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AMD Ryzen 5 5600X vs Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F: Comparison

What is the difference between AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F?

L3 cache is where these two genuinely part company, AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 32 MB against Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F 12 MB, a 63% lead for AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. AMD Ryzen 5 5600X also leads on l2 cache, 3 MB on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus 2 MB on the Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F. Pcie lanes runs the same way, 24 on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus 16 on the Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F, another win for AMD Ryzen 5 5600X. They differ on socket too, AM4 on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus FCLGA1151 on the Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F.

Which should you buy, AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F?

Take the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X for gaming-focused desktop builds wanting excellent value from Zen 3's per-core gains and large cache. It is not the one for buyers needing more than 6 cores for heavy multi-threaded productivity work, the 8-core Ryzen 7 5800X handles that better. it is not the pick for enthusiasts wanting to overclock, the unlocked i7-9700K offers that flexibility. The same goes for gaming-focused desktop builds wanting near-i7-9700K performance without paying for overclocking headroom or integrated graphics.

What AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F have in common

The common ground is wider than the gap: efficiency cores, tdp, integrated graphics, socket status and form factor are identical here. They match on 6 further specifications as well.

Frequently asked questions

Do the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F differ on total cores?

Yes. Total Cores reads 6 on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X versus 8 on the Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F.

Is the iGPU the same on the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F?

It is. Both are listed at None, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.

Specs and benchmarks

  • Brand

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    AMD
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Intel
  • Product Line

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Ryzen 5
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Core i7
  • Form Factor

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Desktop
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Desktop
  • Model Number

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    5600X
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    9700F
  • Codename

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Vermeer
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Coffee Lake
  • Release Year

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    2020
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    2019
  • TDP

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    65 W
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    65 W
  • iGPU

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    None
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    None
  • Market Segment

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Desktop
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Desktop
  • Microarchitecture

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Zen 3, Ryzen 5000 Series
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Coffee Lake
  • Socket

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    AM4
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    FCLGA1151
  • Socket Status

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    End of Life
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    End of Life
  • Process Node

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    7 nm
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    14 nm
  • Total Cores

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    6
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    8Best
  • Performance Cores

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    6
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    8Best
  • Efficiency Cores

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    0
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    0
  • Total Threads

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    12Best
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    8
  • SMT Enabled

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Yes
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    No
  • P-Core Base Clock

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    3.7 GHz
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    3.0 GHz
  • P-Core Boost Clock

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    4.6 GHz
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    4.7 GHz
  • Unlocked Multiplier

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Yes
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    No
  • L2 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    3 MBBest
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    2 MB-33%
  • L3 Cache

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    32 MBBest
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    12 MB-62%
  • Base Power

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    65 W
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    65 W
  • Memory Type

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    DDR4
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    DDR4-2666
  • Max Memory Speed

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    3200 MT/sBest
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    2666 MT/s
  • Memory Channels

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    2
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    2
  • Max Memory Capacity

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    128 GB
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    128 GB
  • ECC Support

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Yes
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    No
  • Integrated Graphics

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    No
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    No
  • Copilot Plus Certified

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    No
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    No
  • PCIe Generation

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    PCIe 4.0
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    PCIe 3.0
  • PCIe Lanes

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    24
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    16-33%
  • Launch MSRP

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    $299
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    $299
  • Retail Availability

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
    Boxed Retail
    Intel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Discontinued

    Which one should you pick?

    Choose 5600X if you want the higher L2 cache (3 MB vs 2 MB), the higher L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB) and the higher memory channels (2 vs 2).

    Choose 9700F if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.

    Price comparison

    RetailerAMD Ryzen 5 5600XIntel 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9700F
    Amazon

    $299.00

    View on Amazon
    NeweggView on Newegg
    Best BuyView on Best Buy
    Consumercarts listing

    $299.00

    View on Consumercarts listing

    Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.

    More comparisons in Processors (CPUs)