Table of Contents
It is pretty easy to compare Ryzen to Intel, this is because they have very similar processors with similar lineups, this is great for the consumer as it gives a lot of options to choose from. When picking a processor it is important to know exactly what you want out of your system, this will save you a lot of time and money because it’s pretty easy to pick up a processor that isn’t good for you.
In general, it is said that Ryzen is the more budget option when building a PC, but it’s pretty clear Ryzen doesn’t want to be seen as just the budget option anymore. Ryzen CPUs have been getting significantly stronger in the single-core performance perspective, and the multicore performance is already pretty great. You can find pretty awesome Ryzen 5 processors for a great price.
Answer: The Intel equivalent to the Ryzen 5 is the Intel Core I5 processors and they both target the same audience, users wanting a decent affordable CPU, The Intel i5 and Ryzen 5 processors are common among gamers that are looking for a great mid-tier CPU, you do not really need more than 6 cores for gaming as it’s quite unnecessary.
Ryzen 5 CPU List & Features
| CPU | Core Count(Threads) | Clock Speed(Boost) | TDP |
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 65W |
| Ryzen 5 Pro 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 65W |
| Ryzen 5 3600X | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.4GHz) | 95W |
| Ryzen 5 3600XT | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.5GHz) | 95W |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.6GHz) | 65W |
The first feature we would like to talk about is the low TDP they offer, it really doesn’t take much to run these CPUs which is a great thing. The latest Ryzen 5 5600X CPU that can compete directly with the I9 9990K in gaming performance has a much lower TDP, this has to do with the superior fabrication method, their processors are on the 7nm process whereas the I9 9900K is on the 14nm process.
Another great feature is the SMT capabilities in a mid-range lineup of processors, it used to be that SMT would be reserved for the top-tier CPUs. SMT capabilities will allow your processor to multitask better which could benefit you in tasks such as video editing.
Ryzen processors do not come with integrated graphics the same way I5 processors do, this can be a downside for video editing where a lot of iGPUs will feature amazing encoders and decoders. If you’re going to install a dedicated GPU, then it shouldn’t really matter, gaming on an iGPU is a pretty bad idea as it can be quite laggy in many games.
All the Ryzen processors are overclockable by default, this is a great benefit as it would allow you to push your single-core performance past its rated limits. There may be a few downsides such as increasing the voltage, this may decrease the lifespan, but the extra single-core performance will result in better FPS in games.
I5 CPU List & Features
| CPU | Core Count(Threads) | Clock Speed(Boost) | TDP |
| Core i5-11600 | 6(12) | 2.8GHz(4.8GHz) | 65W |
| Core i5-11600K | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 125W |
| Core i5-11600KF | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 125W |
| Core i5-12600 | 6(12) | 3.3GHz(4.8GHz) | 65W(117W Boost) |
| Core i5-12600KF | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 125W(150W Boost) |
| Core i5-12600K | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 125W(150W Boost) |
The first I5 feature we would like to talk about is the single-core performance capabilities, naturally, they’re very great which means they attract the likes of gamers. Users that gravitate towards the I5 will enjoy the benefits of great single-core performance for a very affordable price, plus you don’t really need to overclock.
I5 processors denoted with a (K) means they’re ready for overclocking, this is great as you can push the boost clock speed past 5GHz, this is a number many gamers want to hit. Not a lot of processors can reach 5GHz, this is a sign of a capable gaming processor.
Most I5 processors will come with integrated graphics, this is a great benefit for video editors as it has encoders and decoders installed in them. The integrated graphics won’t mean all that much if you’re going to install a discrete graphics card for gaming uses. The I5 units without integrated graphics are the ones denoted with a (KF) at the end.
As of the release of Intel’s 10th generation processors, they’ve all been given the capabilities of Hyperthreading(SMT) which is a way of increasing the efficiency of each core. I5s with hyperthreading will be great options for users looking to get into streaming, video editing, and other multithreaded tasks. Games won’t benefit from hyperthreading as games are coded to use a single core.
A characteristic that could be seen as bad is the high TDP, this can be seen as a downside as it will cause the CPU to run hotter and require more power. This is an even bigger concern when gaming as the CPU will boost to higher clock speeds requiring more TDP, you will require a decent cooling solution such as an AIO to combat this.
Ryzen 5 Or I5 For Single-Core Benchmark Results
First, we’re going to compare the single-core performance of the processors in the Ryzen 5 and the Intel I5 lineup of processors, this will give you a good idea of what you should be looking for in terms of gaming CPU. We will be gathering data from the Cinebench R23 benchmark and the PassMark benchmark as it will give us a general idea of what processor performs best in single-core tests.
The performance of a single-core can be increased often by overclocking, this is when you push your CPU’s clock speed past its rated limits. This is recommended if you know what you’re doing, but it often requires overvolting your CPU which decreases its lifespan.
Just a quick reminder when purchasing Ryzen 5 or I5 processors for single-core performance, do not always focus on core clock speed as it can be quite deceiving. You can find many older processors with high clock speeds that will lose to newer processors with lower clock speeds, this is due to IPC(Instructions Per Clock) increases that the newer processors have made.
Cinebench R23(Single-Core)
| CPU | Core Count(Threads) | Clock Speed(Boost) | Cinebench Single-Core Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 1278 |
| Ryzen 5 3600X | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.4GHz) | 1314 |
| Ryzen 5 3600XT | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.5GHz) | 1316 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.6GHz) | 1522 |
| Core i5-11600 | 6(12) | 2.8GHz(4.8GHz) | 1594 |
| Core i5-11600K | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 1555 |
| Core i5-11600KF | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 1556 |
| Core i5-12600KF | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 1867 |
| Core i5-12600K | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 1865 |
Passmark(Single-Core)
| CPU | Core Count(Threads) | Clock Speed(Boost) | Passmark Single-Core Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 2577 |
| Ryzen 5 Pro 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 2609 |
| Ryzen 5 3600X | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.4GHz) | 2671 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.6GHz) | 3381 |
| Core i5-11600 | 6(12) | 2.8GHz(4.8GHz) | 3297 |
| Core i5-11600K | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 3379 |
| Core i5-11600KF | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 3354 |
| Core i5-12600 | 6(12) | 3.3GHz(4.8GHz) | 3837 |
| Core i5-12600KF | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 3977 |
| Core i5-12600K | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 3979 |
Ryzen 5 Or I5 For Multicore Benchmark Results
Multicore performance is another important metric you need to consider as it determines how well your CPU can handle multithreaded tasks. The more cores you have, the better you’re able to run tasks that utilize more cores, tasks that fit in this category are Video Editing, Streaming, and Spreadsheets.
If you’re just a gamer, then you shouldn’t have to worry about multicore performance as the majority of games can only use one core, but if you’re a content creator, then this is an important metric to watch out for. Encoders such as the x264 encoder will use as many cores as possible, you will find that you will need at least 6 cores to Stream via the x264 encoder, luckily the I5 meets this criterion.
You’ll find that CPUs with threads will often beat their counterparts with no threads, this is because the use of SMT can increase performance by up to 30%, this is why Hyperthreading and Ryzen CPUs are popular among content creators. Threads are basically a physical core split into two logical cores, it increases the efficiency of a single core, unfortunately, this extra efficiency doesn’t transfer into more FPS in games.
Cinebench R23(Multi-Core)
| CPU | Core Count(Threads) | Clock Speed(Boost) | Cinebench Multi-Core Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 9383 |
| Ryzen 5 3600X | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.4GHz) | 9458 |
| Ryzen 5 3600XT | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.5GHz) | 9585 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.6GHz) | 11735 |
| Core i5-11600 | 6(12) | 2.8GHz(4.8GHz) | 11118 |
| Core i5-11600K | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 11252 |
| Core i5-11600KF | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 11156 |
| Core i5-12600KF | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 17558 |
| Core i5-12600K | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 17246 |
Passmark(Multi-Core)
| CPU | Core Count(Threads) | Clock Speed(Boost) | Passmark Single-Core Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 17827 |
| Ryzen 5 Pro 3600 | 6(12) | 3.6GHz(4.2GHz) | 17900 |
| Ryzen 5 3600X | 6(12) | 3.8GHz(4.4GHz) | 18294 |
| Ryzen 5 5600X | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.6GHz) | 22135 |
| Core i5-11600 | 6(12) | 2.8GHz(4.8GHz) | 18364 |
| Core i5-11600K | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 19909 |
| Core i5-11600KF | 6(12) | 3.9GHz(4.9GHz) | 19798 |
| Core i5-12600 | 6(12) | 3.3GHz(4.8GHz) | 21082 |
| Core i5-12600KF | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 27135 |
| Core i5-12600K | 6(12) | 3.7GHz(4.9GHz) | 27044 |
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can see that the Ryzen 5 and the I5 lineup of processors come pretty close when it comes to single-core and multi-core performance tests, the Ryzen 5 5600x is the best AMD processor in this list and comes pretty close to the I5 11th generation chips in single-core performance. It even beats it when it comes to multi-core performance, but with the release of Intel’s 12th generation chips, the I5s has managed to pull ahead in single-core and multi-core tests.
The Ryzen 5 5600x will make great multi-purpose processors, being that you want to game and perform other tasks such as streaming on the side, this is because it has pretty good multi-core performance. Also, it is quite affordable making it ideal for budget seekers.
For users that want the strongest mid-tier processors possible, then the I5s are the best choice for you, they have amazing multi-core performance as well as the best single-core performance. However, this will all come at a higher price as Intel processors are often seen as the premium option among gamers.
