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: +140.0% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+326.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 15 MB).
✅Delivers 61.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 44.0 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $359 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 120W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
52.9% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$359 MSRP
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon w3-2423 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon w3-2423

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($359 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,797 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (15 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.0 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($359 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Ryzen 9 5900X

2020

Xeon w3-2423

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +140.0% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+326.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 15 MB).
✅Delivers 61.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 71.0 vs 44.0 PassMark/$ ($549 MSRP vs $359 MSRP).
✅Draws 105W instead of 120W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Costs $190 less on MSRP ($359 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌
52.9% HIGHER MSRP
$549 MSRPvs$359 MSRP
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Xeon w3-2423 moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 5900X across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,797 vs 38,955).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (15 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 44.0 vs 71.0 PassMark/$ ($359 MSRP vs $549 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 5900X better than Xeon w3-2423?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon w3-2423 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 140.0% more average FPS across 3 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 146.6% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 326.7% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 15 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 52.9% more expensive on MSRP at $549 MSRP versus $359 MSRP, and it gives you a 140.0% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 61.3% better value on MSRP (71.0 vs 44.0 PassMark/$), 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 w3-2423 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of AM4. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 w3-2423 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
1080p
low	323 FPS	181 FPS
medium	291 FPS	150 FPS
high	243 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	193 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	307 FPS	146 FPS
medium	248 FPS	118 FPS
high	192 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	157 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	193 FPS	68 FPS
medium	156 FPS	58 FPS
high	115 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	103 FPS	37 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon w3-2423

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
1080p
low	772 FPS	171 FPS
medium	647 FPS	149 FPS
high	508 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	117 FPS
1440p
low	619 FPS	152 FPS
medium	536 FPS	135 FPS
high	443 FPS	124 FPS
ultra	364 FPS	106 FPS
4K
low	365 FPS	120 FPS
medium	318 FPS	109 FPS
high	289 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	255 FPS	86 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon w3-2423

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
1080p
low	832 FPS	395 FPS
medium	645 FPS	395 FPS
high	558 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	459 FPS	395 FPS
1440p
low	721 FPS	395 FPS
medium	565 FPS	395 FPS
high	488 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	395 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	395 FPS
medium	421 FPS	395 FPS
high	374 FPS	346 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	277 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon w3-2423

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
1080p
low	974 FPS	395 FPS
medium	974 FPS	395 FPS
high	934 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	826 FPS	395 FPS
1440p
low	959 FPS	395 FPS
medium	843 FPS	395 FPS
high	726 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	395 FPS
4K
low	694 FPS	395 FPS
medium	621 FPS	395 FPS
high	541 FPS	395 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	371 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 5900X Open Xeon w3-2423

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 5900X and Xeon w3-2423

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 w3-2423

The Xeon w3-2423 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 15,797 points. Launch price was $359.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 5900X packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon w3-2423 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 4.2 GHz on the Xeon w3-2423 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Ryzen 9 5900X uses the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon w3-2423 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 38,955 against the Xeon w3-2423's 15,797 — a 84.6% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X vs 15 MB on the Xeon w3-2423.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+100%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+14%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+76%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB+327%	15 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	2 MB (per core)+300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	38,955+147%	15,797
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 w3-2423 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
Socket	AM4	LGA4677
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 w3-2423). Primary use case: Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Ryzen 9 5900X	Xeon w3-2423
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 w3-2423 debuted at $359. On MSRP ($549 vs $359), the Xeon w3-2423 is $190 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 9 5900X delivers 71.0 pts/$ vs 44.0 pts/$ for the Xeon w3-2423 — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 46.9% better value option.