Ryzen 9 5900X vs Xeon W-1390P

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: +30.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $45 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Delivers 68.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 42.1 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon W-1390P

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,016 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.1 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Xeon W-1390P

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +30.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Costs $45 less on MSRP ($549 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Delivers 68.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 42.1 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $594 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 125W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,016 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 42.1 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($594 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
❌19% higher power demand at 125W vs 105W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Xeon W-1390P?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1390P 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 30.4% 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 55.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 300% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 16 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 $45 cheaper on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $594 MSRP, and it gives you a 30.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 68.5% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 42.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon W-1390P 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-1390P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	323 FPS	259 FPS
medium	291 FPS	240 FPS
high	243 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	225 FPS
medium	248 FPS	188 FPS
high	192 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	154 FPS
medium	156 FPS	129 FPS
high	115 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	88 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-1390P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	772 FPS	420 FPS
medium	647 FPS	353 FPS
high	508 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	283 FPS
1440p
low	619 FPS	373 FPS
medium	536 FPS	324 FPS
high	443 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	249 FPS
4K
low	365 FPS	249 FPS
medium	318 FPS	223 FPS
high	289 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	184 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-1390P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	832 FPS	625 FPS
medium	645 FPS	536 FPS
high	558 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	398 FPS
1440p
low	721 FPS	598 FPS
medium	565 FPS	497 FPS
high	488 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	427 FPS
medium	421 FPS	370 FPS
high	374 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	280 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-1390P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	974 FPS	625 FPS
medium	974 FPS	625 FPS
high	934 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	826 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	959 FPS	625 FPS
medium	843 FPS	625 FPS
high	726 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	625 FPS
4K
low	694 FPS	625 FPS
medium	621 FPS	576 FPS
high	541 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	437 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon W-1390P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900X and Xeon W-1390P

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-1390P

The Xeon W-1390P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake-S (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 25,016 points. Launch price was $539.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 5900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon W-1390P offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X versus 5.2 GHz on the Xeon W-1390P — a 8% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1390P (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon W-1390P uses Rocket Lake-S (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Xeon W-1390P's 25,016 — a 43.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1390P.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5.2 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+6%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+300%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512 kB (per core)
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	Rocket Lake-S (2021)
PassMark	38,955+56%	25,016
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-1390P uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
Socket	AM4	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
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 W-1390P). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon W-1390P
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-1390P debuted at $594. On MSRP ($549 vs $594), the Ryzen 9 5900X is $45 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 71.0 pts/$ vs 42.1 pts/$ for the Xeon W-1390P — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 51% better value option.