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

✅Costs $3,916 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1703.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 6.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,550 vs 24,711).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2699 v4, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2699 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+14.7% higher PassMark.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.0 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($4,115 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Xeon E5-2699 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Costs $3,916 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1703.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 6.0 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $4,115 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 145W, a 80W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Why buy it

✅+14.7% higher PassMark.
✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 22 cores / 44 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,550 vs 24,711).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 55 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2699 v4, which brings 22 cores / 44 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.0 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($4,115 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌123.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Xeon E5-2699 v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2699 v4 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, Xeon E5-2699 v4 is the better fit. You are getting 14.7% better PassMark, backed by 22 cores and 44 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 71.9% larger total L3 cache (55 MB vs 32 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 $3,916 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $4,115 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-2699 v4 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 14.7% better PassMark. It is also 1703.3% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 6.0 PassMark/$), 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 2016). 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

Xeon E5-2699 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	161 FPS	187 FPS
medium	130 FPS	164 FPS
high	112 FPS	131 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	104 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	154 FPS
medium	113 FPS	130 FPS
high	95 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	70 FPS
medium	69 FPS	62 FPS
high	55 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	508 FPS	211 FPS
medium	419 FPS	192 FPS
high	351 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	182 FPS
medium	375 FPS	165 FPS
high	323 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	115 FPS
medium	268 FPS	105 FPS
high	243 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	74 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	539 FPS	618 FPS
medium	526 FPS	618 FPS
high	483 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	618 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	618 FPS
medium	434 FPS	618 FPS
high	396 FPS	590 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	532 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	469 FPS
medium	298 FPS	382 FPS
high	255 FPS	347 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	289 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
1080p
low	539 FPS	618 FPS
medium	539 FPS	618 FPS
high	539 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	614 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	618 FPS
medium	539 FPS	618 FPS
high	539 FPS	572 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	484 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	551 FPS
medium	448 FPS	493 FPS
high	398 FPS	436 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	373 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon E5-2699 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon E5-2699 v4

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 E5-2699 v4

The Xeon E5-2699 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 22 cores and 44 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 55 MB. L2 cache: 5.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 24,711 points. Launch price was $4,115.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 offers 22 cores / 44 threads — the Xeon E5-2699 v4 has 16 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — a 20% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Xeon E5-2699 v4's 24,711 — a 13.7% lead for the Xeon E5-2699 v4. L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 55 MB on the Xeon E5-2699 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	22 / 44+267%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+22%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+59%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	55 MB+72%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	5.5 MB+1000%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	21,550	24,711+15%
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 2400 on the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — the Xeon E5-2699 v4 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2699 v4 supports up to 1536 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2699 v4). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2699 v4) — the Xeon E5-2699 v4 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and C612 (Xeon E5-2699 v4).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	2400+59900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+8738033%	1536
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	40+67%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 5600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2699 v4). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon E5-2699 v4 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon E5-2699 v4
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2699 v4 debuted at $4115. On MSRP ($199 vs $4115), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $3916 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 6.0 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2699 v4 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 179% better value option.