Intel Core i5-9400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Intel Core i5-9400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and decide which is better for games or simple use for video editing, machine learning, rendering, streaming, programming. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like PassMark, Blender, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, 7zip, Prime95, SuperPi, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, VeraCrypt, RealBench, Handbrake, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i5-9400.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-9400

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 i5-9400. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

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 play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small 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: Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

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 computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 i5-9400

56%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a final 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 Core i5-9400 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, video rendering or video editing, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	7514

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2474	2438
Multi-Core	9515	14033

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1107	1127
Multi-Core	5420	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	AM4
Core name	Coffee Lake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	9	2
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2.9 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	3600 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 19% better than Core i5-9400 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 i5-9400 is better: 9
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 26
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 i5-9400 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.