AMD Ryzen 5 3600 vs Intel Core i5-6500
34.8Single-core25.6
36.4Multi-core22.9
59.1Gaming21.9
17 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 36000 spec wins — Intel Core i5-6500
InnoReviews verdict
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins this desktop processor face-off, 41.6 to 23.5, pulling ahead mainly in gaming (+37) and Multi-core (+14). Intel Core i5-6500 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 3600
- Stronger Single-core score: 35 vs 26
- Stronger Multi-core score: 36 vs 23
- Stronger gaming score: 59 vs 22
- 433% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 6 MB
- 218% higher PassMark: 17,800 vs 5,600
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-6500
No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.
General
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019 | 2015 |
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1151 |
| Process | 7 nm+50% | 14 nm |
| Base TDP | 65 W | 65 W |
| Max turbo power | 88 W | — |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
| Cooler included | Yes | Yes |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Performance cores | 6+50% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 0 | 0 |
| Threads | 12+200% | 4 |
| Base clock | 3.6 GHz+12% | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.2 GHz+17% | 3.6 GHz |
| L2 cache | 3 MB+200% | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 32 MB+433% | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | — | Intel HD Graphics 530 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,050 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-2133 / DDR3L-1600 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+100% | 64 GB |
| Memory channels | 2 | 2 |
Platform
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe version | 4+33% | 3 |
| CPU PCIe lanes | 24+50% | 16 |
Benchmarks
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,450+23%Top 70% | 1,180Top 85% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 6,900+126%Top 58% | 3,050Top 92% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,250Top 66% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 9,200+163%Top 61% | 3,500Top 95% |
| PassMark | 17,800+218%Top 56% | 5,600Top 95% |
Related comparisons
AMD Ryzen 5 3600vs Intel Core i5-11600KVSAMD Ryzen 5 3600vs AMD Ryzen 5 5500VSAMD Ryzen 5 3600vs Intel Core i3-12100VSAMD Ryzen 5 3600vs Intel Core i3-12100FVSIntel Core i5-6500vs Intel Core i5-4690KVSIntel Core i5-6500vs Intel Core i7-3770VSIntel Core i5-6500vs Intel Core i3-8100VSIntel Core i5-6500vs Intel Core i5-4670KVS