Intel Core i9-9960X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i9-9960X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, machine learning, programming, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications like UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, RealBench, 3DMark, Prime95, PCMark 10, PassMark, WPrime, SuperPi, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, Handbrake, Blender, Blender, Furmark, MATLAB, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i9-9960X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i9-9960X

59%

Ryzen 5 3600

55%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Core i9-9960X is 6% better than Ryzen 5 3600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i9-9960X

60%

Ryzen 5 3600

53%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play 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 less popular games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Control, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.4	94.7
Valorant	120.9	107.6
Cyberpunk 2077	67.7	60.3
Apex Legends	113.6	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	90.7	80.7
Overwatch	97.9	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.4	74.3
DOOM Eternal	60.5	53.8
Warzone	94.3	83.9
Assassin's Creed	101.6	90.4
Valheim	100.3	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: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 i9-9960X

24%

Ryzen 5 3600

63%

To make a finishing choice 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 Ryzen 5 3600 is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9960X since it has less power consumption: 165W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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

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 i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	200
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2872	1578
Cinbench 20 Single-core	457	472
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6671	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1086	1253
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	22943	9412

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

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	2684	2611
Multi-Core	30816	17872

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

	Intel Core i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	1230	1238
Multi-Core	18032	6578

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, 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 i9-9960X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Announcement date	January 01, 2019	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA2066	AM4
Core name	Skylake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	9	3
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	16	6
Threads	32	12
Bus rate	8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2666	DDR4
Max. Memory	128 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth	85 GB/s
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache	22 MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000031 100-100000031BOX 100-100000031MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600 is 13% better than Core i9-9960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-9960X has 10 more core than Ryzen 5 3600. 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 i9-9960X is better: 27
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is better: 11
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Core i9-9960X and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• Intel Core i9-9960X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 specs and review.