PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i9-9900X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅83.3% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,655 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $690 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 233.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Core i9-9900X

2018

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅83.3% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅+66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Costs $690 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 233.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 73.1 vs 21.9 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $989 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (21,655 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 32 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 21.9 vs 73.1 PassMark/$ ($989 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9900X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i9-9900X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Core i9-9900X is ahead with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark. Ryzen 5 5600X also has the bigger cache pool with 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 5600X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 5 5600X is $690 cheaper on MSRP at $299 MSRP versus $989 MSRP, and it gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Core i9-9900X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 233.7% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 21.9 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 5600X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 66.2% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 19 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i9-9900X Benchmark Check

Ryzen 5 5600X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	178 FPS	203 FPS
medium	143 FPS	174 FPS
high	116 FPS	140 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	169 FPS
medium	117 FPS	141 FPS
high	95 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	86 FPS
4K
low	81 FPS	85 FPS
medium	69 FPS	76 FPS
high	55 FPS	60 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	47 FPS

Open Core i9-9900X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	516 FPS	464 FPS
medium	431 FPS	387 FPS
high	360 FPS	324 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	291 FPS
1440p
low	447 FPS	397 FPS
medium	384 FPS	334 FPS
high	323 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	253 FPS
4K
low	278 FPS	263 FPS
medium	239 FPS	226 FPS
high	220 FPS	205 FPS
ultra	192 FPS	171 FPS

Open Core i9-9900X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	541 FPS	546 FPS
medium	541 FPS	473 FPS
high	541 FPS	432 FPS
ultra	527 FPS	358 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	508 FPS
medium	518 FPS	413 FPS
high	469 FPS	375 FPS
ultra	407 FPS	312 FPS
4K
low	458 FPS	348 FPS
medium	363 FPS	292 FPS
high	328 FPS	255 FPS
ultra	262 FPS	199 FPS

Open Core i9-9900X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p
low	541 FPS	546 FPS
medium	541 FPS	546 FPS
high	541 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	546 FPS
1440p
low	541 FPS	546 FPS
medium	541 FPS	546 FPS
high	541 FPS	546 FPS
ultra	541 FPS	524 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	529 FPS
medium	541 FPS	484 FPS
high	506 FPS	435 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	379 FPS

Open Core i9-9900X Open Ryzen 5 5600X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9900X and Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-9900X

The Core i9-9900X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 21,655 points. Launch price was $989.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-9900X packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core i9-9900X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9900X versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 2.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600X (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-9900X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9900X scores 21,655 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 0.9% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total) on the Core i9-9900X vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+67%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	4.6 GHz+2%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	19.25 MB (total)	32 MB+66%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+100%	512K (per core)
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	21,655	21,845
Cinebench R23 Multi	13,985	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,459	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,475	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9900X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-9900X) vs 2 (Ryzen 5 5600X). PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i9-9900X) vs 24 (Ryzen 5 5600X) — the Core i9-9900X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-9900X) and AMD 500 series,AMD 400 series,AMD 300 series (Ryzen 5 5600X).

Feature	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Socket	LGA2066	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	44+83%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Only the Core i9-9900X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9900X) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600X). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600X targets Desktop.

Feature	Core i9-9900X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i9-9900X launched at $989 MSRP, while the Ryzen 5 5600X debuted at $299. On MSRP ($989 vs $299), the Ryzen 5 5600X is $690 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i9-9900X delivers 21.9 pts/$ vs 73.1 pts/$ for the Ryzen 5 5600X — making the Ryzen 5 5600X the 107.8% better value option.