AMD Ryzen 9 4900U vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 9 4900U vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and understand which is better for games or simple use for streaming, programming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as 3DMark, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, RealBench, Prime95, PCMark 10, AIDA64, Blender, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, Blender, SuperPi, Furmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Cyberpunk 2077
Red Dead Redemption 2
Borderlands 3
Apex Legends
Fallout 76
Watch Dogs Legion
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Fortnite
Grand Theft Auto V
Rainbow Six Siege
Last Man Standing
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
DOOM: Eternal
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Death Stranding
Overwatch
Valorant
Halo Infinite
Valheim

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or AMD Ryzen 9 4900U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 9 4900U

56%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 4900U is 3% better than Ryzen 5 2600X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 4900U

53%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Control, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.6	94.6
Valorant	107.5	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	60.2	60.2
Apex Legends	101.0	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	80.6	80.6
Overwatch	87.0	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.1	74.2
DOOM Eternal	53.7	53.8
Warzone	83.8	83.9
Assassin's Creed	90.3	90.3
Valheim	89.2	89.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 9 4900U

267%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 9 4900U is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	208	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1398	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	503	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3307	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1270	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10053	7514

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2015	2438
Multi-Core	21586	14033

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1203	1127
Multi-Core	6431	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	January 12, 2021	April 19, 2018
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FP6	AM4
Core name	Renoir	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen
Generation	4	2
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200 LPDDR4-4266	DDR4
Max. Memory	32 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266	2933
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache	2MB	3MB
L3 cache	8MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD260XBCM6IAF YD260XBCAFBOX YD260XBCAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 2600X is 44% better than Ryzen 9 4900U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 4900U has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 2600X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 4900U is better: 19
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 11
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 4900U and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before making a decision which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen 9 4900U specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.