Ryzen 9 5900HS vs Xeon E5-2697 v4

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 9 5900HS

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 145W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2697 v4, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads.

Xeon E5-2697 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900HS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,990 vs 21,214).
❌314.3% higher power demand at 145W vs 35W.

Ryzen 9 5900HS

2021

Xeon E5-2697 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.1% higher average FPS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 145W, a 110W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2697 v4, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900HS across 34 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,990 vs 21,214).
❌314.3% higher power demand at 145W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900HS better than Xeon E5-2697 v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2697 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 5900HS 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 9 5900HS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 8.1% more average FPS across 34 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 9 5900HS is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 5900HS still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 9 5900HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 8.1% average FPS lead across 34 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 9 5900HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2016) 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 9 5900HS Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2697 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900HS	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	171 FPS	182 FPS
medium	149 FPS	158 FPS
high	121 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	152 FPS
medium	123 FPS	128 FPS
high	99 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	79 FPS	69 FPS
medium	72 FPS	62 FPS
high	57 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900HS Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900HS	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	411 FPS	364 FPS
medium	351 FPS	330 FPS
high	306 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	270 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	355 FPS	313 FPS
medium	315 FPS	284 FPS
high	280 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	245 FPS	195 FPS
medium	223 FPS	178 FPS
high	211 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	183 FPS	120 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900HS Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900HS	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	530 FPS	525 FPS
medium	530 FPS	525 FPS
high	530 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	525 FPS
1440p
low	530 FPS	525 FPS
medium	465 FPS	525 FPS
high	424 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	359 FPS	525 FPS
4K
low	400 FPS	466 FPS
medium	337 FPS	379 FPS
high	300 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	241 FPS	289 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900HS Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900HS	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	530 FPS	525 FPS
medium	530 FPS	525 FPS
high	530 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	525 FPS
1440p
low	530 FPS	525 FPS
medium	530 FPS	525 FPS
high	530 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	516 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	530 FPS	525 FPS
medium	478 FPS	494 FPS
high	427 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	374 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900HS Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900HS and Xeon E5-2697 v4

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.

Xeon E5-2697 v4

The Xeon E5-2697 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB. L2 cache: 4.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 20,990 points. Launch price was $2,702.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 5900HS packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2697 v4 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2697 v4 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900HS versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2697 v4 — a 24.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900HS (base: 3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900HS uses the Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2697 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900HS scores 21,214 against the Xeon E5-2697 v4's 20,990 — a 1.1% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900HS. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 5900HS vs 45 MB on the Xeon E5-2697 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900HS	Xeon E5-2697 v4
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	18 / 36+125%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+28%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+30%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	45 MB+181%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)	4.5 MB+800%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Cezanne-HS (Zen 3) (2021)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	21,214+1%	20,990

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 5900HS uses the FP6 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2697 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.