Ryzen 5 3600x vs i5 9600k: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X vs Intel Core i5-9600K

Intel Core i5 9600k vs Ryzen 5 3600: Which CPU should you choose?

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When building a new PC, the biggest question on everyone’s mind is what should they go with? AMD or Intel. For the record, Ryzen has been catching up to Intel over the past five years, with their processors performing on par and, in some cases, even better than their Intel counterparts. This is something that has led many people to choose Ryzen processors over Intel; the price is yet another factor that’s worth the mention.

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Ryzen 5 5600X vs Ryzen 7 5800X: Compare AMD Processors

Today, we’re going to have a look at that age-old question, is Ryzen better than Intel? In this article, we’ll be looking at the Intel i5 9600k vs. the Ryzen 5 3600 and which one would be a better choice for a PC build. We’ll be discussing everything from clock speed to performance benchmarks to find out which is the best one for you.

Both of these CPUs come with 6 cores but the Ryzen 5 3600 has 12 threads while the 9600K just has 6 threads. Base and boost clock speeds are almost similar. So, let’s see if this could make any difference in this article.

Theoretical Specifications Comparison

Specification	Intel i5 9600k	Ryzen 5 3600
CPU Generation	9th Generation	3rd Generation
Cores/Threads	6/6	6/12
Base Clock/Boost Clock	3.70 GHz/4.60 GHz	3.6GHz/4.2GHz
Cache (L1/L2/L3)	64KB/256KB/9MB	64KB/512KB/32MB
Overclocking	Available	Available
PCle Version	PCle 3.0	PCle 3.0
Memory Support	DDR4 (up to 2666 MHz)	DDR4 (up to 3200 MHz)
Cooling Solution	Not inbuilt	Not inbuilt
Integrated Graphics Card	UHD 630	No

As you can see, both of them have almost similar hardware stats when looked at it on paper. Added to that, they both are also at the same price point. However, you will notice significant differences in the threads when looking at the Intel i5 9600K and the Ryzen 5 3600. They have a few small differences, but there are workarounds for those kinds of issues.

For starters, the biggest difference that can be seen is the fact that the Ryzen does not come bundled with integrated graphics. This can be a crucial factor for users who want integrated graphics on a budget build. If this is something you are willing to ignore, then you can move forward with the article and see some of the other differences between these two.

Benchmark Scores Comparison

Parameter	Intel i5 9600k	Ryzen 5 3600
CPU Mark Score	10,792	17,820
Single-Core Score	1,233	1,205
Multi-Core Score	5,539	6,665
Single-Thread Rating	2,772	2,576

As usual, the Intel i5 9600K is beating the Ryzen 5 3600 in single-core and single-thread performance. But, the overall performance and especially the multi-core performance is better with the Ryzen 5 3600.

Cinebench Scores Comparison

To give you the context, Cinebench is CPU benchmarking software. It is used to calculate any CPU’s single-core and multi-core performance. These are three different versions of Cinebench i.e. R15, R20, and R23. R23 is the latest version with much more effective operation than the older version (R15 and R20)

Multi-Core-Score. This score simply tells you the CPU’s performance in multitasking. Rendering, encoding, and most of the productivity software will make use of multi-cores.
Single-Core Score. As the name suggests, this score determines the performance capability of a single CPU. This score is good to determine your CPU’s effectiveness in gaming and the overall snappiness in any operation.

Cinebench Benchmark	Intel Core i5 9600k	Ryzen 5 3600
Cinebench R23 (Single Core)	1187	1245
Cinebench R23 (Multi Core)	6596	9073
Cinebench R20 (Single Core)	481	496
Cinebench R20 (Multi Core)	2624	2847
Cinebench R15 (Single Core)	200	197
Cinebench R15 (Multi Core)	1068	1581

The Ryzen 5 3600 is clearly winning this benchmark comparison.

Which One Is Good For Gaming?

When designing a gaming rig, you would want your processor to perform at an optimal level. Having said that, the Intel i5 9500k is a great option, and so is the Ryzen 5 3600. Both processors are great at what they do, and their performance has not seen much difference when it comes to playing games.

If we’re to knit-pick, the Intel i5 will be a bit better at gaming when compared to the Ryzen. But when it comes to multitasking, the Ryzen with 16 threads is the clear winner. Now, apart from gaming, what exactly will you be using your PC for is the question you should be asking yourself. If multitasking and gaming are what you are looking for, then going for the Ryzen makes more sense.

Both chips perform nearly the same when it comes to gaming. The FPS output will be the same, with a marginal difference on the Intel side. The most you will notice is consistent framerate on the Intel rig compared to the Ryzen one.

Intel definitely has a better single-core performance which is considered as good for running games. However, the difference is not that huge and Ryzen offers you various other benefits which Intel will not.

For gaming benchmark comparison, you can watch this YouTube video.

Which One Is Good For Productivity?

As mentioned above, the extra threads give the Ryzen a lead over the Intel chip. The added cache memory also plays a huge part in giving this chip a boost over the Intel i5. If you are building a rig for multitasking with heavy software, then this is the right chip for you. The Ryzen 5 3600 is both capable of holding its own in front of the Intel i5 9500k and even beating it in certain aspects of computer use.

If gaming is what you are looking for, then Intel can still be there because of its good single-core performance. But if productivity is what you are looking for, then the Ryzen will be a better, more affordable choice for both beginners as well as intermediate computer builders. This is something you need to keep in mind. The difference between both chips is minute at best, but both do have their advantages and disadvantages in certain computing aspects.

Another big thing to keep in mind is the fact that the Intel chip does come with an integrated graphics card. This for people who want good performance and light to medium gaming can also utilize with it being an issue. The Ryzen does not come with an integrated graphics chip which means that you will have to buy one separately.

Price Comparison

The prices of both these CPUs keep varying. But, by the time I am writing this article, the Ryzen 5 3600 is around 50$ cheaper than the i5 9500K. For some buyers, this is going to be a huge amount and for others, it will not. So, make sure to check the price before you make the final decision on any CPU.

Check Price at NewEgg

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Check Price at NewEgg

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Final Verdict: Which One Should you Buy?

If you ask which is better between the Intel i5 9600k vs. Ryzen 5 3600, the answer will lie in day-to-day use case scenarios. Are you looking for something that will make a serious gaming rig, then Intel will be your best option. If you are looking to make a workstation and save some money, then the Ryzen would be the one to pick.

The Intel i5 9500K comes with integrated graphics which are enough to play most of the games in low and medium settings. So, if you don’t want to buy a graphics card, you should definitely go for the Intel i5 9500K. However, if good performance is your goal, just pick Ryzen 5 3600.

Let me know what you think about it.

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X — Valorant with GTX 1660 Benchmarks 1080p, 1440p, Ultrawide, 4K Comparison

GTX 1660 with

Intel Core i5-9600K @ 3. 70GHz

Valorant

GTX 1660 with

AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

i5-9600K
Ryzen 5 3600X

Multi-Thread Performance

13352 Pts

21536 Pts

Single-Thread Performance

2677 Pts

2910 Pts

Valorant

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X in Valorant using GTX 1660 — CPU Performance comparison at Ultra, High, Medium, and Low Quality Settings with 1080p, 1440p, Ultrawide, 4K resolutions

i5-9600K
Ryzen 5 3600X

Ultra Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	179. 4 FPS
1080p	179.9 FPS
1440p	146.7 FPS
1440p	147.1 FPS
2160p	127.6 FPS
2160p	127.9 FPS
w1440p	146.7 FPS
w1440p	147.1 FPS

High Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	256.5 FPS
1080p	257. 0 FPS
1440p	217.1 FPS
1440p	217.6 FPS
2160p	193.3 FPS
2160p	193.7 FPS
w1440p	217.1 FPS
w1440p	217.6 FPS

Medium Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	333.5 FPS
1080p	334.2 FPS
1440p	287. 5 FPS
1440p	288.1 FPS
2160p	259.0 FPS
2160p	259.4 FPS
w1440p	287.5 FPS
w1440p	288.1 FPS

Low Quality

Resolution	Frames Per Second
1080p	487.6 FPS
1080p	488.5 FPS
1440p	428.3 FPS
1440p	429. 0 FPS
2160p	390.3 FPS
2160p	390.9 FPS
w1440p	428.3 FPS
w1440p	429.0 FPS

i5-9600K

The i5-9600K has a higher turbo clock boost. Turbo Boost is a CPU feature that will run CPU clock speed faster than its base clock, if certain conditions are present. It will enable older software that runs on fewer cores, to perform better on newer hardware. Since games are software too, it is also applicable to them.

Ryzen 5 3600X

The Ryzen 5 3600X has higher Level 2 Cache. Data/instructions which have to be processed can be loaded from the fast L2 and the CPU does not have to wait for the very slow DDR RAM
The Ryzen 5 3600X has higher Level 3 Cache. This is useful when you have substantial multiprocessing workloads, many computationally intense simultaneous processes. More likely on a server, less on a personally used computer for interactive desktop workloads.
The Ryzen 5 3600X has more threads. Larger programs are divided into threads (small sections) so that the processor can execute them simultaneously to get faster execution.
For some games, a cpu with a higher clock speed, or in a technical name IPC (Instructions per clock), has better results than other CPU’s with higher core count and lower core speed.
The Ryzen 5 3600X has a smaller process size. The faster a transistor can toggle on and off, the faster it can do work. And transistors that turn on and off with less energy are more efficient, reducing the operating power, or “dynamic power consumption,” required by a processor.

Compare i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X specifications

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Architecture

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X
Codename	Coffee Lake	Zen 2
Generation	Core i5 (Coffee Lake Refresh)	Ryzen 5 (Zen 2)
Market	Desktop	Desktop
Memory Support	DDR4	DDR4
Part#	SR3WZ	unknown
Production Status	Active	Active
Released	Oct 2018	Jul 2019

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Cache

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X
Cache L1	64K (per core)	96K (per core)
Cache L2	256K (per core)	512K (per core)
Cache L3	9MB (shared)	32MB (shared)

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Cores

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X
# of Cores	6	6
# of Threads	6	12
Integrated Graphics	N/A	N/A
SMP # CPUs	1	1

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Features

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Notes

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Performance

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X
Base Clock	100 MHz	100 MHz
Frequency	3. 7 GHz	3.8 GHz
Multiplier	37.0x	38.0x
Multiplier Unlocked	Yes	Yes
TDP	95 W	95 W
Turbo Clock	up to 4.6 GHz	up to 4.4 GHz
Voltage	variable	variable

i5-9600K vs Ryzen 5 3600X Physical

	i5-9600K	Ryzen 5 3600X
Die Size	unknown	unknown
Foundry	Intel	TSMC
Package	FC-LGA1151
Process Size	14 nm	7 nm
Socket	Intel Socket 1151	AMD Socket AM4
Transistors	unknown	4,800 million
tCaseMax	72°C	unknown

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Technology, gadgets, games

July 16, 2020, 01:18

Today we will consider another question that customers often come to our store with. Which processor is better: Intel or AMD? So much is written and said about this, but the question still remains open. Below I will try to explain the difference between the products of the two companies and give recommendations to those who buy a PC.

What’s the problem?

Let’s start with a brief history. After the failure of AMD FX processors in 2015, the company lost its already little popularity. Until 2017, Intel dominated the market with a 90% share, so buyers did not hesitate to take computers and laptops with processors from this company. However, in 2017, AMD literally resurrected with the release of the Ryzen line, and continues to gradually conquer the market.

But what is it that AMD processors offer to oust Intel? The difference is fundamental. Intel designs monolithic processors, that is, all of its components are located on a single chip. This principle provides a high speed of information transfer, but the risks increase: a defect in one core leads to a malfunction of the entire processor. With a large number of cores, for each serviceable processor, there are two faulty ones. Hence the main disadvantage of Intel for the bulk of consumers — the high price.

AMD decided to take a different path: each processor, roughly speaking, consists of several monolithic ones. Everything is the opposite here: the speed is lower, there is less marriage (a faulty core is replaced by a serviceable one with less financial losses). Over time, the lack of speed was overcome, so now these are two companies with almost identical processors in terms of performance.

What about specific models?

If we compare specific processor models, then AMD is inferior in overall performance, but due to the price it wins in performance per unit cost.

Core i5-9600K and Ryzen 5 3600X . The latter has twice as many threads, 0.1 GHz higher base frequency and 0.2 less overclocking. It costs $15 less.
Core i5-9600K and Ryzen 5 3600 . Ryzen again wins in terms of threads, but is inferior by 0.1 GHz in base frequency and 0.4 in overclocking. The price is lower by $60.
Core i3-9350K and Ryzen 3 3300X . Threads and L3 cache are two times different in favor of Ryzen. Frequency 4.0 / 4.6 for Intel versus 3.8 / 4.3 for Ryzen. The processor from AMD is cheaper by $60.

So which is better?

If you plan to buy a laptop, then due to its features, there will be no difference between Intel and Ryzen (the price differs by 1-3%). Therefore, the choice in this case is a matter of taste.

For gaming desktops, AMD wins. At the same cost, these processors load 3D graphics 10-30% faster than models from Intel. However, if the buyer does not care about the issue of cost, then the choice is made to taste, since the speed of the computer does not change when replacing Ryzen with Intel with similar characteristics.

If a computer is needed to solve heavy tasks, then again AMD will win in speed due to a larger number of threads. In stationary computers, for solving standard tasks, the difference between the processors is not felt. The question is better to decide in favor of a low price.

Why is Intel still the leader?

Intel’s leadership is already a marketing problem that has nothing to do with product quality. AMD’s reputation has yet to recover from a major setback. There are still negative reviews on the net that AMD processors allegedly overheat, which affects performance (this was before the advent of Ryzen). In addition, most of the software is tailored specifically for Intel, because AMD has been practically absent from the market for 3 years.

However, AMD is literally breathing down Intel’s back. The performance of the cores can no longer be increased at the same pace, so you have to increase their number. And that means exponential price increases for monolithic processors. Therefore, AMD multi-chip processors will prevail in the near future.

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