AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core Ultra 5 245K
Head-to-head CPU comparison: cores, clocks, cache, benchmarks, and value. Which belongs in your next build?
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
The budget gamer's Zen 5 entry point. 6 cores is plenty for gaming, and the AM5 socket gives a long upgrade path.
Buy on Amazon →Intel Core Ultra 5 245K
Intel's mid-range Arrow Lake. 14 cores in a 125W envelope is impressive. Solid all-rounder when you want Intel.
Buy on Amazon →Spec Comparison
| Spec | AMD Ryzen 5 9600X | Intel Core Ultra 5 245K |
|---|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $279 | $309 |
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 14 / 14 |
| Performance Cores | 6 | 6 |
| Efficiency Cores | 0 | 8 |
| Base Clock | 3.9 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| Boost Clock | 5.4 GHz | 5.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 32 MB | 24 MB |
| TDP | 65W | 125W |
| Socket | AM5 | LGA 1851 |
| Memory Support | DDR5-5600 | DDR5-6400 |
| Process Node | TSMC 4nm | TSMC 3nm |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 16,800 | 24,800 |
| Cinebench R23 Single | 2,090 | 2,150 |
| Gaming Score | 78/100 | 73/100 |
| Productivity Score | 60/100 | 78/100 |
| Value Score | 88/100 | 78/100 |
The Verdict
Based on our benchmark database and scoring, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X wins on gaming by about 5 points, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K pulls ahead in productivity by 18 points. Overall the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X comes out ahead in this matchup, but the right pick depends on what you're actually building: gaming-first rigs favor higher single-thread and 3D V-Cache designs, while streaming and content-creation rigs benefit more from raw multi-core output. Note the socket mismatch — the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X needs an AM5 motherboard, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K needs LGA 1851, so these aren't drop-in swaps on the same platform.