Amd ryzen 5 vs intel core i5 which is better option?

The arrival of the AMD Zen microarchitecture has meant that Intel's processors once again have a rival at their height after many years dominating with an iron hand. The mid-range is usually the most sold and in it we can find the Ryzen 5 and the Core i5 with very similar prices but quite different characteristics. For this reason we have prepared this comparison AMD Ryzen 5 Vs Intel Core i5 to help you in the purchase of your new processor.

Index of contents

AMD Ryzen 5 Vs Intel Core i5: technical characteristics

	Ryzen 5 1600X	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 1400	Core i5 8600K	Core i5 8400
Architecture	Zen	Zen	Zen	Zen	Coffee Lake	Coffee Lake
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm	14 nm	14 nm	14 nm	14 nm
Socket	AM4	AM4	AM4	AM4	LGA 1151	LGA 1151
TDP	95W	65W	95W	65W	95W	65W
Cores / threads	6/12	6/12	4/8	4/7	6/6	6/6
Frequency	3.6 / 4 GHz	3.2 / 3.6 GHz	3.7 / 3.7 GHz	3.2 / 3.4 GHz	3.6 GHz / 4.3 GHz	2.8 GHz / 4 GHz
L3 cache	16 MB	16 MB	16 MB	8 MB	9 MB	9 MB
BMI	DDR4-2400 (4000 MHz OC)	DDR4-2400 (4000 MHz OC)	DDR4-2400 (4000 MHz OC)	DDR4-2400 (4000 MHz OC)	DDR4-2600 (4000 MHz OC)	DDR4-2600 (4000 MHz OC)

We started AMD Ryzen 5 Vs Intel Core i5 for the Ryzen 5 1600 and Ryzen 5 1600X which are very similar to each other as they hardly differ due to the clock speed at which they work. Both are processors formed by 6 Zen cores that have SMT technology to be able to run up to 12 threads, so their performance in tasks that make use of a large number of processes is spectacular. Its features continue with 16 MB of L3 cache, 3 MB of L2 cache and base and turbo operating frequencies of 3.2 GHz / 3.6 GHz and 3.6 GHz / 4 GHz respectively. These differences in frequency make the Ryzen 5 1600 have a TDP of 65W and the Ryzen 5 1600X have a TDP of 95W.

We go down one step and find the Ryzen 5 1500X and Ryzen 5 1400 which are made up of 4 Zen cores with SMT to be able to run up to 8 threads. They are more modest but also very powerful processors and with a great capacity to work in intensive multiprocessing. The Ryzen 5 1500X has 16 MB of L3 cache, 2 MB of L2 cache and operates at frequencies of 3.5 GHz / 3.7 GHz. For its part, the Ryzen 5 1400 complies with 8 MB of L3 cache, 2 MB of L2 cache and operates at frequencies of 3.2 GHz / 3.4 GHz. Both have a TDP of 65W.

We now turn to the Intel processors and we find the Core i5 8600K and Core i5 8400. All of them are made up of 6 Coffee Lake cores without HT technology, so they are content to handle a maximum of 6 threads, this means that their potential in tasks that use a large number of processes is less than Ryzen 5. The Core i5 8400 has a TDP of 65W and base / turbo frequencies of 2.8 GHz / 4 GHz while the Core i5 8600K has a TDP of 95W and frequencies of 3.6 GHz / 4.3 GHz.

One big difference is that all Ryzen 5s come with the multiplier unlocked for overclocking while only the Core i5 8600K allows overclocking.

Performance in benchmarks and games

To analyze the performance of all the processors in AMD Ryzen 5 Vs Intel Core i5 we have collected the data obtained in our tests in a table. In the case of Intel we have only analyzed the Core i5 8600K so it is the only one that appears. We have used our usual battery of benchmark tests.

PERFORMANCE AT BENCHMARKS
	Ryzen 5 1600X	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 1400	Core i5 8600K
Cinebench R15	1239	1123	807	683	1033
Aida64 reading	44670	50270	50472	39593	47975
Aida64 script	44086	44890	44869	38057	54167
3DMARK Fire Strike	16504	15505	11325	10588	21114
3DMARK Fire Strike ultra	16109	15503	11434	10600
PCMark 8	9309	3908	3983	3661	4586
VRMark	4519	8133	8004	7198	11183

As for games, in AMD Ryzen 5 Vs Intel Core i5 we have also used the usual test bench with the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti and 1080p, 2K and 4K resolutions.

GAME PERFORMANCE 1080P (GEFORCE GTX 1080 TI)
	Ryzen 5 1600X	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 1400	Core i5 7600K
Battlefield 4	164	163	130	125	179
Crysis 3	94	91	83	73	99
tomb Raider	465	459	413	409	475
Doom	157	148	122	111	166
Overwatch	263	256	241	230	275

PERFORMANCE IN 2K GAMES (GEFORCE GTX 1080 TI)
	Ryzen 5 1600X	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 1400	Core i5 8600K
Battlefield 4	125	129	119	100	140
Crysis 3	70	69	61	57	79
tomb Raider	328	320	315	305	329
Doom	121	120	102	95	128
Overwatch	133	130	115	120	141

PERFORMANCE IN 4K GAMES (GEFORCE GTX 1080 TI)
	Ryzen 5 1600X	Ryzen 5 1600	Ryzen 5 1500X	Ryzen 5 1400	Core i5 8600K
Battlefield 4	120	113	108	91	127
Crysis 3	51	47	48	44	64
tomb Raider	157	159	152	158	157
Doom	49	60	57	55	69
Overwatch	120	120	120	120	120

Analysis of results and conclusion about AMD Ryzen 5 vs Intel Core i5

After seeing the results obtained in AMD Ryzen 5 Vs Intel Core i5, the Core i5 8600K leaves us with a quite different feeling than that experienced with the Core i7 8700K. The new Intel processor is more powerful than all Ryzen 5s when it comes to running video games, something that was expected since the Coffee Lake architecture is more powerful per core than AMD's Zen design. In this case the difference is less than what we saw with the Core i7 8700K and the explanation for this is that the Core i5 8600K does not reach operating frequencies as high as its older brother. The games are very sensitive to the frequency of each core, so in this case the Ryzen 5 do not have such a disadvantage and the Ryzen 5 1600X / 1600 is a formidable rival.

As for the benchmarks we see how the Ryzen 5 1500X / 1400 are inferior to the new Intel processor, its configuration of 4 cores and 8 threads is insufficient to compensate for the higher power per core of Coffee Lake. Instead, the Ryzen 5 1600X / 1600 have 6 cores and 12 threads, something that allows them to be superior to the Core i5 8600K despite the fact that it holds the type very well and is even capable of winning in tests related to virtual reality and games.

Best processors on the market (2017)

As a final conclusion we can say that the Core i5 8600K is an excellent processor but its release has not been as brilliant as the Core i7 8700K. The new Intel processor is, surely, the best on the market for video games along with the Core i5 8400 that we have not been able to analyze yet, despite this the Ryzen 5 6-core and 12-wire are very close and are superior in many cases outside of video games.

The Ryzen 5 1600 can be purchased for an approximate price of 200 euros and with overclock equals the Ryzen 5 1600X, with this it seems to us a better purchase than the Core i5 8600K which has a price of approximately 300 euros and also currently there is no stock.

Perhaps in Core i5 8400 it will rise as the best option for video games with a price also of approximately 200 euros, we will have to wait for it to pass through our hands.