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 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $240 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 106.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 58.7 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3800XT across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 23,441).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 7 3800XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.3% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.7 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Ryzen 7 3800XT

2020

Why buy it

✅Costs $240 less on MSRP ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Delivers 106.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 121.5 vs 58.7 PassMark/$ ($159 MSRP vs $399 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +19.3% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3800XT across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 23,441).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 32 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 58.7 vs 121.5 PassMark/$ ($399 MSRP vs $159 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3800XT better than Ryzen 5 5500?

Yes. Ryzen 7 3800XT is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 19.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data and 21.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 3800XT is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 19.3% 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, Ryzen 7 3800XT is the better fit. You are getting 21.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 3800XT is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 3800XT is 150.9% more expensive on MSRP at $399 MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and it gives you a 19.3% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5500 is also 106.7% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 58.7 PassMark/$), 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 5500 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2020). 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 5500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 3800XT Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	181 FPS	172 FPS
medium	150 FPS	145 FPS
high	120 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	106 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	147 FPS
medium	124 FPS	119 FPS
high	98 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	82 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	82 FPS
medium	61 FPS	72 FPS
high	48 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	45 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	329 FPS	586 FPS
medium	285 FPS	502 FPS
high	254 FPS	387 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	341 FPS
1440p
low	291 FPS	507 FPS
medium	258 FPS	439 FPS
high	233 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	296 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	315 FPS
medium	206 FPS	275 FPS
high	189 FPS	240 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	207 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	483 FPS	586 FPS
medium	483 FPS	586 FPS
high	483 FPS	554 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	459 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	586 FPS
medium	411 FPS	562 FPS
high	361 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	405 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	504 FPS
medium	285 FPS	414 FPS
high	248 FPS	367 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	301 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
1080p
low	483 FPS	586 FPS
medium	483 FPS	586 FPS
high	483 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	483 FPS	586 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	586 FPS
medium	483 FPS	586 FPS
high	483 FPS	586 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	547 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	570 FPS
medium	404 FPS	510 FPS
high	360 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	398 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 7 3800XT

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5500 and Ryzen 7 3800XT

Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. 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: 19,311 points. Launch price was $159.

Ryzen 7 3800XT

The Ryzen 7 3800XT is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 23,441 points. Launch price was $399.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3800XT offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 3800XT has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3800XT — a 11.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3800XT (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3800XT uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,311 against the Ryzen 7 3800XT's 23,441 — a 19.3% lead for the Ryzen 7 3800XT. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3800XT.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.7 GHz+12%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	16 MB	32 MB+100%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
Process	7 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Cezanne (2021−2025)	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark	19,311	23,441+21%

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the AM4 socket with PCIe 3.0. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 24 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
Socket	AM4	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support AMD-V virtualization. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500 targets Desktop, Ryzen 7 3800XT targets Desktop.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 7 3800XT
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	AMD-V
Target Use	Desktop	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 5 5500 launched at $159 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3800XT debuted at $399. On MSRP ($159 vs $399), the Ryzen 5 5500 is $240 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 5 5500 delivers 121.5 pts/$ vs 58.7 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3800XT — making the Ryzen 5 5500 the 69.6% better value option.