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E-2386G is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.2% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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), 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. 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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low161 FPS295 FPS
medium130 FPS260 FPS
high112 FPS218 FPS
ultra93 FPS187 FPS
1440p
low141 FPS242 FPS
medium113 FPS192 FPS
high95 FPS157 FPS
ultra78 FPS138 FPS
4K
low79 FPS167 FPS
medium69 FPS135 FPS
high55 FPS104 FPS
ultra44 FPS91 FPS
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low508 FPS487 FPS
medium419 FPS423 FPS
high351 FPS380 FPS
ultra310 FPS336 FPS
1440p
low447 FPS475 FPS
medium375 FPS386 FPS
high323 FPS348 FPS
ultra277 FPS304 FPS
4K
low313 FPS380 FPS
medium268 FPS314 FPS
high243 FPS293 FPS
ultra209 FPS248 FPS
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low539 FPS487 FPS
medium526 FPS487 FPS
high483 FPS487 FPS
ultra414 FPS487 FPS
1440p
low539 FPS487 FPS
medium434 FPS487 FPS
high396 FPS487 FPS
ultra339 FPS450 FPS
4K
low371 FPS487 FPS
medium298 FPS452 FPS
high255 FPS391 FPS
ultra197 FPS320 FPS
Valorant

Valorant

PresetRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low539 FPS487 FPS
medium539 FPS487 FPS
high539 FPS487 FPS
ultra539 FPS487 FPS
1440p
low539 FPS487 FPS
medium539 FPS487 FPS
high539 FPS487 FPS
ultra493 FPS487 FPS
4K
low501 FPS487 FPS
medium448 FPS487 FPS
high398 FPS487 FPS
ultra349 FPS437 FPS

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon E-2386G

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.

Intel

Xeon E-2386G

The Xeon E-2386G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,468 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon E-2386G share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 5.1 GHz on the Xeon E-2386G — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2386G (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E-2386G uses Rocket Lake-E (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Xeon E-2386G's 19,468 — a 10.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2386G.

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
6 / 12
Boost Clock
4.4 GHz
5.1 GHz+16%
Base Clock
3.5 GHz
3.5 GHz
L3 Cache
32 MB (total)+167%
12 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512K (per core)
512K (per core)
Process
7 nm-50%
14 nm
Architecture
Vermeer (2020−2025)
Rocket Lake-E (2021)
PassMark
21,550+11%
19,468
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 Xeon E-2386G uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
Socket
AM4
LGA1200
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
Yes
PCIe Lanes
24
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) / not specified (Xeon E-2386G). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

FeatureRyzen 5 5600Xeon E-2386G
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop