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InnoReviews

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i7-8700K

WINNER
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
65.7Inno Score
VS
Intel Core i7-8700K
36.4Inno Score
84.7Single-core37.3
52.5Multi-core34.7
66.6Gamingspec-based38.5
13 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 5 9600X0 spec wins — Intel Core i7-8700K

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X wins this desktop processor face-off, 65.7 to 36.4, pulling ahead mainly in single-core (+47) and multi-core (+18). 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 9600X

  • Stronger single-core score: 85 vs 37
  • Stronger multi-core score: 53 vs 35
  • 300% higher L2 cache: 6 MB vs 2 MB
  • 300% higher Max memory: 256 GB vs 64 GB
  • 167% higher L3 cache: 32 MB vs 12 MB
  • Lower launch price: $279 vs $359

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i7-8700K

No decisive spec advantages — this side competes on price and preference.

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i7-8700K
SpecAMD Ryzen 5 9600XIntel Core i7-8700K
Announced20242017
SocketAM5LGA1151-v2
Process4 nm+71%14 nm
Base TDP65 W+32%95 W
Max turbo power88 W—
Unlocked multiplierYesYes
Cooler includedNoNo

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i7-8700K
SpecAMD Ryzen 5 9600XIntel Core i7-8700K
Cores66
Performance cores66
Efficiency cores00
Threads1212
Base clock3.9 GHz+5%3.7 GHz
Boost clock5.4 GHz+15%4.7 GHz
L2 cache6 MB+300%2 MB
L3 cache32 MB+167%12 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i7-8700K
SpecAMD Ryzen 5 9600XIntel Core i7-8700K
iGPUAMD Radeon Graphics (2 CU RDNA 2)Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock2,200 MHz1,200 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i7-8700K
SpecAMD Ryzen 5 9600XIntel Core i7-8700K
Memory supportDDR5-5600DDR4-2666
Max memory256 GB+300%64 GB
Memory channels22

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i7-8700K
SpecAMD Ryzen 5 9600XIntel Core i7-8700K
PCIe version5+67%3
CPU PCIe lanes28+75%16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X versus Intel Core i7-8700K
SpecAMD Ryzen 5 9600XIntel Core i7-8700K
Geekbench 6 (single)—1,560Bottom 34%
Geekbench 6 (multi)—6,800Bottom 36%
Cinebench R23 (single)2,180+72%Top 13%1,270Bottom 30%
Cinebench R23 (multi)17,176+87%Top 35%9,200Bottom 32%
PassMark30,047+116%Top 40%13,900Bottom 23%

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