Intel Core i9-9900 vs Intel Core i5-10600

Processor comparisons 24-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests Intel Core i9-9900 vs Intel Core i5-10600 and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, streaming, machine learning, video editing. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like WPrime, Gears 5, RealBench, SuperPi, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, Blender, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i5-10600 or Intel Core i9-9900.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9900

55%

Core i5-10600

54%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9900 is 1% better than Core i5-10600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9900

55%

Core i5-10600

54%

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 play 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, 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, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, Control, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.1	95.2
Valorant	110.4	108.1
Cyberpunk 2077	61.8	60.6
Apex Legends	103.7	101.6
Call of Duty Warzone	82.8	81.1
Overwatch	89.4	87.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.1	74.6
DOOM Eternal	55.2	54.1
Warzone	86.1	84.3
Assassin's Creed	92.7	90.8
Valheim	91.6	89.7

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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i9-9900

74%

Core i5-10600

67%

To make a final choice 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 i9-9900 is more energy efficient than the Core i5-10600 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

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 i9-9900	Intel Core i5-10600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	219	214
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1931	1569
Cinbench 20 Single-core	518	494
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4346	3556
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1284	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12205	9024

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

	Intel Core i9-9900	Intel Core i5-10600
Single-Core	2864	2832
Multi-Core	17110	13964

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

	Intel Core i9-9900	Intel Core i5-10600
Single-Core	1454	1307
Multi-Core	8933	7015

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 you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. 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 in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Core i9-9900	Intel Core i5-10600
Announcement date	April 01, 2019	April 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA1151-2	FCLGA1200
Core name	Coffee Lake	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	9	10
Turbo Frequency	5 MHz	4.8 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth	41.6 GB/s	41.6 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	16 MB	12 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i5-10600 is 6% better than Core i9-9900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9900 has 2 more core than Core i5-10600. 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 i9-9900 is better: 25
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i5-10600 is better: 5
All the figures in the article above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9900 and Intel Core i5-10600 before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Intel Core i9-9900 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i9-9900 specs and review.

• Intel Core i5-10600 specs and review.