Comparison of AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5 processors. Choose the best

In 2017, AMD introduced the Ryzen 5, a new generation of processors of the so-called top-middle class. That is, it seems to be high-performance, but not as much as, for example, Threadripper - the flagship chips of the same company. As a result, AMD Ryzen 5 is most appropriate to consider as a competitor to Intel Core i5 - processors, which also belong to the top-middle class.

But it is worth noting that both AMD Ryzen 5 and Intel Core i5 are chip families, not individual models. That is, they are updated every year - and at least several chips united by these trademarks are produced annually.

In particular, as of March 2019, when we compiled this material, there are two AMD Ryzen 5 families. The first was introduced in 2017 and the most productive chip at that time was 1600X. In 2018, the series was updated, the flagship chip was 2600X.

Competitors are also not lagging behind. The first Intel Core i5 was introduced back in 2009. Since then, as of now, nine generations of “stones” have already been released! But for comparison, choose the actual chips. For 2017, this is 7600K, and for 2018, it is 8600K.

AMD Ryzen 5 - A Brief Overview

AMD Ryzen 5, if we talk only about the top models - six-core chips with multithreading support. That is, they are capable of processing up to 12 computational threads simultaneously. The basic clock frequency in both generations is 3.6 GHz, and the maximum - 4.2 GHz for the more recent one.

In addition, they are equipped with 16 MB of L3 cache and have a 95W TPD. Oriented chips to work with DDR4 RAM. In general, the usual such high-end configuration, but not the top.

Some models are also equipped with an integrated video card of the Radeon Vega series, which, in principle, is quite productive - but only in the case of using high-frequency RAM. The built-in "graphics" of both models can be compared with the discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030, providing a sufficient frame rate for a variety of games.

Intel Core i5 Quick Overview

As mentioned above, it makes sense to compare only similar generations of “stones”. In particular, we are talking about the Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake families, and the 7600K and 8600K models, respectively.

None of them supports multithreading. Core i5 7600K - quad-core, and 8600K - six-core. The clock frequency of the first is 3.8 GHz, and the second is 3.6 GHz. In the "turbo" mode, they are able to accelerate to 4.2-4.3 GHz. The 7600K L3 cache size is 6 MB, and the 8600K has 9 MB.

In any case, both chips are equipped with a built-in video card - Intel UHD Graphics 620 for the older one and UHD 630 for the newer one. True, her performance is rather average. Also, both models support standard DDR4 memory.

In general, it looks like the Core i5 is losing to the Ryzen 5. The competitor from AMD and the cores will have more, and there is multi-threading, and the cache memory is as much as 16 megabytes. But not so simple.

Comparison of AMD Ryzen 5 1600X and Intel Core i5-7600K processors

Let's start with the "stones" sample of 2017. Moreover, both of these chips are still relevant in low-end gaming configurations - they are no longer worth $ 250-300, as they were a couple of years ago, you can buy it for a hundred and a half, but there will be enough performance for 125 FPS.

For comparison, these two processors were chosen not only because they are the flagships of the first revision in their series.They can also be overclocked! The Intel Core i5 7600K has an unlocked multiplier (which is indicated by the letter “K” in the family name), so that if there is a suitable motherboard and a good cooling system, it can work at 4.5 GHz.

AMD Ryzen 5 1600X can also be overclocked, like most other AMD components. The maximum clock frequency, which can be achieved from it without the risk of burning everything to hell, is 4.0 GHz. An increase of itself is, of course, but in a couple of years it will be quite good.

And now for comparison.

Thus, the Ryzen 5 1600X performs better in tasks that require multi-threaded calculations. This is also confirmed by benchmarks. But applications that are not adapted for multithreading (including long-suffering Photoshop), the performance of this processor is acceptable.

Intel Core i5 7600K wins with multiprocessor and integrated use. However, it is worth considering that in some cases (for example, when working with rendering) it is worth taking its competitor. But for games or just everyday use is perfect.

Comparison of AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and Intel Core i5-8600K processors

For the year that has passed since the release of the previous generation, little has changed. Is that Intel has ceased to be greedy, and therefore in the top version of the Core i5 family - model 8600K - six processing cores are installed at once. Multithreading them, however, as usual, "not delivered."

In general, the Intel Core i5 8600K is a six-core processor without multithreading support, with a base clock frequency of 3.6 GHz and turbo mode up to 4.3 GHz on a single core, with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 video card and an unlocked multiplier, making it possible to overclock it on a compatible motherboard .

Its competitor, AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, is also six-core, but with multi-threading support (two threads per core, up to 12 computing threads in total), a base clock frequency of 3.6 GHz and turbo mode up to 4.2 GHz on one core. The integrated Radeon Vega video card is also available in some configurations. In general, they took a copy of the "Intel" for a carbon copy, only with multithreading and almost twice as large L3 cache.

Since there is no fundamental difference between the generations of 2017 and 2018, the comparison shows approximately the same result.

In general, the results are the same as a year ago. AMD shows itself better when it is necessary to count a lot, perform mathematical operations, serve as the basis for the operation of cryptographic algorithms and artificial intelligence. This is achieved through multithreading. The processor has 12 virtual cores!

Intel is not inferior in many ways. It perfectly shows itself in games, in single-threaded calculations and in overall performance. So it is suitable for gaming, and home computers.

Conclusion

Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 5 are processors of the same class, which is indicated by their technical characteristics and performance. They are suitable for creating a budget gaming computer, and for multimedia systems, and for office "counting machines". The difference between the processors, as the tests show, is quite insignificant.

Therefore, the choice is based on their wishes and budget. If you don’t have much money, but you want performance, you can take AMD. With an unlimited budget and a desire to create a gaming computer, the i5 will also work, which can then be replaced by i7 and enjoy the maximum speed.