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

✅+353.1% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $2,290 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,489 MSRP).
✅Delivers 390.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 22.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,489 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 270W, a 205W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon w7-3455.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w7-3455 across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 68 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w7-3455, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 112 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon w7-3455 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon w7-3455

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.2% higher average FPS across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+110.9% larger total L3 cache (68 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 112 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅366.7% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,898 vs 8,600).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($2,489 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌315.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Ryzen 5 5600

2022

Xeon w7-3455

2023

Why buy it

✅+353.1% higher Geekbench multi-core.
✅Costs $2,290 less on MSRP ($199 MSRP vs $2,489 MSRP).
✅Delivers 390.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 108.3 vs 22.1 PassMark/$ ($199 MSRP vs $2,489 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 270W, a 205W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Stealth), unlike Xeon w7-3455.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +33.2% higher average FPS across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+110.9% larger total L3 cache (68 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 24 cores / 48 threads, plus 112 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅366.7% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w7-3455 across 28 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 68 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon w7-3455, which brings 24 cores / 48 threads and 112 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon w7-3455 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (1,898 vs 8,600).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 22.1 vs 108.3 PassMark/$ ($2,489 MSRP vs $199 MSRP).
❌315.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 5600.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600 better than Xeon w7-3455?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon w7-3455 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 353.1% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 6 cores and 12 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 $2,290 cheaper on MSRP at $199 MSRP versus $2,489 MSRP, and it gives you 353.1% better Geekbench multi-core. The trade-off is that Xeon w7-3455 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 33.2% average FPS lead across 28 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 390.7% better value on MSRP (108.3 vs 22.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon w7-3455 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of AM4, 110.9% larger total L3 cache (68 MB vs 32 MB), and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 w7-3455 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
1080p
low	161 FPS	311 FPS
medium	130 FPS	301 FPS
high	112 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	204 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	270 FPS
medium	113 FPS	233 FPS
high	95 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	184 FPS
medium	69 FPS	157 FPS
high	55 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	106 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon w7-3455

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
1080p
low	508 FPS	682 FPS
medium	419 FPS	593 FPS
high	351 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	427 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	551 FPS
medium	375 FPS	489 FPS
high	323 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	277 FPS	341 FPS
4K
low	313 FPS	324 FPS
medium	268 FPS	288 FPS
high	243 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	209 FPS	234 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon w7-3455

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
1080p
low	539 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	526 FPS	1057 FPS
high	483 FPS	974 FPS
ultra	414 FPS	834 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	1002 FPS
medium	434 FPS	888 FPS
high	396 FPS	802 FPS
ultra	339 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	371 FPS	600 FPS
medium	298 FPS	517 FPS
high	255 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	197 FPS	397 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon w7-3455

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
1080p
low	539 FPS	1291 FPS
medium	539 FPS	1015 FPS
high	539 FPS	982 FPS
ultra	539 FPS	850 FPS
1440p
low	539 FPS	1045 FPS
medium	539 FPS	906 FPS
high	539 FPS	782 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	501 FPS	778 FPS
medium	448 FPS	679 FPS
high	398 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5600 Open Xeon w7-3455

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5600 and Xeon w7-3455

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 w7-3455

The Xeon w7-3455 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 67.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 54,925 points. Launch price was $2,489.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5600 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon w7-3455 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon w7-3455 has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon w7-3455 — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Xeon w7-3455 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon w7-3455 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5600 scores 21,550 against the Xeon w7-3455's 54,925 — a 87.3% lead for the Xeon w7-3455. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,052 vs 1,900, a 7.7% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 8,600 vs 1,898 (127.7% advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600 vs 67.5 MB on the Xeon w7-3455.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	24 / 48+300%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz	4.8 GHz+9%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+40%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	67.5 MB+111%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (2020−2025)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	21,550	54,925+155%
Cinebench R23 Multi	11,077	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,052+8%	1,900
Geekbench 6 Multi	8,600+353%	1,898

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5600 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon w7-3455 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5600 versus DDR5-4800 on the Xeon w7-3455 — the Xeon w7-3455 supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon w7-3455 supports up to 4096 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 187.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 8 (Xeon w7-3455). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5600) vs 112 (Xeon w7-3455) — the Xeon w7-3455 offers 88 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: B550,X570,B450,X470,A520 (Ryzen 5 5600) and Intel W790 (Xeon w7-3455).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
Socket	AM4	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-4800+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	4096 GB+3100%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	112+367%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Xeon w7-3455 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600) vs true (Xeon w7-3455). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon w7-3455 rivals Threadripper PRO 7965WX.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5600	Xeon w7-3455
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	true
Target Use	Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at $199 MSRP, while the Xeon w7-3455 debuted at $2489. On MSRP ($199 vs $2489), the Ryzen 5 5600 is $2290 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5600 delivers 108.3 pts/$ vs 22.1 pts/$ for the Xeon w7-3455 — making the Ryzen 5 5600 the 132.3% better value option.