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 8500G

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (14 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 740M, while Ryzen 9 5900HS needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 5900HS.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $179 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5900HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Ryzen 9 5900HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,214 vs 21,481).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8500G moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 8500G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 8500G.

Ryzen 5 8500G

2024

Ryzen 9 5900HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on AM5 with DDR5 support instead of FP6 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (14 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 740M, while Ryzen 9 5900HS needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Ryzen 9 5900HS.

Why buy it

✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $179 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 5900HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8500G across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,214 vs 21,481).
❌Older platform position on FP6 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8500G moves to AM5 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 5 8500G can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 5 8500G.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8500G better than Ryzen 9 5900HS?

Yes. Ryzen 5 8500G is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 3.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 8500G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.6% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 8500G is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Ryzen 5 8500G is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 8500G is at an unclear MSRP at $179 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 3.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (120.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 8500G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021), a healthier platform with AM5 and DDR5 instead of FP6, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. 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 8500G Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 8500G	Ryzen 9 5900HS
1080p
low	267 FPS	171 FPS
medium	238 FPS	149 FPS
high	203 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	146 FPS
medium	186 FPS	123 FPS
high	155 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	83 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	79 FPS
medium	130 FPS	72 FPS
high	100 FPS	57 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	44 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8500G Open Ryzen 9 5900HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 8500G	Ryzen 9 5900HS
1080p
low	455 FPS	411 FPS
medium	371 FPS	351 FPS
high	321 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	270 FPS
1440p
low	394 FPS	355 FPS
medium	338 FPS	315 FPS
high	294 FPS	280 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	239 FPS
4K
low	287 FPS	245 FPS
medium	251 FPS	223 FPS
high	230 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	183 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8500G Open Ryzen 9 5900HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 8500G	Ryzen 9 5900HS
1080p
low	537 FPS	530 FPS
medium	537 FPS	530 FPS
high	537 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	537 FPS	496 FPS
1440p
low	537 FPS	530 FPS
medium	537 FPS	465 FPS
high	517 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	359 FPS
4K
low	497 FPS	400 FPS
medium	418 FPS	337 FPS
high	357 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	293 FPS	241 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8500G Open Ryzen 9 5900HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 8500G	Ryzen 9 5900HS
1080p
low	537 FPS	530 FPS
medium	537 FPS	530 FPS
high	537 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	537 FPS	530 FPS
1440p
low	537 FPS	530 FPS
medium	537 FPS	530 FPS
high	537 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	537 FPS	516 FPS
4K
low	537 FPS	530 FPS
medium	519 FPS	478 FPS
high	462 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	393 FPS	373 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8500G Open Ryzen 9 5900HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 8500G and Ryzen 9 5900HS

Ryzen 5 8500G

The Ryzen 5 8500G is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 8 January 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: AM5. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 21,481 points. Launch price was $229.

Ryzen 9 5900HS

The Ryzen 9 5900HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 January 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,214 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 8500G packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900HS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8500G versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900HS — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8500G (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 8500G uses the Phoenix2 (2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900HS uses Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 8500G scores 21,481 against the Ryzen 9 5900HS's 21,214 — a 1.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 8500G. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen 5 8500G	Ryzen 9 5900HS
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+9%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+17%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512 kB (per core)
Process	4 nm-43%	7 nm
Architecture	Phoenix2 (2024)	Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021)
PassMark	21,481+1%	21,214
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,310	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,500	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 8500G uses the AM5 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900HS uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 8500G	Ryzen 9 5900HS
Socket	AM5	FP6
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5200	—
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	14	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 5 8500G) / not specified (Ryzen 9 5900HS). The Ryzen 5 8500G includes integrated graphics (Radeon 740M), while the Ryzen 9 5900HS requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 8500G targets General Use. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 8500G rivals Core i5-13400.