Ryzen 5 7600X vs Intel Core i5-14600K: Which Is the Better CPU?

The Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Core i5-14600K are two incredible budget processors with similar costs. But which is better? Which should you buy?

The battle for the best budget mid-range CPU is fierce, and the Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Core i5-14600K are two of the top contenders. They are both available at an affordable price and promise to deliver excellent gaming performance. However, a CPU is more than just a gaming tool. Productivity performance also matters. But which processor is better for both productivity and gaming?

That’s exactly what we plan to find out in this article, with a detailed comparison of the two CPUs. Read on to learn more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

Ryzen 5 7600X vs Intel Core i5-14600K: Detailed Cpmparison

The Ryzen 5 7600X from AMD is based on the Zen 4 architecture and delivers solid performance improvements over its predecessor. On the other hand, the Intel Core i5-14600K is an evolution of the Raptor architecture and is designed to deliver even higher performance. Let’s begin the comparison by looking at their specs.

Specs Comparison

Here are the specs of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Core i5-14600K:

Specifications	Ryzen 5 7600X	Intel Core i5-14600K
Architecture	Zen 4	Raptor Lake Refresh
P-Core/Thread count	6/12	6/12
E-Core/Thread count	—	8/8
Total Core/Thread count	6/12	14/20
Max clock speed	5.3 GHz	5.3 GHz
L3 cache	32 MB	32 MB
RAM support	DDR5-5200	DDR5-5600
PCIe Gen support	Gen 5	Gen 5
Platform Socket	AM5	LGA 1700
Thermal design power (TDP)	105W Typical | 142W Max	125W Typical | 181W Max
Manufacturing nodes	5nm, 6nm	Intel 7 (10nm)

The major differences between the two CPUs are in the architecture and core count. In fact, there’s a significant difference in total cores, but is that enough to give one processor an edge over the other? Let’s find out how they perform in benchmarks.

Synthetic Performance Comparison

Here’s how the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Core i5-14600K perform in popular benchmarks:

Benchmarks	Ryzen 5 7600X	Intel Core i5-14600K
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)	1976	2097
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)	15315	24683
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)	2846	2794
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)	12714	17190
Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)	115	124
Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)	885	1388

In single-core performance, the two CPUs are nearly equal, with the Intel Core i5-14600K leading by an average of just 1%. In multi-core benchmarks, the Intel Core i5-14600K is 49.5% faster on average than the Ryzen 5 7600X. This significant increase in multi-core performance aligns with its higher core count. Synthetic benchmarks like these give a good indication of how they would perform in productivity applications.

Game Performance Comparison

Let’s put the synthetic benchmarks aside and examine the performance difference between the two CPUs in real games. Here’s how the Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel Core i5-14600K compare:

Games	Ryzen 5 7600X	Intel Core i5-14600K
Hitman 3	320 FPS	353 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077	93 FPS	108 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	180 FPS	185 FPS
Hogwarts Legacy	64 FPS	69 FPS
Starfield	95 FPS	108 FPS
Horizon Zero Dawn	170 FPS	169 FPS
The Last of Us: Part 1	178 FPS	192 FPS

Note: The two CPUs were tested at 1080p resolution with the RTX 4090 GPU to eliminate any GPU bottleneck. All FPS numbers were sourced from the Testing Games channel on YouTube.

On average, the Intel Core i5-14600K scored 7.6% higher than the Ryzen 5 7600X in popular games. A 7.6% increase in FPS from the CPU alone is significant. Moreover, as games become more multi-threaded, the limitation of the Ryzen 5 7600X will become more apparent. That’s because it has only six cores, compared to 14 on the Intel CPU.

Price Comparison

The Ryzen 5 7600X is currently available for $219 on Best Buy, while the Intel Core i5-14600K costs $229 on Best Buy. That’s just a $10 difference there, but at Micro Center, we found the Ryzen to be $30 cheaper.

Final Verdict on Ryzen 5 7600X vs Intel Core i5-14600K

The Intel Core i5-14600K is the better CPU out of the two, not just for productivity but also for gaming. The 49.5% higher multi-core benchmark score shows that the Intel processor will deliver better performance in productivity apps. Even in gaming, the Intel CPU delivered a 7.6% higher score.

Even if the Intel Core i5-14600K is 5% to 20% more expensive, depending on where you buy it, it is still the better choice. Additionally, its higher core count will help future-proof your PC.

---

We provide the latest news and “How To’s” for Tech content. Meanwhile, you can check out the following articles related to PC GPUs, CPU and GPU comparisons, mobile phones, and more:

• 5 Best Air Coolers for CPUs in 2025
• ASUS TUF Gaming F16 Release Date, Specifications, Price, and More
• iPhone 16e vs iPhone SE (3rd Gen): Which One To Buy in 2025?
• Powerbeats Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro 2: Which One To Get in 2025
• RTX 5070 Ti vs. RTX 4070 Super: Specs, Price and More Compared
• Windows 11: How To Disable Lock Screen Widgets