How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X scores 49.8/100 overall; Intel Core i7-9700K scores 37.6/100. AMD Ryzen 5 5600X wins 15 individual spec rows, Intel Core i7-9700K wins 4.

What are the main differences between the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and the Intel Core i7-9700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X advantages: Stronger single-core score: 52 vs 39; Stronger multi-core score: 42 vs 36; 167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB; 53% higher PassMark: 21,900 vs 14,300; 50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm; Lower launch price: $299 vs $374. Intel Core i7-9700K advantages: 35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W; 33% higher cores: 8 vs 6; 33% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 6.

Which is cheaper: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i7-9700K?

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X launched cheaper at $299, versus $374 for the Intel Core i7-9700K.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X vs Intel Core i7-9700K

WINNER

AMD

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

$299

Intel

Intel Core i7-9700K

$374

52Single-core39

41.8Multi-core35.5

61.6Gamingspec-based39.8

15 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 5600X4 spec wins — Intel Core i7-9700K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X wins this desktop processor face-off, 49.8 to 37.6, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+13) and multi-core (+6). 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 5600X

Stronger single-core score: 52 vs 39
Stronger multi-core score: 42 vs 36
167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB
53% higher PassMark: 21,900 vs 14,300
50% lower process: 7 nm vs 14 nm
Lower launch price: $299 vs $374

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i7-9700K

35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W
33% higher cores: 8 vs 6
33% higher Performance cores: 8 vs 6

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	Intel Core i7-9700K
Announced	2020	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 5600X versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	Intel Core i7-9700K
Cores	6	8+33%
Performance cores	6	8+33%
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	12+50%	8
Base clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
Boost clock	4.6 GHz	4.9 GHz+7%
L2 cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB
L3 cache	32 MB+167%	12 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	Intel Core i7-9700K
iGPU	—	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	—	1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	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 5600X versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	Intel Core i7-9700K
PCIe version	4+33%	3
CPU PCIe lanes	24+50%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus Intel Core i7-9700K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	Intel Core i7-9700K
Geekbench 6 (single)	2,020+20%Bottom 50%	1,680Bottom 39%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	9,100+30%Bottom 46%	7,000Bottom 37%
Cinebench R23 (single)	1,560+25%Bottom 48%	1,250Bottom 27%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	11,200+15%Bottom 43%	9,700Bottom 34%
PassMark	21,900+53%Bottom 40%	14,300Bottom 25%

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