Steam Deck OLED APU vs Ryzen 5 3600

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. The Steam Deck OLED APU is positioned at rank #827 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Steam Deck OLED APU

#815

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1316%

#816

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1297%

#817

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1191%

#818

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1185%

#819

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1174%

#821

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1134%

#822

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1087%

#823

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1086%

#824

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1057%

#827

Steam Deck OLED APU

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#828

Celeron M 575

MSRP: $86|Avg: $12

100%

#829

Core i7-10710U

MSRP: $415|Avg: N/A

100%

#835

FX-9830P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

99%

#836

Celeron M P4600

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#837

Celeron 887

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 3600

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

1410%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

1332%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

967%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

291%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

231%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

202%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

116%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

114%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

104%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

104%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

103%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

100%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

99%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

98%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

97%

#16

Core Ultra 5 225F

MSRP: $231|Avg: $150

95%

#17

Core Ultra 7 265K

MSRP: $309|Avg: $285

93%

#18

Ryzen 9 3900

MSRP: $499|Avg: $150

92%

#19

Ryzen 5 3600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $90

91%

#20

Core i7-14700KF

MSRP: $384|Avg: $260

91%

#21

Core i7-14700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $270

88%

#22

Ryzen 5 4500

MSRP: $129|Avg: $85

85%

#23

Ryzen 5 5600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $115

85%

#24

Celeron G5925

MSRP: $62|Avg: $15

85%

#25

Ryzen 5 7500F

MSRP: $179|Avg: $145

83%

#26

Core Ultra 5 245

MSRP: $319|Avg: $220

83%

#27

Ryzen 7 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $86

82%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Ryzen 5 3600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Steam Deck OLED APU in both compute-intensive tasks (119.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Steam Deck OLED APU	Ryzen 5 3600
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($80)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) / 6 nm)	✨ Modern (Matisse (2019−2020) / 7 nm, 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Steam Deck OLED APU	Ryzen 5 3600
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($80)

Performance Check

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.

Steam Deck OLED APU Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 3600 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Steam Deck OLED APU and Ryzen 5 3600

Steam Deck OLED APU

The Steam Deck OLED APU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 November 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 6 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 4 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,457 points. Launch price was $69.

Ryzen 5 3600

The Ryzen 5 3600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (2019−2020) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 17,685 points. Launch price was $199.

⚡

Processing Power

The Steam Deck OLED APU packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 3600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Steam Deck OLED APU versus 4.2 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3600 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 3600 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Steam Deck OLED APU uses the Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) architecture (6 nm), while the Ryzen 5 3600 uses Matisse (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Steam Deck OLED APU scores 4,457 against the Ryzen 5 3600's 17,685 — a 119.5% lead for the Ryzen 5 3600. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Steam Deck OLED APU vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Steam Deck OLED APU	Ryzen 5 3600
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4.2 GHz+20%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	4 MB	32 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	512K (per core)
Process	6 nm-14%	7 nm, 12 nm
Architecture	Van Gogh (Custom) (2023)	Matisse (2019−2020)
PassMark	4,457	17,685+297%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,295
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,898

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Steam Deck OLED APU) / Yes (Ryzen 5 3600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 3600 targets Gaming/Budget Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 5 3600 rivals Core i5-10400.