Ryzen 5 3600X vs Core i9-9900K

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Aggregated performance score

Core i9-9900K
2018
8 cores / 16 threads
11.85
+0.6%
Ryzen 5 3600X
2019
6 cores / 12 threads
11.78

Core i9-9900K outperforms Ryzen 5 3600X by 1% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

General info

Comparing Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking590597
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Value for money13.1930.14
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesCore i9 (Desktop)AMD Ryzen 5
Architecture codenameCoffee Lake-R (2018−2019)Matisse (2019−2020)
Release date19 October 2018 (5 years ago)7 July 2019 (4 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$488$249
Current price$409 (0.8x MSRP)$210 (0.8x MSRP)

Value for money

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 5 3600X has 129% better value for money than i9-9900K.

Technical specs

Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X 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 cores8 (Octa-Core)6 (Hexa-Core)
Threads1612
Base clock speed3.6 GHz3.8 GHz
Boost clock speed5 GHz4.4 GHz
L1 cache64K (per core)96K (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)512K (per core)
L3 cache16 MB (shared)32 MB (shared)
Chip lithography14 nm7 nm, 12 nm
Die size178 mm2no data
Maximum core temperature100 °Cno data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °Cno data
Number of transistorsno data4,800 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility++
Unlocked multiplierYesYes

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X 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 configuration11 (Uniprocessor)
SocketLGA-1151AM4
Power consumption (TDP)95 Watt95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2no data
AES-NI++
AVX++
vPro+no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
TSX+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+no data
SIPP+no data
StatusDiscontinuedno data

Security technologies

Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X 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
SGXYes with Intel® MEno data
OS Guard+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X 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 i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size128 GB128 GB
Max memory channels22
Maximum memory bandwidth41.6 GB/s51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support--

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel UHD Graphics 630-
Max video memory64 GB-
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video+-
Clear Video HD+-
Graphics max frequency1.2 GHz-
InTru 3D+-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported3-

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

4K resolution support+-
Max resolution over HDMI 1.44096 x 2304@24Hz-
Max resolution over eDP4096 x 2304@60Hz-
Max resolution over DisplayPort4096 x 2304@60Hz-

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX12-
OpenGL4.5-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X.

PCIe version3.0no data
PCI Express lanes16no 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.


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.

i9-9900K 11.85
+0.6%
Ryzen 5 3600X 11.78

Core i9-9900K outperforms Ryzen 5 3600X by 1% based on our aggregated benchmark results.


Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

Benchmark coverage: 68%

i9-9900K 18323
+0.6%
Ryzen 5 3600X 18216

Core i9-9900K outperforms Ryzen 5 3600X by 1% in Passmark.

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i9-9900K 1672
+1.6%
Ryzen 5 3600X 1645

Core i9-9900K outperforms Ryzen 5 3600X by 2% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Benchmark coverage: 42%

i9-9900K 7972
+13.7%
Ryzen 5 3600X 7014

Core i9-9900K outperforms Ryzen 5 3600X by 14% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.

Gaming performance

Advantages and disadvantages


Performance score 11.85 11.78
Recency 19 October 2018 7 July 2019
Physical cores 8 6
Threads 16 12
Cost $488 $249
Chip lithography 14 nm 7 nm

We couldn't decide between Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X. The differences in performance seem too small.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-9900K and Ryzen 5 3600X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote

Do you think we are right or mistaken in our choice? Vote by clicking "Like" button near your favorite CPU.


Intel Core i9-9900K
Core i9-9900K
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Ryzen 5 3600X

Similar processor comparisons

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User Ratings

Here you can see how users rate the processors, as well as rate them yourself.


3.8 2151 vote

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Questions and comments

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