Intel Core i5-8600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3400G

Processor comparisons 18-02-2022

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-8600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3400G and understand which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as PassMark, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, SuperPi, Furmark, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, RealBench, PCMark 10, MATLAB, AIDA64, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3400G or Intel Core i5-8600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-8600K

53%

Ryzen 5 3400G

52%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i5-8600K is 1% better than Ryzen 5 3400G. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-8600K

53%

Ryzen 5 3400G

52%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. Therefore, if you think 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 CPU comparisons were performed: Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.9	92.5
Valorant	106.7	105.1
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	58.9
Apex Legends	100.3	98.8
Call of Duty Warzone	80.0	78.8
Overwatch	86.4	85.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.6	72.5
DOOM Eternal	53.3	52.6
Warzone	83.2	82.0
Assassin's Creed	89.6	88.3
Valheim	88.5	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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD 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 i5-8600K

41%

Ryzen 5 3400G

54%

To make a finishing 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 3400G is more energy efficient than the Core i5-8600K as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. 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 want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn 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 can use only one core to run, 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 i5-8600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Cinbench 15 Single-core	183	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1040	875
Cinbench 20 Single-core	406	412
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2181	1969
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1318	1068
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7339	4810

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

	Intel Core i5-8600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Single-Core	2600	2348
Multi-Core	10237	9407

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

	Intel Core i5-8600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Single-Core	1191	1057
Multi-Core	5753	4426

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!

	Intel Core i5-8600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Announcement date	October 12, 2017	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151	AM4
Core name	Coffee Lake	Picasso
Architecture	x86	Zen+
Generation	8	3
Turbo Frequency	4.3 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	4
Threads	6	8
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	2460 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		2MB
L3 cache	9 MB	4MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	Expansion Options	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 2% better than Core i5-8600K in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-8600K has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 3400G. 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 i5-8600K is better: 27
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3400G is better: 11
However, it should be realized that all the number in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-8600K and AMD Ryzen 5 3400G before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i5-8600K - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i5-8600K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3400G specs and review.