Ryzen 5 5600 vs Ryzen 9 3900X — Specs & Performance Compared
Verdict: The Ryzen 5 5600 leads on 5 of 8 shared benchmarks (11% in Cinebench R23 single); the Ryzen 9 3900X takes 3 (71% in Cinebench R23 multi).
Side-by-side CPU comparison of the Ryzen 5 5600 and the Ryzen 9 3900X. Released 2022 (Ryzen 5 5600), 2019 (Ryzen 9 3900X). MSRP range: $199 · $499. Specs, synthetic benchmarks, AI inference tok/s, and Amazon availability below; each column header links to that part's benchmark page.
Ryzen 9 3900X
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Price and availability subject to change.
Where to buy
A listing for each part; the current price and stock are on the retailer's page.
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Ryzen 5 5600 | Ryzen 9 3900X |
|---|---|---|
| cores | 6 | 12 |
| threads | 12 | 24 |
| base clock ghz | — | 3.8 |
| boost clock ghz | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| tdp w | 65 | 105 |
| l3 cache mb | 32 | 64 |
| process nm | — | 7 |
| socket | AM4 | AMD Socket AM4 |
Synthetic benchmarks
Each row says whether a higher or a lower number is better (ranks and times are lower-is-better). Scores come from CGDirector, TechPowerUp, GadgetVersus, WePC, Geekbench Browser, NanoReview, PassMark Software and HWBOT; each row links its sources, and where they differ the cell shows their median. Empty cells mean we don't yet have that benchmark on file for the SKU.
| Benchmark | Ryzen 5 5600 | Ryzen 9 3900X |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 multi (higher is better) Source: CGDirector, TechPowerUp, GadgetVersus |
10,953 points | 18,682 points |
| Cinebench R23 single (higher is better) Source: CGDirector, TechPowerUp, GadgetVersus |
1,462 points | 1,312 points |
| Cinebench R23 single-core (higher is better) Source: WePC |
1,306 pts | — |
| Geekbench 5 single-core (higher is better) Source: WePC |
1,386 pts | — |
| Geekbench 6 multi (higher is better) Source: GadgetVersus, Geekbench Browser, NanoReview |
8,674 points | 9,259 points |
| Geekbench 6 single (higher is better) Source: GadgetVersus, Geekbench Browser, NanoReview |
2,052 points | 1,682 points |
| PassMark CPU Mark (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
21,518 points | 32,491 points |
| PassMark CPU Single Thread Rating (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
3,253 points | — |
| PassMark Single Thread (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
3,254 points | 2,702 points |
| PassMark Single Thread Rating (higher is better) Source: PassMark Software |
3,254 points | 2,702 points |
| Y-cruncher Pi 1B (lower is better) Source: HWBOT |
41 | 89 seconds |
Quick answers
Which is faster, the Ryzen 5 5600 or the Ryzen 9 3900X?
The Ryzen 5 5600 leads on 5 of 8 shared benchmarks (11% in Cinebench R23 single); the Ryzen 9 3900X takes 3 (71% in Cinebench R23 multi).
What did the Ryzen 5 5600 and the Ryzen 9 3900X cost at launch?
The Ryzen 5 5600 launched at a $199 MSRP and the Ryzen 9 3900X at $499. Street prices drift from launch pricing; the Where to buy section links current listings.
Keep exploring
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 Parts List
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Build a 3D-Printed Cyberdeck Music Workstation on a Raspberry Pi 4
- The Budget Streaming Starter Kit: Mic, Light, and Webcam Under $250
- HyperX QuadCast 2 S vs Blue Yeti for Streaming in 2026
- Best Wheel and Controller for Truck and Farm Sims in 2026
- M3 Ultra vs RTX 4090 for local LLMs
- Intel Arc AI Training in 2026: What Workloads Actually Work
- Playnix RX 9060 XT 16GB: A Steam Machine Rival at €1,140
- Noctua NH-U12S vs Cooler Master ML240L RGB for a Ryzen 7 5800X gaming build: which cooler actually holds…
- Best Webcam for Streaming and Remote Work (2026)
- Hackaday Europe 2026: Building a Retro PC From Scratch
- VRAM calculator: what can you actually run on your GPU?
- Best GPU for ComfyUI & Stable Diffusion Under $300 in 2026
- Shared ChatGPT and Claude Chat Links Are Spreading Malware (And Local LLMs Fix It)
- Best Internal SSDs for PC Gaming Builds (2026)
- Google's 'Frozen v2' Chip Bakes Gemini Into Silicon: What It Means for Local Rigs
- Air vs AIO for the Ryzen 7 5800X: is the Noctua NH-U12S enough?
- Microsoft + Nvidia Agent PCs vs a DIY RTX 3060 12GB Local-Agent Box
- LM Studio on an RTX 3060 12GB: Local-LLM Setup and tok/s in 2026
- Build a Retro Emulation Handheld on Raspberry Pi Zero W with RetroPie
- CompactFlash Imaging for Retro PCs: A CF133 + IDE Workflow
- Period-Correct Windows 98 Boot Drive: CompactFlash vs IDE SSD
- How to Image and Preserve a Vintage IDE Hard Drive in 2026 (CompactFlash + USB Adapter Workflow)
- One Desk, Two Sims: Swapping a G29 Wheel and an Extreme 3D Pro Stick
- First-Time Steam Deck Emulation Setup: A Complete Guide
More buying guides from SpecPicks
Browse all buying guides →- Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2026
- Best NVMe External Enclosures for 2026
- Best Mechanical Keyboards for Gaming in 2026
- Best 1440p 240Hz Gaming Monitors in 2026
- Best CPUs for Gaming in 2026
- Best Gaming Mice for 2026
- Best Gaming Monitors for 2026
- Best GPUs for 4K Gaming in 2026
- Best CPUs for Content Creators in 2026
- Best External SSDs for Content Creators in 2026
- Best CPU Coolers for 2026
- Best Tools for Building and Repairing Retro PCs in 2026
- Best Retro Gaming Consoles & Handhelds for 2026
- Best DDR5 RAM for Gaming PCs in 2026
- Best 4K Monitors for Content Creators in 2026
- Best NVMe SSDs for Gaming in 2026
- Best GPUs for Running Local LLMs in 2026
- Best Controllers for PC Gaming in 2026
- Best PC Cases for Building in 2026
- Best GPU for Running 27B-32B Local LLMs in 2026
- Best AM5 Motherboards for 2026
Hardware benchmark data on SpecPicks
All benchmarks →- AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 7 5700 — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 7940HS — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX — benchmarks & specs
- ARM Apple M1 (Virtual) 4 Core 0 MHz — benchmarks & specs
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7445 — benchmarks & specs
- Apple M4 Max — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D — benchmarks & specs
- RTX 6000D — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 7 7730U — benchmarks & specs
- Radeon RX 7700 XT — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 7 5700X — benchmarks & specs
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 — benchmarks & specs
- Radeon RX 6650M — benchmarks & specs
- Apple M4 — benchmarks & specs
- Apple M1 Pro 10 Core 3200 MHz — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 5 3550H — benchmarks & specs
- GeForce 3 Ti 500 — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9985WX — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 3 5300G — benchmarks & specs
- AMD Ryzen 7 7840U — benchmarks & specs
- Ryzen 7 9700X — benchmarks & specs
- Apple M1 Max 10 Core 3200 MHz — benchmarks & specs
