How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 scores 41.6/100 overall; Intel Core i5-9600K scores 32/100. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins 13 individual spec rows, Intel Core i5-9600K wins 4.

What are the main differences between the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the Intel Core i5-9600K?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 advantages: Stronger Multi-core score: 36 vs 30; Stronger gaming score: 59 vs 31; 256% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 9 MB; 100% higher threads: 12 vs 6; 100% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB; Lower launch price: $199 vs $262. Intel Core i5-9600K advantages: 35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W; 10% higher Boost clock: 4.6 GHz vs 4.2 GHz.

Which is cheaper: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i5-9600K?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 launched cheaper at $199, versus $262 for the Intel Core i5-9600K.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 vs Intel Core i5-9600K

WINNER

AMD

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

$199

Intel

Intel Core i5-9600K

$262

34.8Single-core36

36.4Multi-core29.8

59.1Gaming31

13 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 36004 spec wins — Intel Core i5-9600K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins this desktop processor face-off, 41.6 to 32, pulling ahead mainly in gaming (+28) and Multi-core (+7). Intel Core i5-9600K 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 Multi-core score: 36 vs 30
Stronger gaming score: 59 vs 31
256% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 9 MB
100% higher threads: 12 vs 6
100% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB
Lower launch price: $199 vs $262

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-9600K

35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W
10% higher Boost clock: 4.6 GHz vs 4.2 GHz

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i5-9600K
Announced	2019	2018
Socket	AM4	LGA1151-v2
Process	7 nm+50%	14 nm
Base TDP	65 W+32%	95 W
Max turbo power	88 W	119 W+35%
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes
Cooler included	Yes	No

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i5-9600K
Cores	6	6
Performance cores	6	6
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	12+100%	6
Base clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
Boost clock	4.2 GHz	4.6 GHz+10%
L2 cache	3 MB+100%	2 MB
L3 cache	32 MB+256%	9 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i5-9600K
iGPU	—	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	—	1,150 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i5-9600K
Memory support	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max memory	128 GB	128 GB
Memory channels	2	2

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i5-9600K
PCIe version	4+33%	3
CPU PCIe lanes	24+50%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i5-9600K
Geekbench 6 (single)	1,450Top 70%	1,580+9%Top 56%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	6,900+38%Top 58%	5,000Top 76%
Cinebench R23 (single)	1,250+4%Top 66%	1,200Top 72%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	9,200+37%Top 61%	6,700Top 75%
PassMark	17,800+59%Top 56%	11,200Top 76%

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