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

✅+132.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 14 MB).
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 163.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 41.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon W-2150B.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2150B across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 11,463).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2150B, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon W-2150B

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (14 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 41.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Xeon W-2150B

2017

Why buy it

✅+132.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 14 MB).
✅Costs $300 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Delivers 163.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 41.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $499 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon W-2150B.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.5% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 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 Xeon W-2150B across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (11,077 vs 11,463).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2150B, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (14 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 41.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($499 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-2150B better than Ryzen 5 5600?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2150B 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, Xeon W-2150B is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.5% 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, Xeon W-2150B is the better fit. You are getting 3.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads.

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

Xeon W-2150B is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5600 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-2150B is 150.8% more expensive on MSRP at $499 MSRP versus $199 MSRP, and it gives you a 7.5% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5600 is also 163.8% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 41.1 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds 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) and 132.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 14 MB). 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 W-2150B Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
1080p
low	161 FPS	164 FPS
medium	130 FPS	143 FPS
high	112 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	139 FPS
medium	113 FPS	119 FPS
high	95 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	76 FPS
medium	69 FPS	69 FPS
high	55 FPS	55 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	43 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon W-2150B

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
1080p
low	508 FPS	326 FPS
medium	419 FPS	281 FPS
high	351 FPS	260 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	231 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	290 FPS
medium	375 FPS	253 FPS
high	323 FPS	235 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	206 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	228 FPS
medium	268 FPS	202 FPS
high	243 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	163 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon W-2150B

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
1080p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	526 FPS	512 FPS
high	483 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	512 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	434 FPS	512 FPS
high	396 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	508 FPS
medium	298 FPS	426 FPS
high	255 FPS	379 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	312 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon W-2150B

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
1080p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	539 FPS	512 FPS
high	539 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	512 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	512 FPS
medium	539 FPS	512 FPS
high	539 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	512 FPS
medium	448 FPS	512 FPS
high	398 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon W-2150B

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon W-2150B

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 W-2150B

The Xeon W-2150B is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 13.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 20,486 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-2150B offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon W-2150B has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon W-2150B — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2150B (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon W-2150B uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Xeon W-2150B's 20,486 — a 5.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 11,077 vs 11,463 (3.4% advantage for the Xeon W-2150B). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 1,410, a 37.1% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 8,324 (3.3% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 13.75 MB (total) on the Xeon W-2150B.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.5 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+17%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+133%	13.75 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	21,550+5%	20,486
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	11,463+3%
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052+46%	1,410
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600+3%	8,324

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon W-2150B uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon W-2150B supports up to 512 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 4 (Xeon W-2150B). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 48 (Xeon W-2150B) — the Xeon W-2150B offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and C422 (Xeon W-2150B).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
Socket	AM4	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	512 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
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 W-2150B supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon W-2150B). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon W-2150B
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon W-2150B debuted at $499. On MSRP ($199 vs $499), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $300 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 41.1 pts/$ for the Xeon W-2150B — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 90% better value option.