AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X tests and see which is better for games or normal use for streaming, programming, machine learning, rendering, video editing. Here is all information from many benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, SuperPi, PassMark, AIDA64, RealBench, MATLAB, Blender, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, 7zip, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, Handbrake.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX.

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 5900HX

57%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900HX is 5% 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 5900HX

55%

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 it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Control, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.6	94.6
Valorant	110.9	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	60.2
Apex Legends	104.3	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	80.6
Overwatch	89.9	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	74.2
DOOM Eternal	55.5	53.8
Warzone	86.5	83.9
Assassin's Creed	93.2	90.3
Valheim	92.1	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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 5900HX

115%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a finishing choice 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 5900HX is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X since it has less power consumption: 45W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	223	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2160	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	571	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5536	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1344	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12051	7514

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	3340	2438
Multi-Core	23829	14033

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1561	1127
Multi-Core	9439	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	January 12, 2021	April 19, 2018
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FP6	AM4
Core name	Vermeer	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen
Generation	3	2
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	9400 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	45 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4 - Up to 3200MHz	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache	4MB	3MB
L3 cache	16MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000300	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 8% better than Ryzen 9 5900HX in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 5900HX 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 5900HX is better: 30
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 3
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.