Intel Core i5-6500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3400G

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-6500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3400G and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, streaming, machine learning, video editing, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, Handbrake, PCMark 10, Blender, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, Gears 5, 7zip, 3DMark, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, SuperPi, WPrime, RealBench, Prime95, Blender.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3400G or Intel Core i5-6500.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-6500

51%

Ryzen 5 3400G

52%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3400G is 1% better than Core i5-6500. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-6500

51%

Ryzen 5 3400G

52%

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 play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Control, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.4	92.5
Valorant	103.9	105.1
Cyberpunk 2077	58.2	58.9
Apex Legends	97.6	98.8
Call of Duty Warzone	77.9	78.8
Overwatch	84.1	85.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	71.7	72.5
DOOM Eternal	51.9	52.6
Warzone	81.0	82.0
Assassin's Creed	87.3	88.3
Valheim	86.2	87.3

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

Core i5-6500

51%

Ryzen 5 3400G

54%

To make a finishing choice on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 3400G is more energy efficient than the Core i5-6500 since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on 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 software 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 are unused.

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

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Cinbench 15 Single-core	153	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	565	875
Cinbench 20 Single-core	354	412
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1299	1969
Cinbench 23 Single-core	842	1068
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	2928	4810

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

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Single-Core	2149	2348
Multi-Core	5644	9407

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

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Single-Core	1004	1057
Multi-Core	3346	4426

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-6500	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Announcement date	April 01, 2015	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	LGA 1151	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Picasso
Architecture	x86	Zen+
Generation	6	3
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	4	4
Threads	4	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	1760 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600 @ 1.35V	DDR4
Max. Memory	64 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		2MB
L3 cache	6 MB	4MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD3400C5M4MFH YD3400C5FHBOX YD3400C5FHMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3400G is 13% better than Core i5-6500 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 i5-6500 is better: 5
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3400G is better: 30
The summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-6500 and AMD Ryzen 5 3400G before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-6500 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3400G specs and review.