Intel Core i5-10600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Core i5-10600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming, video editing. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as AIDA64, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, WPrime, PassMark, VeraCrypt, 7zip, PCMark 10, RealBench.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3500X or Intel Core i5-10600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-10600K

54%

Ryzen 5 3500X

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-10600K

55%

Ryzen 5 3500X

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that 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, just 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: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, Control, Battlefield V, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, DOTA 2A, NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.0	94.1
Valorant	110.2	106.9
Cyberpunk 2077	61.7	59.9
Apex Legends	103.6	100.5
Call of Duty Warzone	82.7	80.2
Overwatch	89.3	86.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.1	73.8
DOOM Eternal	55.1	53.5
Warzone	86.0	83.4
Assassin's Creed	92.6	89.8
Valheim	91.5	88.7

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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. 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

Core i5-10600K

39%

Ryzen 5 3500X

65%

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 5 3500X is more energy efficient than the Core i5-10600K since it has less power consumption: 125W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since 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

	Intel Core i5-10600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	215	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1615	1129
Cinbench 20 Single-core	501	464
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3629	2652
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1376	1126
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10379	7797

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

	Intel Core i5-10600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Single-Core	2967	2562
Multi-Core	14674	13476

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

	Intel Core i5-10600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Single-Core	1495	1272
Multi-Core	8815	5963

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-10600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	September 24, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	AM4
Core name	Comet Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	10	3
Turbo Frequency	4.8 MHz	4.1 MHz
Frequency	4.1 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	6
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	4800 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	12 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000158 100-100000158CBX 100-100000158MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-10600K is 12% better than Ryzen 5 3500X in terms of CPU frequency. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10600K is better: 30
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3500X is better: 6
However, it should be realized that all the 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 reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-10600K and AMD Ryzen 5 3500X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-10600K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500X specs and review.