AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i5-14400: Which Is the Better CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X meets Intel Core i5-14400. Find out which one is better in gaming, benchmarks, and multithreading.

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The Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread entry-level processor with impressive multithreading potential and strong gaming capabilities. The Core i5, on the other hand, offers a higher core count, 10 cores and 16 threads, with a mix of SMT/Hyper-Threading and E-cores. In terms of gaming performance, the 9600X is the better choice, but for budget video editors, the Core i5-14400 may stand out due to its integrated GPU, which supports Intel QuickSync. That said, both chips offer excellent value for what they are, and the comparison is detailed below.

Also Read: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: Which Is the Better CPU?

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i5-14400: Detailed Comparison

Specs Comparison

Here are the specs of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Core i5-14400:

Specifications	Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-14400
Architecture	Zen 5	Raptor Lake Refresh
Core/Thread count	6/12	10 (6P + 4E)/16
Max clock speed	5.4 GHz	4.7 GHz
L3 cache	32 MB	20 MB
RAM support	DDR5-5600	DDR5-4800
PCIe Gen support	Gen 5	Gen 5
Platform Socket	AM5	LGA 1700
Thermal design power (TDP)	65W – 142W	65 – 154W
Manufacturing nodes	4nm	10nm

When it comes to core counts, the Intel chip offers more, but these are a mix of P-cores and E-cores with variable clock speeds. The advertised boost clock is not maintained in all scenarios, especially since this is a locked CPU without significant power headroom. Therefore, clock speeds will fluctuate depending on usage. With Ryzen, the situation is different. Thanks to the advanced node, you can expect game clocks to exceed 5 GHz in most cases.

Synthetic Performance Comparison

As mentioned earlier, the Intel CPU, despite having more cores, struggles to maintain its advertised boost clock due to its locked nature. The lower scores in both single- and multithreaded benchmarks confirm this. Despite having fewer cores, the 9600X is the faster processor.

Benchmark	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-14400
Cinebench R23 Single-Core	2,100	1,816
Cinebench R23 Multi-Core	17,400	15,900
Geekbench 6 Single-Core	3,360	2,390
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core	14,594	10,500

Gaming Performance Comparison

The data is sourced from Gaming Bench RGB’s YouTube channel, where the person conducted the tests with all the mentioned games using a DDR5 6000MT/s Dual Channel Memory kit with the RTX 4070 Ti Super at 1080p.

Games	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core i5-14400
Cyberpunk: 2077	163 FPS (med preset)	149 FPS (med preset)
Ghost of Thushima	204 FPS (low preset)	194 FPS (low preset)
Black Myth Wukong	211 FPS (low preset)	207 FPS (low preset)
AC: Mirage	239 FPS (low preset)	167 FPS (low preset)
Hogwarts Legacy	56 FPS (ultra-preset)	56 FPS (ultra preset)
God of War	247 FPS (low preset)	178 FPS (low preset)

At 1080p with medium settings and the 4070 Ti Super, the 9600X clearly outperforms the 14400 in CPU-intensive titles. This advantage is due to its superior clock speed, power limits, and IPC. The 14400F is still a solid performer, but falls short under CPU-heavy loads. However, shifting to 1440p significantly narrows the gap. The 9600X pulls further ahead in ray-traced games, which tend to be more CPU-intensive.

Price Comparison

The i5 currently retails on Amazon.com for $179, while the Ryzen 5 is priced at $199. Pricing is accurate as of August 1 and may change without notice.

Final Verdict on AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core I5 14400

In most workloads, particularly gaming and multithreaded applications, the Ryzen 5 9600X clearly leads in performance. However, Intel’s Core i5-14400 remains relevant for users who need integrated graphics or benefit from QuickSync video encoding.

That said, if you’re building a budget gaming or content creation PC with a discrete GPU, the 9600X is the better long-term investment. The 14400 makes more sense for users seeking a capable PC for light media work or everyday office tasks.

Also Read: Ryzen 7 7700X vs Intel Core i7-14700K: Which Is the Better CPU?

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AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i5-14400: Which Is the Better CPU