Intel Core i5-9400 vs AMD Ryzen 7 2700X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-9400 vs AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and understand which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming. Here you can find all 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 made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, Blender, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, 7zip, 3DMark, Furmark, RealBench, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, SuperPi, PassMark, Handbrake, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, Gears 5.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 2700X 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 7 2700X

55%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 2700X is 5% better than Core i5-9400. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9400

53%

Ryzen 7 2700X

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And of course, 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 small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Hitman 3, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Ghostrunner, Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), NBA 2K20, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.5	96.4
Valorant	106.3	109.6
Cyberpunk 2077	59.5	61.4
Apex Legends	99.9	103.0
Call of Duty Warzone	79.7	82.2
Overwatch	86.1	88.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.3	75.6
DOOM Eternal	53.1	54.8
Warzone	82.9	85.5
Assassin's Creed	89.3	92.1
Valheim	88.2	91.0

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 i5-9400

56%

Ryzen 7 2700X

34%

To make a final 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 i5-9400 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 7 2700X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will learn 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, 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 7 2700X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	177	177
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	987	1817
Cinbench 20 Single-core	403	411
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2284	3951
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1051	1092
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	5606	10545

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Single-Core	2474	2465
Multi-Core	9515	17664

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

	Intel Core i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
Single-Core	1107	1100
Multi-Core	5420	8275

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 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 i5-9400	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
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	4.3 MHz
Frequency	2.9 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	8
Threads	6	16
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	3800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb	64 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache		4MB
L3 cache	9 MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		YD270XBGM88AF YD270XBGAFBOX YD270XBGAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 7 2700X is 21% better than Core i5-9400 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 7 2700X has 2 more core than Core i5-9400. 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 7 2700X is better: 27
Although it should be realized that all the number in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Ryzen 7 2700X before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i5-9400 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 2700X specs and review.