Ryzen 9 5900X vs Xeon W-11855M

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: +49.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 82.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 38.8 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
22% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$450 MSRP
❌200% higher power demand at 105W vs 35W.

Xeon W-11855M

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($450 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 105W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,462 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.8 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($450 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Xeon W-11855M

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +49.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 MB).
✅Delivers 82.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 38.8 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $450 MSRP).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $99 less on MSRP ($450 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Draws 35W instead of 105W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌
22% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$450 MSRP
❌200% higher power demand at 105W vs 35W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (17,462 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 38.8 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($450 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Xeon W-11855M?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-11855M 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 49.8% more average FPS across 4 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 123.1% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 255.6% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 18 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 22.0% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $450 MSRP, and it gives you a 49.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 82.9% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 38.8 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon W-11855M is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 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 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Xeon W-11855M Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	323 FPS	249 FPS
medium	291 FPS	230 FPS
high	243 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	222 FPS
medium	248 FPS	186 FPS
high	192 FPS	150 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	132 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	154 FPS
medium	156 FPS	131 FPS
high	115 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	89 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-11855M

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	772 FPS	437 FPS
medium	647 FPS	403 FPS
high	508 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	302 FPS
1440p
low	619 FPS	407 FPS
medium	536 FPS	344 FPS
high	443 FPS	297 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	259 FPS
4K
low	365 FPS	269 FPS
medium	318 FPS	233 FPS
high	289 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	181 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-11855M

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	832 FPS	437 FPS
medium	645 FPS	437 FPS
high	558 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	383 FPS
1440p
low	721 FPS	437 FPS
medium	565 FPS	437 FPS
high	488 FPS	409 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	333 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	393 FPS
medium	421 FPS	341 FPS
high	374 FPS	295 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	231 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-11855M

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
1080p
low	974 FPS	437 FPS
medium	974 FPS	437 FPS
high	934 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	826 FPS	437 FPS
1440p
low	959 FPS	437 FPS
medium	843 FPS	437 FPS
high	726 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	437 FPS
4K
low	694 FPS	437 FPS
medium	621 FPS	437 FPS
high	541 FPS	410 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	352 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-11855M

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900X and Xeon W-11855M

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 W-11855M

The Xeon W-11855M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 17,462 points. Launch price was $450.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 5900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon W-11855M offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X versus 4.9 GHz on the Xeon W-11855M — a 2.1% clock advantage for the Xeon W-11855M (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon W-11855M uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Xeon W-11855M's 17,462 — a 76.2% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 18 MB (total) on the Xeon W-11855M.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	4.9 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+16%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+256%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1.25 MB (per core)+150%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-30%	10 nm SuperFin
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark	38,955+123%	17,462
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 W-11855M uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
Socket	AM4	FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
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 W-11855M). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-11855M
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 W-11855M debuted at $450. On MSRP ($549 vs $450), the Xeon W-11855M is $99 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 71.0 pts/$ vs 38.8 pts/$ for the Xeon W-11855M — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 58.6% better value option.