How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 scores 31.3/100 overall; Intel Core i7-8700K scores 36.4/100. AMD Ryzen 5 2600 wins 7 individual spec rows, Intel Core i7-8700K wins 7.

What are the main differences between the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and the Intel Core i7-8700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 advantages: 100% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB; 50% higher CPU PCIe lanes: 24 vs 16; 33% higher L3 cache: 16 MB vs 12 MB; 32% lower Base TDP: 65 W vs 95 W; 14% lower process: 12 nm vs 14 nm; Lower launch price: $199 vs $359. Intel Core i7-8700K advantages: Stronger Single-core score: 37 vs 23; Stronger Multi-core score: 35 vs 32; 37% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,560 vs 1,140; 30% higher Cinebench R23 (single): 1,270 vs 980; 28% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 6,800 vs 5,300.

Which is cheaper: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 or Intel Core i7-8700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 launched cheaper at $199, versus $359 for the Intel Core i7-8700K.

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 vs Intel Core i7-8700K

AMD

AMD Ryzen 5 2600

$199

WINNER

Intel

Intel Core i7-8700K

$359

23.2Single-core37.3

31.6Multi-core34.7

40.5Gaming38.5

7 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 26007 spec wins — Intel Core i7-8700K

InnoReviews verdict

Intel Core i7-8700K wins this desktop processor face-off, 36.4 to 31.3, pulling ahead mainly in Single-core (+14) and Multi-core (+3). AMD Ryzen 5 2600 still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.

Which would you pick?

Key differences

Reasons to pick the AMD Ryzen 5 2600

100% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB
50% higher CPU PCIe lanes: 24 vs 16
33% higher L3 cache: 16 MB vs 12 MB
32% lower Base TDP: 65 W vs 95 W
14% lower process: 12 nm vs 14 nm
Lower launch price: $199 vs $359

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i7-8700K

Stronger Single-core score: 37 vs 23
Stronger Multi-core score: 35 vs 32
37% higher Geekbench 6 (single): 1,560 vs 1,140
30% higher Cinebench R23 (single): 1,270 vs 980
28% higher Geekbench 6 (multi): 6,800 vs 5,300

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Announced	2018	2017
Socket	AM4	LGA1151-v2
Process	12 nm+14%	14 nm
Base TDP	65 W+32%	95 W
Max turbo power	88 W	—
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes
Cooler included	Yes	No

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Cores	6	6
Performance cores	6	6
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	12	12
Base clock	3.4 GHz	3.7 GHz+9%
Boost clock	3.9 GHz	4.7 GHz+21%
L2 cache	3 MB+100%	2 MB
L3 cache	16 MB+33%	12 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	Intel Core i7-8700K
iGPU	—	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	—	1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Memory support	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666
Max memory	64 GB	64 GB
Memory channels	2	2

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	Intel Core i7-8700K
PCIe version	3	3
CPU PCIe lanes	24+50%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 2600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Geekbench 6 (single)	1,140Top 90%	1,560+37%Top 58%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	5,300Top 72%	6,800+28%Top 59%
Cinebench R23 (single)	980Top 88%	1,270+30%Top 63%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	7,400Top 72%	9,200+24%Top 61%
PassMark	13,400Top 69%	13,900+4%Top 68%

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