AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a budget-friendly desktop CPU from Team Red, while Intel Core i5 13600K is a similarly priced CPU from Team Blue. Here we have compared both CPUs in depth with benchmarks and gaming performance to determine which gives you a better value for money.
Main Differences
- Intel Core i5 13600K is 2 Years newer.
- Ryzen 9 5900X has a 4.8 GHz Clock speed, while Intel Core i5 13600K has a 5.1 GHz Clock speed.
- Intel Core i5 13600K uses a 10nm process compared to a 7nm process on Ryzen 9 5900X
- Ryzen 9 5900X has 4 more threads but 2 less cores.
- Intel Core i5 13600K supports DDR5 RAM, while Ryzen 9 5900X is limited to DDR4 RAM.
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X doesn’t have built-in graphics
- Intel Core i5 13600K has a new PCI Express version 5.0
Specs Comparison
Before we take a look at benchmarks, let’s compare some specifications for both CPUs.
| Ryzen 9 5900X | Intel Core i5 13600K | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 12 | 14 |
| Threads | 24 | 20 |
| Base Clock Speed | 3.7 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 4.8 GHz | 5.1 GHz |
| Architecture | Zen 3 (Vermeer) | Raptor Lake |
| Socket | AM4 | LGA-1700 |
| L1 Cache | 64K/core | 80K/core |
| L2 Cache | 512K/core | 2MB/core |
| L3 Cache | 64MB(shared) | 24MB(shared) |
| Multiplier | 37x | 35x |
| Fabrication Process | 7nm | 10nm |
| Transistors | 4.15 billions | unknown |
| TDP | 105 W | 125 W |
| Max Temperature | 90°C | 100°C |
| Integrated Graphics | No | Intel UHD Graphics 770 |
| GPU Clock Seed | – | 1500 MHz |
| Memory | DDR4-3200 | DDR5-5600 |
| Memory Size | 128 GB | 192 GB |
| Memory Bandwidth | 47.68 GB/s | 89.6 GB/s |
| Memory Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | Yes | Yes |
| PCI Express Version | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Release date | 08 October 2020 | 27 September 2022 |
Benchmarks
Now that we have compared basic specs, let’s compare some popular benchmark standards between these two CPUs to find out which one comes out on top in performance.
Passmark Single Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 3469
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 4138(+17%)
PassMark Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 39150(+3%)
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 37981
Geekbench 6 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 2187
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 2691(+20%)
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 11901
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 15015(+23%)
Cinebench 2024 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 98
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 116(+16%)
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 1189
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 1280(+7%)
Gaming benchmark tests
While benchmarks like Passmark and Geekbench give a general idea about the performance, they still don’t show the full picture. Here is the comparison between both CPUs in popular games to show you the real-life usage performance of these CPUs.
| Game | Ryzen 9 5900X(FPS) | Intel Core i5 13600K(FPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 (Medium 1080p) | 131 | 201 |
| Watch Dogs Legion (Very High 1080p) | 123 | 161 |
| Hitman 3 (High 1080p) | 179 | 222 |
| Horizon Zero Dawn (Favor 1080p) | 197 | 200 |
| Spiderman Remastered (High 1080p) | 92 | 118 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Highest 1080p) | 180 | 253 |
| Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction (Low 1080p) | 405 | 435 |
| CS: GO (Medium 1080p) | 387 | 444 |
Productivity benchmark tests
Not everyone plans to use their PC for gaming purposes, but some people also use them for 3D design and video editing. So, we are also sharing some productivity benchmarks with you.
Blender (Lower is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 655
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 623(+5%)
Adobe After Effects (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 1016
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 1269(+22%)
Adobe Photoshop (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 1231
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 1387(+11%)
Adobe Premiere Pro (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 9 5900X – 997
- Intel Core i5 13600K – 1085(+8%)
Price
At the time of making this comparison, the Ryzen 9 5900X is available at $262, while the Intel Core i5 13600K is priced at $260. So, the price difference between the two is only 2$, which is almost non-existent.
Check the latest price of Ryzen 9 5900X
Conclusion – Which one should you buy?
Now, it’s time to look at all the data and figure out which one is the best option for you. First up, there is no real price difference between the CPUs. So, we will take a look at the pure performance difference between the two.
Intel Core i5 13600K comes out on top in all three benchmark standards: Traditional, gaming, and productivity. Aside from that, it also supports better DDR5 RAM and PCI 5.0, and has built-in graphics support.
The only advantage Ryzen 9 5900X has is that it’s built in a smaller 7nm fabrication process and consumes slightly less power. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the Intel Core i5 13600K is better in all the other things, and when it comes to value for money, it’s a clear winner between the two.
