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 5900X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +44.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+42.2% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 45 MB).
✅Costs $951 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 486.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 120W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌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

✅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 9 5900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (10,000 vs 21,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (45 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +44.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+42.2% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 45 MB).
✅Costs $951 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 486.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 120W, a 15W reduction.

Why buy it

✅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

❌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 9 5900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (10,000 vs 21,000).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (45 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X 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 9 5900X 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 5900X is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 44.0% 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 9 5900X is the better fit. You are getting 110% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 42.2% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 45 MB).

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

Ryzen 9 5900X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 9 5900X is $951 cheaper on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 44.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 486.5% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 12.1 PassMark/$), 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 9 5900X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2014), 42.2% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 45 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 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 5900X Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	323 FPS	177 FPS
medium	291 FPS	154 FPS
high	243 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	148 FPS
medium	248 FPS	125 FPS
high	192 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	69 FPS
medium	156 FPS	62 FPS
high	115 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	772 FPS	212 FPS
medium	647 FPS	193 FPS
high	508 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	619 FPS	183 FPS
medium	536 FPS	166 FPS
high	443 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	365 FPS	115 FPS
medium	318 FPS	106 FPS
high	289 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	74 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	832 FPS	454 FPS
medium	645 FPS	454 FPS
high	558 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	721 FPS	454 FPS
medium	565 FPS	454 FPS
high	488 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	443 FPS
medium	421 FPS	360 FPS
high	374 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	272 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	974 FPS	454 FPS
medium	974 FPS	454 FPS
high	934 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	826 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	959 FPS	454 FPS
medium	843 FPS	454 FPS
high	726 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	694 FPS	454 FPS
medium	621 FPS	454 FPS
high	541 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	361 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900X and Xeon E5-2686 V3

Ryzen 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

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 9 5900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — a 31.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Xeon E5-2686 V3's 18,148 — a 72.9% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 21,000 vs 10,000 (71% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,174 vs 1,033, a 71.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 11,888 vs 8,649 (31.5% advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X). L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	18 / 36+50%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+37%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+85%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+42%	45 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	38,955+115%	18,148
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,000+110%	10,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,174+110%	1,033
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,888+37%	8,649

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 5900X 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 9 5900X) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2686 V3). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 9 5900X) 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 9 5900X) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2686 V3).

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	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 9 5900X) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2686 V3). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	Yes
Target Use	Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 5900X launched at $549 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 debuted at $1500. On MSRP ($549 vs $1500), the Ryzen 9 5900X is $951 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 71.0 pts/$ vs 12.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 141.7% better value option.