AMD Ryzen 9 3950X vs Intel Core i5-6500
38.6Single-core25.6
64.6Multi-core22.9
79Gaming21.9
17 spec wins — AMD Ryzen 9 3950X2 spec wins — Intel Core i5-6500
InnoReviews verdict
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X wins this desktop processor face-off, 60.4 to 23.5, pulling ahead mainly in gaming (+57) and Multi-core (+42). Intel Core i5-6500 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 9 3950X
- Stronger Single-core score: 39 vs 26
- Stronger Multi-core score: 65 vs 23
- Stronger gaming score: 79 vs 22
- 967% higher L3 cache: 64 MB vs 6 MB
- 700% higher threads: 32 vs 4
Reasons to pick the Intel Core i5-6500
- 38% lower Base TDP: 65 W vs 105 W
- Has Cooler included — the other doesn't
- Lower launch price: $192 vs $749
General
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2019 | 2015 |
| Socket | AM4 | LGA1151 |
| Process | 7 nm+50% | 14 nm |
| Base TDP | 105 W | 65 W+38% |
| Max turbo power | 142 W | — |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
| Cooler included | No | Yes |
Cores & Clocks
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 16+300% | 4 |
| Performance cores | 16+300% | 4 |
| Efficiency cores | 0 | 0 |
| Threads | 32+700% | 4 |
| Base clock | 3.5 GHz+9% | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.7 GHz+31% | 3.6 GHz |
| L2 cache | 8 MB+700% | 1 MB |
| L3 cache | 64 MB+967% | 6 MB |
Integrated GPU
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| iGPU | — | Intel HD Graphics 530 |
| iGPU clock | — | 1,050 MHz |
Memory
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Memory support | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-2133 / DDR3L-1600 |
| Max memory | 128 GB+100% | 64 GB |
| Memory channels | 2 | 2 |
Platform
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe version | 4+33% | 3 |
| CPU PCIe lanes | 24+50% | 16 |
Benchmarks
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | Intel Core i5-6500 |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,570+33%Top 57% | 1,180Top 85% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 13,300+336%Top 25% | 3,050Top 92% |
| Cinebench R23 (single) | 1,320Top 56% | — |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 24,700+606%Top 15% | 3,500Top 95% |
| PassMark | 39,000+596%Top 16% | 5,600Top 95% |
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