How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 scores 41.6/100 overall; Intel Core i7-8700K scores 36.4/100. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins 11 individual spec rows, Intel Core i7-8700K wins 4.

What are the main differences between the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the Intel Core i7-8700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 advantages: Stronger gaming score: 59 vs 39; 167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB; 100% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB; 100% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 64 GB; 50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm; Lower launch price: $199 vs $359. Intel Core i7-8700K advantages: 12% higher Boost clock: 4.7 GHz vs 4.2 GHz.

Which is cheaper: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-8700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 launched cheaper at $199, versus $359 for the Intel Core i7-8700K.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 vs Intel Core i7-8700K

WINNER

AMD

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

$199

Intel

Intel Core i7-8700K

$359

34.8Single-core37.3

36.4Multi-core34.7

59.1Gaming38.5

11 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 36004 spec wins — Intel Core i7-8700K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins this desktop processor face-off, 41.6 to 36.4, pulling ahead mainly in gaming (+21) and Multi-core (+2). Intel Core i7-8700K 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 gaming score: 59 vs 39
167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB
100% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB
100% higher Max memory: 128 GB vs 64 GB
50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm
Lower launch price: $199 vs $359

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i7-8700K

12% higher Boost clock: 4.7 GHz vs 4.2 GHz

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Announced	2019	2017
Socket	AM4	LGA1151-v2
Process	7 nm+50%	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 3600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Cores	6	6
Performance cores	6	6
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	12	12
Base clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
Boost clock	4.2 GHz	4.7 GHz+12%
L2 cache	3 MB+100%	2 MB
L3 cache	32 MB+167%	12 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-8700K
iGPU	—	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	—	1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Memory support	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max memory	128 GB+100%	64 GB
Memory channels	2	2

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-8700K
PCIe version	4+33%	3
CPU PCIe lanes	24+50%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-8700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-8700K
Geekbench 6 (single)	1,450Top 70%	1,560+8%Top 58%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	6,900+1%Top 58%	6,800Top 59%
Cinebench R23 (single)	1,250Top 66%	1,270+2%Top 63%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	9,200Top 61%	9,200Top 61%
PassMark	17,800+28%Top 56%	13,900Top 68%

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