Similar to the Core i7-9700K vs Ryzen 7 3700X post, this will part of our legacy content for those readers who can’t find Intel’s newer 10th Gen desktop processors in local markets, or simply don’t want to pay extra. In this post, we compare the Core i5-9600K against AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600X and the 3600.
| Core i5-9600K | Ryzen 5 3600 | Ryzen 5 3600X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cores/Threads | 6/6 | 6/12 | 6/12 |
| Base Clock | 3.7GHz | 3.6GHz | 3.8GHz |
| Boost Clock | 4.6GHz | 4.2GHz | 4.4GHz |
| L3 Cache | 9MB | 32MB | 32MB |
| Process | 14nm | 7nm | 7nm |
| Memory | DDR4-2666 MHz | DDR4-3200MHz | DDR4-3200MHz |
| TDP | 95W | 65W | 95W |
| Price | $239 | $159 | $199 |
The Ryzen 5 3600X is basically an overclocked 3600. The core/thread count is the same, and the TDP limit has been raised to allow for a higher boost clock. The Core i5-9600K has the same core count as the Ryzen 5 siblings but lacks hyperthreading. However, at the same time, its higher core clock is favored by gaming workloads. The Ryzen chips have a much larger L3 cache to make up for the latency drop induced by the Infinity Fabric. As Intel’s offerings leverage a monolithic design, that sort of cache memory isn’t needed.
Testbench
- Motherboard: ASRock Taichi X570/ MSI Z370 Aorus Gaming Ultra
- GPU: ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 Ti
- RAM: Trident Z Royal 16GB @ 3600MHz
Gaming Benchmarks: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 vs 3600X vs Core i5-9600K
At 1080p ultra, the Core i5-9600K and the Ryzen 5 3600X perform mostly on par with one another. The 3600 is slightly slower (>5%) but in newer DX12 based titles, the AMD CPUs have an advantage. In older DX11 games, the Intel chip generally leads by a small margin.
At 1080p ultra, the Core i5-9600K and the Ryzen 5 3600X perform mostly on par with one another. The 3600 is slightly slower (>5%) but in newer DX12 based titles, the AMD CPUs have an advantage. In older DX11 games, the Intel chip generally leads by a small margin.
In Ashes of the Singularity (CPU Test), the Core i5 lags behind both the Ryzen 5 3600 & the 3600X. This can be attributed to the lower CPU overhead that comes with well-optimized DX12 & Vulkan titles. Ashes benefits from as many as 18 cores. That’s one of the reasons it scales well even with HEDT parts like the Core i9-9980XE.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider, on the other hand, sees the Core i5-9600K sandwiched between the Ryzen 5 3600 and the 3600X. The latter leads by a small margin while the former is slower by the same amount.
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X vs 3700X vs 3900X Gaming Performance Benchmarks: Averages, 1% and 0.1% Lows
Intel Core i9-9900K vs Core i7-9700K: Do you Really Need a Core i9 for Gaming?
Content Creation and Productivity
Adobe Premiere Pro is the program of choice for the majority of mainstream content creators, and here both the Ryzen 5 3600 as well as the 3600X haughtily beat the Core i5-9600K. Rendering benchmarks like Indigo and Cinebench are AMD’s home turf. The 9600K doesn’t stand a chance there.
7-zip is one of the few applications that leverage as many as 64 threads. You can use a Threadripper chip and it’ll still scale well. It benefits from SMT, higher core counts as well as faster clocks, and is a good way to measure the performance of multi-core CPUs. Naturally, the Ryzen 5 parts dominate here too.
Kraken on the other gives an idea of the chips’ browsing performance. Although this benchmark is largely inconsequential for desktop CPUs of this level, it’s still included in most benchmarks as a formality. Once again, the Matisse chips proclaim their superiority here and the 9600K is defeated by a fat margin.
Conclusion: Ryzen all the way!
The 3rd Gen Ryzen 5 CPUs basically murder the Core i5-9600K in productivity and content creation related workloads. When it comes to gaming, the 9600K manages to edge past the 3600 but loses to the 3600X in newer Direct12 titles.
The 3rd Gen Ryzen 5 CPUs basically murder the Core i5-9600K in productivity and content creation related workloads. When it comes to gaming, the 9600K manages to edge past the 3600 but loses to the 3600X in newer Direct12 titles. The two Ryzen chips are mostly on par with each other. The 3600X with its higher boost clock is suited for gaming-centric workloads. People looking to build a gaming PC, be it for 1080p 144Hz or 4K 60Hz, ought to opt for it. It performs on par with the 3700X in most games while beating even the Core i7-9700K in other workloads.
