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: +32.0% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 40 MB).
✅Costs $2,342 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $2,891 MSRP).
✅Delivers 848.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 7.5 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $2,891 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 145W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2697A v4, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.

Xeon E5-2697A v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,621 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (40 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($2,891 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌38.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 105W.

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Xeon E5-2697A v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +32.0% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 40 MB).
✅Costs $2,342 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $2,891 MSRP).
✅Delivers 848.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 7.5 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $2,891 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 145W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2697A v4, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (21,621 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (40 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 7.5 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($2,891 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌38.1% higher power demand at 145W vs 105W.

Quick Answers

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

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2697A v4 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 32.0% more average FPS across 49 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 80.2% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 60% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 40 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 $2,342 cheaper on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $2,891 MSRP, and it gives you a 32.0% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 848.8% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 7.5 PassMark/$), 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 2016), 60% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 40 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 16/32. 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 E5-2697A v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
1080p
low	323 FPS	182 FPS
medium	291 FPS	158 FPS
high	243 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	152 FPS
medium	248 FPS	128 FPS
high	192 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	69 FPS
medium	156 FPS	62 FPS
high	115 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	39 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2697A v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
1080p
low	772 FPS	364 FPS
medium	647 FPS	330 FPS
high	508 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	619 FPS	313 FPS
medium	536 FPS	284 FPS
high	443 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	365 FPS	195 FPS
medium	318 FPS	178 FPS
high	289 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	120 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2697A v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
1080p
low	832 FPS	541 FPS
medium	645 FPS	541 FPS
high	558 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	541 FPS
1440p
low	721 FPS	541 FPS
medium	565 FPS	541 FPS
high	488 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	532 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	466 FPS
medium	421 FPS	379 FPS
high	374 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	289 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2697A v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
1080p
low	974 FPS	541 FPS
medium	974 FPS	541 FPS
high	934 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	826 FPS	541 FPS
1440p
low	959 FPS	541 FPS
medium	843 FPS	541 FPS
high	726 FPS	541 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	497 FPS
4K
low	694 FPS	541 FPS
medium	621 FPS	515 FPS
high	541 FPS	455 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	381 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon E5-2697A v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

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

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 E5-2697A v4

The Xeon E5-2697A 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 40 MB. L2 cache: 4 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: 21,621 points. Launch price was $2,891.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 5900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon E5-2697A v4 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon E5-2697A v4 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2697A v4 — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon E5-2697A v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Xeon E5-2697A v4's 21,621 — a 57.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 40 MB on the Xeon E5-2697A v4.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	16 / 32+33%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+33%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+42%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+60%	40 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	4 MB+700%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	38,955+80%	21,621
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,174	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	11,888	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2697A v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	24	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X) / not specified (Xeon E5-2697A v4). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon E5-2697A v4
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	AMD-V	—
Target Use	Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 9 5900X launched at $549 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2697A v4 debuted at $2891. On MSRP ($549 vs $2891), the Ryzen 9 5900X is $2342 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 71.0 pts/$ vs 7.5 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2697A v4 — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 161.9% better value option.