Intel Core i5-9400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3400G

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i5-9400 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3400G tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming, rendering. Here you can find all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests like World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, PassMark, RealBench, 7zip, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, 3DMark, SuperPi, Blender, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, WPrime, Handbrake.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3400G 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 3400G

52%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

53%

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 run 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, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Control.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	92.5
Valorant	106.3	105.1
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	58.9
Apex Legends	99.9	98.8
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	78.8
Overwatch	86.1	85.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	72.5
DOOM Eternal	53.1	52.6
Warzone	82.9	82.0
Assassin's Creed	89.3	88.3
Valheim	88.2	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: 2K, 4K 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i5-9400

56%

Ryzen 5 3400G

54%

To make a finishing resolution 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 3400G since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, 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 software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit 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 3400G
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	169
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	875
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	412
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	1969
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	1068
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	4810

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Single-Core	2474	2348
Multi-Core	9515	9407

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Single-Core	1107	1057
Multi-Core	5420	4426

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, 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. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 5 3400G
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	AM4
Core name	Coffee Lake	Picasso
Architecture	x86	Zen+
Generation	9	3
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2.9 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	3600 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 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	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 21% better than Core i5-9400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i5-9400 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 i5-9400 is better: 25
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3400G is better: 11
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Ryzen 5 3400G before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3400G specs and review.