Intel Core i7-9700 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i7-9700 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X tests and understand which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications such as SuperPi, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, AIDA64, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, RealBench, Gears 5, Handbrake, WPrime, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, VeraCrypt, 7zip.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-9700.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-9700

54%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-9700

54%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	94.6
Valorant	108.9	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	60.2
Apex Legends	102.3	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	81.6	80.6
Overwatch	88.2	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	74.2
DOOM Eternal	54.4	53.8
Warzone	84.9	83.9
Assassin's Creed	91.4	90.3
Valheim	90.3	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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 i7-9700

61%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

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 i7-9700 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to 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

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, 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 achieve maximum efficiency, the CPU turns on 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 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 use only one core to run, 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 i7-9700	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1491	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	465	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3644	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1181	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	8540	7514

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

	Intel Core i7-9700	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2835	2438
Multi-Core	13511	14033

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

	Intel Core i7-9700	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1195	1127
Multi-Core	7637	6497

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 in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-9700	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	April 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	4.7 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	5600 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	12 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 16% better than Core i7-9700 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i7-9700 has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 2600X. 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 i7-9700 is better: 29
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 8
However, it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-9700 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i7-9700 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.