Intel Core i9-10900K vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the Intel Core i9-10900K vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, programming, rendering, video editing. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like WPrime, Furmark, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, 7zip, PassMark, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, AIDA64, Handbrake, Prime95, SuperPi, RealBench, Blender, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i9-10900K.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-10900K

57%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-10900K is 5% better than Ryzen 5 2600X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-10900K

58%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	102.7	94.6
Valorant	116.7	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	65.3	60.2
Apex Legends	109.7	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	87.5	80.6
Overwatch	94.5	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	80.5	74.2
DOOM Eternal	58.3	53.8
Warzone	91.0	83.9
Assassin's Creed	98.0	90.3
Valheim	96.8	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. 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 i9-10900K

43%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a final decision 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 i9-10900K is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X as it consumes less power: 125W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, 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 efficiency. 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. Because there are still many programs that 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 i9-10900K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	234	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2677	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	539	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6399	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1418	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17325	7514

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

	Intel Core i9-10900K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	3141	2438
Multi-Core	24010	14033

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

	Intel Core i9-10900K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1617	1127
Multi-Core	14374	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-10900K	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	April 01, 2020	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1200	AM4
Core name	Comet Lake	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	x86	Zen
Generation	10	2
Turbo Frequency	5.3 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.7 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	10	6
Threads	20	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	9200 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	125 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		2933
Memory bandwidth	45.8 GB/s
L1 cache		576KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	20 MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	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 Core i9-10900K is 2% better than Ryzen 5 2600X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-10900K has 4 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 i9-10900K is better: 32
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 6
However, it should be understood that the summary data in the article 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 of people who bought Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Core i9-10900K specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.