Intel Core i5-8400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i5-8400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and decide which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like Prime95, Furmark, VeraCrypt, RealBench, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, UserBenchmark, WPrime, SuperPi, AIDA64, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Gears 5, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, PCMark 10, Blender, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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 Intel Core i5-8400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8400

52%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 2600X is 3% better than Core i5-8400. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8400

53%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, 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 small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	94.6
Valorant	106.3	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	60.2
Apex Legends	99.9	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	80.6
Overwatch	86.1	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	74.2
DOOM Eternal	53.1	53.8
Warzone	82.9	83.9
Assassin's Creed	89.3	90.3
Valheim	88.2	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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-8400

56%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a finishing decision 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 Core i5-8400 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor 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 check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 i5-8400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	161	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	954	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	411	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2291	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1023	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5457	7514

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

	Intel Core i5-8400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2442	2438
Multi-Core	9262	14033

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

	Intel Core i5-8400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1106	1127
Multi-Core	5408	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. 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 can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-8400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	October 01, 2017	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	AM4
Core name	Coffee Lake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	8	2
Turbo Frequency	4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2.8 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	6	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	2470 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	9 MB	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 22% better than Core i5-8400 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 i5-8400 is better: 7
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 29
Although it should be understood that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-8400 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-8400 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.