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 5 5500

2022

Why buy it

✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7940HS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 29,986).
❌Launch MSRP is still $159 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7940HS moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen 9 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.8% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen 5 5500 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 5 5500.

Trade-offs

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

Ryzen 5 5500

2022

Ryzen 9 7940HS

2023

Why buy it

✅20% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +43.8% higher average FPS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Ryzen 5 5500 needs a discrete GPU.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Laptop Integrated), unlike Ryzen 5 5500.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 9 7940HS across 49 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,311 vs 29,986).
❌Launch MSRP is still $159 MSRP, while Ryzen 9 7940HS mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 7940HS moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

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

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 7940HS better than Ryzen 5 5500?

Yes. Ryzen 9 7940HS is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 43.8% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data, 55.3% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 9 7940HS is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 43.8% 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 7940HS is the better fit. You are getting 55.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 7940HS is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 5 5500 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 9 7940HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $159 MSRP, and it gives you a 43.8% average FPS lead across 49 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 5 5500 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (121.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 9 7940HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2022), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. 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 5 5500 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 7940HS Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 9 7940HS
1080p
low	181 FPS	267 FPS
medium	150 FPS	242 FPS
high	120 FPS	203 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	235 FPS
medium	124 FPS	193 FPS
high	98 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	139 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	163 FPS
medium	61 FPS	136 FPS
high	48 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	92 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 9 7940HS

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 9 7940HS
1080p
low	329 FPS	497 FPS
medium	285 FPS	408 FPS
high	254 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	311 FPS
1440p
low	291 FPS	434 FPS
medium	258 FPS	376 FPS
high	233 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	201 FPS	274 FPS
4K
low	229 FPS	286 FPS
medium	206 FPS	259 FPS
high	189 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	162 FPS	209 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 9 7940HS

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 9 7940HS
1080p
low	483 FPS	750 FPS
medium	483 FPS	750 FPS
high	483 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	406 FPS	624 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	750 FPS
medium	411 FPS	646 FPS
high	361 FPS	545 FPS
ultra	300 FPS	467 FPS
4K
low	340 FPS	544 FPS
medium	285 FPS	475 FPS
high	248 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	357 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 9 7940HS

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 9 7940HS
1080p
low	483 FPS	750 FPS
medium	483 FPS	750 FPS
high	483 FPS	750 FPS
ultra	483 FPS	750 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	750 FPS
medium	483 FPS	750 FPS
high	483 FPS	658 FPS
ultra	425 FPS	573 FPS
4K
low	448 FPS	574 FPS
medium	404 FPS	511 FPS
high	360 FPS	456 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	394 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 5500 Open Ryzen 9 7940HS

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 5500 and Ryzen 9 7940HS

Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,311 points. Launch price was $159.

Ryzen 9 7940HS

The Ryzen 9 7940HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Janeiro 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 29,986 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 5500 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen 9 7940HS offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 9 7940HS has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 7940HS — a 21.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 7940HS (base: 3.6 GHz vs 4 GHz). The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the Cezanne (2021−2025) architecture (7 nm), while the Ryzen 9 7940HS uses Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 5500 scores 19,311 against the Ryzen 9 7940HS's 29,986 — a 43.3% lead for the Ryzen 9 7940HS. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 5 5500 vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 9 7940HS.

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 9 7940HS
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	5.2 GHz+24%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	4 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	16 MB	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	1 MB (per core)+100%
Process	7 nm	4 nm-43%
Architecture	Cezanne (2021−2025)	Phoenix-HS (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	19,311	29,986+55%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	17,443
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,646
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,591

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 5500 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 7940HS uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Ryzen 5 5500 versus DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 7940HS — the Ryzen 9 7940HS supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 9 7940HS supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 5 5500) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 7940HS) — the Ryzen 5 5500 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series (Ryzen 5 5500) and FP8,FP7 (Ryzen 9 7940HS).

Feature	Ryzen 5 5500	Ryzen 9 7940HS
Socket	AM4	FP8
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600+25%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	256 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24+20%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Ryzen 9 7940HS supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support AMD-V virtualization. The Ryzen 9 7940HS includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Ryzen 5 5500 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5500 targets Desktop, Ryzen 9 7940HS targets Thin-and-light Performance. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 7940HS rivals Core i9-13900H.