Is Intel i5 better than Ryzen 5?

Is Intel i5 better than Ryzen 5? Let's find out.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Intel’s core i5 and AMD’s Ryzen 5 are both mid-range processor lineups competing for the same market. They both aim to offer users high-end performance at a more moderate price. We’ve seen both the Core i5 and Ryzen 5 improve considerably over the years. Let’s see how they compare today. 

Now Read: AMD Vs Intel

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Comparing the Intel i5 and Ryzen 5

Here we will compare some of the features of each CPU family. Let’s dive in.

Single-core performance

Intel has always had the edge in single-core performance due to its high boost clocks, and the Intel i5 lineup is no exception. Core i5 processors have a higher boost clock than their Ryzen 5 counterparts, and this is generally true across generations. For example, the i5-12600K has a 4.9GHz boost clock compared to its competitor, the 5600X’s 4.6GHz boost. 

However, if we look at the most recent generation, the 7600X does take the lead. It features a 5.4GHz boost, compared to the 13600K’s 5.1GHz boost. 

Currently, AMD’s Ryzen 5 leads in this category. Single-core performance is most felt in workloads that don’t utilize many threads, such as gaming. While the 7600X ends up offering a similar gaming performance to the 13600K, it retails for less. 

Multi-core performance

Ryzen 5 processors have always had 6 cores and 12 threads, which is very respectable, even by modern standards. 

Intel i5, on the other hand, used to be single-threaded quad cores up until the 8th generation release. Practically speaking, only i5 processors that are 10th generation and above compete with the Ryzen 5 in multicore performance. Generation 9 and below lose out by default due to their lower thread count. 

If we compare i5 and Ryzen 5 CPUs from the last few years in multicore performance, it’s neck and neck. However, Intel gave the i5 a massive upgrade with the latest Raptor Lake 13th gen release by increasing their core and thread counts. 

While the Ryzen 5 7600X is still a 6-core 8-thread CPU, Intel’s new i5s have up to 14 cores and 20 threads. 

While some of those are efficiency cores, they are extra cores nonetheless. Core i5 wins in this category. 

Price and value

Intel is the winner in this category, perhaps due to how competitively priced the new i5-13400F is. There’s also the fact that the new Raptor Lake processors are backward compatible with the older LGA1700 socket and DDR4 RAM. The new Ryzen 5 CPU, however, is not. And it will cost you a fair bit to upgrade. 

Final word

Both processor lineups are close enough that in performance that it’s difficult to declare one the outright winner. You would have to compare individual processors to find out which is more worth your money. 

However, if we consider the most recent generation exclusively – the 13th gen i5s do provide you with better performance and better value for your money over the Ryzen 5 7600X. In that regard, we can say that the Intel i5 is better than the Ryzen 5. But again, the differences are so minute you would have to compare individual processors to better conclude. 

With Intel, you also have several options to choose from: The 13400, the 13500, and the 13600, and their F and K variants, giving you plenty of flexibility. 

If you’re interested in a budget-friendly i5 processor that really showcases what the i5 is all about, I would recommend the i5-13400F.