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: +13.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,413 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1073.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon Gold 6138.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (8,600 vs 15,439).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 6138

2017

Why buy it

✅+79.5% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($2,612 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Xeon Gold 6138

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,413 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1073.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon Gold 6138.

Why buy it

✅+79.5% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (8,600 vs 15,439).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($2,612 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Xeon Gold 6138?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6138 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 Gold 6138 is the better fit. You are getting 79.5% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 40 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 $2,413 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $2,612 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6138 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 79.5% better Geekbench multi-core. It is also 1073.3% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 9.2 PassMark/$), 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

Xeon Gold 6138 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	161 FPS	186 FPS
medium	130 FPS	151 FPS
high	112 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	146 FPS
medium	113 FPS	115 FPS
high	95 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	68 FPS
medium	69 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	508 FPS	212 FPS
medium	419 FPS	188 FPS
high	351 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	183 FPS
medium	375 FPS	166 FPS
high	323 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	119 FPS
medium	268 FPS	109 FPS
high	243 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	82 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	539 FPS	603 FPS
medium	526 FPS	603 FPS
high	483 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	603 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	603 FPS
medium	434 FPS	603 FPS
high	396 FPS	573 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	506 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	455 FPS
medium	298 FPS	357 FPS
high	255 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	259 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	539 FPS	603 FPS
medium	539 FPS	603 FPS
high	539 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	563 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	603 FPS
medium	539 FPS	587 FPS
high	539 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	433 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	462 FPS
medium	448 FPS	414 FPS
high	398 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	320 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon Gold 6138

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon Gold 6138

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 Gold 6138

The Xeon Gold 6138 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 24,108 points. Launch price was $2,612.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138 — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Xeon Gold 6138's 24,108 — a 11.2% lead for the Xeon Gold 6138. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 1,261, a 47.8% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 15,439 (56.9% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	20 / 40+233%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+19%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+75%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+16%	27.5 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	20 MB+3900%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	21,550	24,108+12%
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052+63%	1,261
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600	15,439+80%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6138 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6138). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6138) — the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and C621 (Xeon Gold 6138).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
Socket	AM4	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	48+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 5 5600 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon Gold 6138 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6138). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop, Xeon Gold 6138 targets Server.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon Gold 6138
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6138 debuted at $2612. On MSRP ($199 vs $2612), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $2413 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 9.2 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6138 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 168.6% better value option.