Intel Core i5-9600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i5-9600K vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, video editing, rendering, streaming, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough review of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as Prime95, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, PCMark 10, PassMark, MATLAB, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), RealBench, AIDA64, Blender, Furmark, Handbrake, Blender, SuperPi, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT or Intel Core i5-9600K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i5-9600K

53%

Ryzen 5 3600XT

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3600XT is 3% better than Core i5-9600K. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i5-9600K

53%

Ryzen 5 3600XT

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.5	96.6
Valorant	107.4	109.7
Cyberpunk 2077	60.1	61.4
Apex Legends	101.0	103.1
Call of Duty Warzone	80.6	82.3
Overwatch	87.0	88.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.1	75.7
DOOM Eternal	53.7	54.9
Warzone	83.8	85.6
Assassin's Creed	90.2	92.2
Valheim	89.1	91.1

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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 i5-9600K

48%

Ryzen 5 3600XT

48%

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve 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. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 i5-9600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
Cinbench 15 Single-core	204	207
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1165	1671
Cinbench 20 Single-core	481	519
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2624	3855
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1276	1330
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7301	9945

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

	Intel Core i5-9600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
Single-Core	2761	2831
Multi-Core	10894	18815

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

	Intel Core i5-9600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
Single-Core	1396	1386
Multi-Core	6386	8390

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 later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i5-9600K	AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT
Announcement date	October 01, 2018	July 23, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	AM4
Core name	Coffee Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	9	3
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	6	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	9 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-100000281BOX

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600XT is 2% better than Core i5-9600K 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 i5-9600K is better: 7
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT is better: 27
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Core i5-9600K and AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i5-9600K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT specs and review.