How do the scores compare?

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 65.7/100 overall; Intel Core i5-9600K scores 32/100. AMD Ryzen 5 9600X wins 14 individual spec rows, Intel Core i5-9600K wins 1.

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

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X advantages: Stronger single-core score: 85 vs 36; Stronger multi-core score: 53 vs 30; 300% higher L2 cache: 6 MB vs 2 MB; 256% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 9 MB; 168% higher PassMark: 30,047 vs 11,200. Intel Core i5-9600K advantages: 35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W.

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

Intel Core i5-9600K launched cheaper at $262, versus $279 for the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i5-9600K

WINNER

AMD

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

$279

Intel

Intel Core i5-9600K

$262

84.7Single-core36

52.5Multi-core29.8

66.6Gamingspec-based31

14 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 9600X1 spec wins — Intel Core i5-9600K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X wins this desktop processor face-off, 65.7 to 32, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+49) and multi-core (+23). 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 9600X

Stronger single-core score: 85 vs 36
Stronger multi-core score: 53 vs 30
300% higher L2 cache: 6 MB vs 2 MB
256% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 9 MB
168% higher PassMark: 30,047 vs 11,200

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-9600K

35% higher Max turbo power: 119 W vs 88 W

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Announced	2024	2018
Socket	AM5	LGA1151-v2
Process	4 nm+71%	14 nm
Base TDP	65 W+32%	95 W
Max turbo power	88 W	119 W+35%
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes
Cooler included	No	No

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Cores	6	6
Performance cores	6	6
Efficiency cores	0	0
Threads	12+100%	6
Base clock	3.9 GHz+5%	3.7 GHz
Boost clock	5.4 GHz+17%	4.6 GHz
L2 cache	6 MB+300%	2 MB
L3 cache	32 MB+256%	9 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-9600K
iGPU	AMD Radeon Graphics (2 CU RDNA 2)	Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock	2,200 MHz	1,150 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Memory support	DDR5-5600	DDR4-2666
Max memory	256 GB+100%	128 GB
Memory channels	2	2

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-9600K
PCIe version	5+67%	3
CPU PCIe lanes	28+75%	16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i5-9600K
Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-9600K
Geekbench 6 (single)	—	1,580Bottom 38%
Geekbench 6 (multi)	—	5,000Bottom 21%
Cinebench R23 (single)	2,180+82%Top 13%	1,200Bottom 24%
Cinebench R23 (multi)	17,176+156%Top 35%	6,700Bottom 21%
PassMark	30,047+168%Top 40%	11,200Bottom 17%

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