How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 scores 41.6/100 overall; Intel Core i7-9700K scores 37.6/100. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins 10 individual spec rows, Intel Core i7-9700K wins 7.

What are the main differences between the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the Intel Core i7-9700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 advantages: Stronger gaming score: 59 vs 40; 167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB; 50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm; 50% higher threads: 12 vs 8; 50% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB; Lower launch price: $199 vs $374. Intel Core i7-9700K advantages: Stronger Single-core score: 39 vs 35; 35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W; 33% higher cores: 8 vs 6; 33% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 6; 17% higher Boost clock: 4.9 GHz vs 4.2 GHz.

Which is cheaper: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-9700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 launched cheaper at $199, versus $374 for the Intel Core i7-9700K.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 vs Intel Core i7-9700K

WINNER

AMD

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

$199

Intel

Intel Core i7-9700K

$374

34.8Single-core39

36.4Multi-core35.5

59.1Gaming39.8

10 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 36007 spec wins — Intel Core i7-9700K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 wins this desktop processor face-off, 41.6 to 37.6, pulling ahead mainly in gaming (+19) and Multi-core (+1). Intel Core i7-9700K 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 40
167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB
50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm
50% higher threads: 12 vs 8
50% higher L2 cache: 3 MB vs 2 MB
Lower launch price: $199 vs $374

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i7-9700K

Stronger Single-core score: 39 vs 35
35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W
33% higher cores: 8 vs 6
33% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 6
17% higher Boost clock: 4.9 GHz vs 4.2 GHz

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-9700K
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 i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-9700K
Cores	6	8+33%
Performance cores	6	8+33%
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	12+50%	8
Base clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
Boost clock	4.2 GHz	4.9 GHz+17%
L2 cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB
L3 cache	32 MB+167%	12 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-9700K
iGPU	—	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	—	1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-9700K
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 i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-9700K
PCIe version	4+33%	3
CPU PCIe lanes	24+50%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 3600	Intel Core i7-9700K
Geekbench 6 (single)	1,450Top 70%	1,680+16%Top 53%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	6,900Top 58%	7,000+1%Top 57%
Cinebench R23 (single)	1,250Top 66%	1,250Top 66%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	9,200Top 61%	9,700+5%Top 59%
PassMark	17,800+24%Top 56%	14,300Top 64%

Related comparisons

AMD Ryzen 5 3600vs Intel Core i5-11600KVS AMD Ryzen 5 3600vs AMD Ryzen 5 5500VS AMD Ryzen 5 3600vs Intel Core i3-12100VS AMD Ryzen 5 3600vs Intel Core i3-12100FVS Intel Core i7-9700Kvs Intel Core i5-11400VS Intel Core i7-9700Kvs Intel Core i5-11400FVS Intel Core i7-9700Kvs Intel Core i7-8700KVS Intel Core i7-9700Kvs Intel Core i5-10600KVS

Try another matchup

Device oneDevice two