Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 5?

Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 5? Let's find out

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Intel Core i9 and AMD Ryzen 5 are two very popular processor series available to consumers today, but it can be somewhat difficult to understand what either of the two is intended for and which one is more suited to your requirements. In this article, we break it down for you: Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 5?

Now Read: Best CPU for gaming

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What is Intel i9?

Intel Core i9 processors are the best CPUs Intel has to offer – in other words, their flagships. The 13900KS, the 12900KS, the 11900K. Every year, we see a new flagship from the Core i9 series. 

The high-end Core i9 CPUs offer industry-leading specs and performance, but they’re also very expensive. The 13900KS, for example, retails at around $700 these days. The other models go for $500 to $600. If you’re spending that amount on a processor, you want to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. 

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What is Ryzen 5?

AMD’s Ryzen 5 processors are their mid-range processors. Some examples are the Ryzen 5 7600X, 5600X, and 5500. 

These processors offer users a very practical level of performance to users on a budget. Prices vary, but to give you a rough idea, you can expect to pay around $200 for the latest ones. That’s certainly a steep drop from the ~$600 Core i9 price point.

The thing is, the Core i9 lineup competes with Ryzen 9 in performance and price. 

Ryzen 5 competes with Core i5. 

It’s not time to pack up and go home just yet – let’s see this comparison through to the end. 

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Are Intel Core i9 CPUs better than Ryzen 5 CPUs?

Processors have various use cases. You may be looking for something to game on or something to use as your workstation CPU. 

Core i9 processors are a bit overkill for gaming

Intel core i9 processors have the best clock speeds, so they are technically the best gaming processors. But they also have an absurd amount of cores and threads that no game can efficiently utilize.

So, while a ~$600 Core i9 CPU will offer you the best gaming performance, it will only do so by a slight margin. A Ryzen 5 CPU will offer you slightly less in-game FPS at a fraction of the cost, especially at higher resolutions, where GPU bottlenecks are much more easily achievable, so the Ryzen 5’s lower processing capacity isn’t as much of a concern. 

If gaming is all you’re concerned with, it’s probably better to go with a Ryzen 5 CPU. Core i9 is overkill unless you don’t mind paying the extra for the very best performance. 

Core i9 processors are much better for productivity

Productivity workloads make a processor go the distance by utilizing all available cores and threads. In other words, 100% of the processor is utilized. So, the Core i9’s monstrous specs actually come into play here. 

Core i9 CPUs are powerful processors for workstation productivity. The 13900KS is currently the most powerful workstation processor there is. 

Ryzen 5 CPUs don’t have many cores and threads since they’re optimized to suit the needs of gamers. They don’t make very good workstation processors, unfortunately. 

If you intend to have your CPU help you out with anything professional, you’ll be served better by the Intel i9. 

I should specify here that it’s best to stick with the 12 and 13th gen Core i9s. Instead of getting one that’s older (11th generation and below), simply get a 13th gen Core i5 or i7 instead for the same price but much higher performance and the latest CPU architecture. 

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Final verdict: Is Intel i9 better than Ryzen 5?

Intel i9 is indeed better than Ryzen 5 – in terms of raw performance. When going with a processor, value for money and practicality are of course also major concerns. 

Unless you need a processor for resource-intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, content creation, and data analysis, it’s probably overkill to go for a Core i9. 

Ryzen 5 CPUs may be weaker, but they offer you a better price-to-performance ratio and are more consumer-friendly.