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AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Intel Core i5-8400

WINNER
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
70.6Inno Score
VS
Intel Core i5-8400
29Inno Score
85.6Single-core31.1
62.4Multi-core28.6
67.2Gaming27.2
19 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 7 9700X1 spec wins — Intel Core i5-8400

InnoReviews verdict

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X wins this desktop processor face-off, 70.6 to 29, pulling ahead mainly in Single-core (+54) and gaming (+40). Intel Core i5-8400 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 7 9700X

  • Stronger Single-core score: 86 vs 31
  • Stronger Multi-core score: 62 vs 29
  • Stronger gaming score: 67 vs 27
  • 433% higher L2 cache: 8 MB vs 2 MB
  • 318% higher PassMark: 38,500 vs 9,200

Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-8400

  • Has Cooler included — the other doesn't
  • Lower launch price: $182 vs $359

General

General comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X versus Intel Core i5-8400
SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9700XIntel Core i5-8400
Announced20242017
SocketAM5LGA1151-v2
Process4 nm+71%14 nm
Base TDP65 W65 W
Max turbo power88 W—
Unlocked multiplierYesNo
Cooler includedNoYes

Cores & Clocks

Cores & Clocks comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X versus Intel Core i5-8400
SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9700XIntel Core i5-8400
Cores8+33%6
Performance cores8+33%6
Efficiency cores00
Threads16+167%6
Base clock3.8 GHz+36%2.8 GHz
Boost clock5.5 GHz+38%4 GHz
L2 cache8 MB+433%2 MB
L3 cache32 MB+256%9 MB

Integrated GPU

Integrated GPU comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X versus Intel Core i5-8400
SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9700XIntel Core i5-8400
iGPUAMD Radeon Graphics (2 CU RDNA 2)Intel UHD Graphics 630
iGPU clock2,200 MHz+110%1,050 MHz

Memory

Memory comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X versus Intel Core i5-8400
SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9700XIntel Core i5-8400
Memory supportDDR5-5600DDR4-2666
Max memory192 GB+200%64 GB
Memory channels22

Platform

Platform comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X versus Intel Core i5-8400
SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9700XIntel Core i5-8400
PCIe version5+67%3
CPU PCIe lanes28+75%16

Benchmarks

Benchmarks comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X versus Intel Core i5-8400
SpecAMD Ryzen 7 9700XIntel Core i5-8400
Geekbench 6 (single)3,150+130%Top 5%1,370Top 75%
Geekbench 6 (multi)16,500+237%Top 15%4,900Top 78%
Cinebench R23 (single)2,150+87%Top 9%1,150Top 75%
Cinebench R23 (multi)19,500+205%Top 21%6,400Top 77%
PassMark38,500+318%Top 18%9,200Top 80%

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