Ryzen 5 5600 vs Xeon E3-1245 v6

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

✅Better for gaming: +104.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 73W, a 8W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon E3-1245 v6.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1245 v6 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E3-1245 v6

2017

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,711 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Xeon E3-1245 v6

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +104.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 73W, a 8W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon E3-1245 v6.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $199 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1245 v6 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (8,711 vs 21,550).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 32 MB).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Xeon E3-1245 v6?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E3-1245 v6 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 gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 104.5% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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 147.4% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 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 $199 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 104.5% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 2017), 300% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 8 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 4/8. 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

Xeon E3-1245 v6 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	161 FPS	203 FPS
medium	130 FPS	158 FPS
high	112 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	170 FPS
medium	113 FPS	131 FPS
high	95 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	71 FPS
medium	69 FPS	58 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	508 FPS	218 FPS
medium	419 FPS	216 FPS
high	351 FPS	197 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	169 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	218 FPS
medium	375 FPS	193 FPS
high	323 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	151 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	182 FPS
medium	268 FPS	158 FPS
high	243 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	111 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	539 FPS	218 FPS
medium	526 FPS	218 FPS
high	483 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	218 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	218 FPS
medium	434 FPS	218 FPS
high	396 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	218 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	218 FPS
medium	298 FPS	218 FPS
high	255 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	218 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E3-1245 v6
1080p
low	539 FPS	218 FPS
medium	539 FPS	218 FPS
high	539 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	218 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	218 FPS
medium	539 FPS	218 FPS
high	539 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	218 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	218 FPS
medium	448 FPS	218 FPS
high	398 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	218 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E3-1245 v6

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon E3-1245 v6

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.

Xeon E3-1245 v6

The Xeon E3-1245 v6 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 8,711 points. Launch price was $284.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E3-1245 v6 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon E3-1245 v6 — a 7.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E3-1245 v6 uses Kaby Lake (2016−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Xeon E3-1245 v6's 8,711 — a 84.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 8 MB on the Xeon E3-1245 v6.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E3-1245 v6
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+7%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+300%	8 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB+100%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
PassMark	21,550+147%	8,711
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 E3-1245 v6 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.