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 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,201 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 635.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+40.6% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (10,000 vs 14,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +25.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $1,201 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 635.6% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 120W, a 55W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+40.6% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 32 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (32 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 5700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (10,000 vs 14,000).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌84.6% higher power demand at 120W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 5700X better than Xeon E5-2686 V3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2686 V3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 5700X 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, Ryzen 7 5700X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 25.3% 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 7 5700X is the better fit. You are getting 40% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 7 5700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 5700X is $1,201 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 25.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 635.6% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 12.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 7 5700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 18/36. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 7 5700X Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	156 FPS	177 FPS
medium	129 FPS	154 FPS
high	115 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	137 FPS	148 FPS
medium	111 FPS	125 FPS
high	95 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	69 FPS
medium	67 FPS	62 FPS
high	55 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	649 FPS	212 FPS
medium	549 FPS	193 FPS
high	448 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	552 FPS	183 FPS
medium	484 FPS	166 FPS
high	407 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	350 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	115 FPS
medium	303 FPS	106 FPS
high	277 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	74 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	665 FPS	454 FPS
medium	557 FPS	454 FPS
high	509 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	454 FPS
medium	458 FPS	454 FPS
high	419 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	402 FPS	443 FPS
medium	322 FPS	360 FPS
high	292 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	272 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	665 FPS	454 FPS
medium	665 FPS	454 FPS
high	665 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	665 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	665 FPS	454 FPS
medium	665 FPS	454 FPS
high	607 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	533 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	545 FPS	454 FPS
medium	488 FPS	454 FPS
high	439 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	361 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 5700X and Xeon E5-2686 V3

Ryzen 7 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 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: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E5-2686 V3

The Xeon E5-2686 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 18,148 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 5700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — a 27.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 5700X scores 26,609 against the Xeon E5-2686 V3's 18,148 — a 37.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 14,000 vs 10,000 (33.3% advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,116 vs 1,033, a 68.8% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,715 vs 8,649 (11.6% advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	18 / 36+125%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+31%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+70%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)	45 MB (total)+41%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	7 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	26,609+47%	18,148
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,000+40%	10,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,116+105%	1,033
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,715+12%	8,649

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2686 V3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 5700X) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2686 V3). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 5700X) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2686 V3) — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 7 5700X) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2686 V3).

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Socket	AM4	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	40+67%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2686 V3). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	Yes
Target Use	Gaming	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 5700X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 debuted at $1500. On MSRP ($299 vs $1500), the Ryzen 7 5700X is $1201 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 7 5700X delivers 89.0 pts/$ vs 12.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — making the Ryzen 7 5700X the 152.1% better value option.