Ryzen 9 3900XT vs Core i5-6600K

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1315	227
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	1.63	36.83
Market segment	Desktop processor	Desktop processor
Series	Intel Core i5 (Desktop)	AMD Ryzen 9
Architecture codename	Skylake (2015−2016)	Matisse 2 (2020)
Release date	2 July 2015 (8 years ago)	7 July 2020 (3 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$242	$499
Current price	$132 (0.5x MSRP)	$450 (0.9x MSRP)

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3900XT has 2160% better value for money than i5-6600K.

Detailed specifications

Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	4 (Quad-Core)	12 (Dodeca-Core)
Threads	4	24
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	4.7 GHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	96K (per core)
L2 cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)
L3 cache	6 MB (shared)	64 MB
Chip lithography	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm
Die size	122 mm2	74 mm2
Maximum core temperature	64 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	95 °C
Number of transistors	no data	3,800 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	+
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	Yes

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1151	AM4
Power consumption (TDP)	91 Watt	105 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	no data
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	+	no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	no data
Hyper-Threading Technology	-	no data
TSX	+	no data
Idle States	+	no data
Thermal Monitoring	+	no data
SIPP	-	no data
Status	Discontinued	no data

Security technologies

Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	no data
EDB	+	no data
Secure Key	+	no data
MPX	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	no data
SGX	Yes with Intel® ME	no data
OS Guard	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	+
VT-d	+	no data
VT-x	+	no data
EPT	+	no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3, DDR4	DDR4-3200
Maximum memory size	64 GB	128 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	34.1 GB/s	51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 530	-
Max video memory	64 GB	-
Quick Sync Video	+	-
Clear Video	+	-
Clear Video HD	+	-
Graphics max frequency	1.15 GHz	-
InTru 3D	+	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	-
eDP	+	-
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
DVI	+	-

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support	+	-
Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096x2304@24Hz	-
Max resolution over eDP	4096x2304@60Hz	-
Max resolution over DisplayPort	4096x2304@60Hz	-
Max resolution over VGA	N/A	-

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	12	-
OpenGL	4.5	-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT.

PCIe version	3.0	4.0
PCI Express lanes	16	no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Ryzen 9 3900XT outperforms Core i5-6600K by 417% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	4.09	21.16
Recency	2 July 2015	7 July 2020
Physical cores	4	12
Threads	4	24
Cost	$242	$499
Chip lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	91 Watt	105 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-6600K and Ryzen 9 3900XT, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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