Core i5-8259U
VS
Ryzen 5 5600

Core i5-8259U vs Ryzen 5 5600

Intel

Core i5-8259U

4 Cores8 Thrd28 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2018
VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. The Core i5-8259U is positioned at rank #209 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8259U

#57
Ryzen AI 9 365
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
96%
#197
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
374%
#198
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
369%
#199
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
338%
#200
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
337%
#201
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
334%
#203
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
322%
#204
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
309%
#205
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
309%
#206
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
300%
#209
Core i5-8259U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 5 5600

#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
135%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
123%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
123%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
121%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
118%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
116%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
116%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
115%
#16
Core Ultra 5 225F
MSRP: $231|Avg: $150
112%
#17
Core Ultra 7 265K
MSRP: $309|Avg: $285
110%
#18
Ryzen 9 3900
MSRP: $499|Avg: $150
109%
#19
Ryzen 5 3600X
MSRP: $249|Avg: $90
108%
#20
Core i7-14700KF
MSRP: $384|Avg: $260
107%
#21
Core i7-14700K
MSRP: $409|Avg: $270
103%
#22
Ryzen 5 4500
MSRP: $129|Avg: $85
101%
#23
Ryzen 5 5600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $115
100%
#24
Celeron G5925
MSRP: $62|Avg: $15
100%
#25
Ryzen 5 7500F
MSRP: $179|Avg: $145
98%
#26
Core Ultra 5 245
MSRP: $319|Avg: $220
97%
#27
Ryzen 7 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $86
97%
#28
Core Ultra 7 265KF
MSRP: $379|Avg: $323
97%
#29
Core Ultra 7 265F
MSRP: $369|Avg: $276
95%
#30
Core i5-12400F
MSRP: $174|Avg: $110
95%
#31
Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G
MSRP: $130|Avg: $80
94%
#32
Ryzen 7 2700X
MSRP: $329|Avg: $100
93%
#33
Core i3-10100F
MSRP: $88|Avg: $50
93%
#34
Ryzen 5 7400F
MSRP: $150|Avg: $147
93%
#35
Ryzen 5 9600X
MSRP: $279|Avg: $178
90%
#36
Ryzen 7 3800X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $140
88%
#37
Ryzen 3 5300G
MSRP: $130|Avg: $80
87%
#38
Ryzen 9 7900X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $316
87%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Ryzen 5 5600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i5-8259U in both compute-intensive tasks (93.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightCore i5-8259URyzen 5 5600
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($115)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Vermeer (2020−2025) / 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore i5-8259URyzen 5 5600
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($115)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8259U and Ryzen 5 5600

Intel

Core i5-8259U

The Core i5-8259U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1528. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,843 points. Launch price was $320.

AMD

Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 21,550 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Core i5-8259U packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 5 5600 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Ryzen 5 5600 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-8259U versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600 — a 14.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 5600 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i5-8259U uses the Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8259U scores 7,843 against the Ryzen 5 5600's 21,550 — a 93.3% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-8259U vs 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 5600.

FeatureCore i5-8259URyzen 5 5600
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock
3.8 GHz
4.4 GHz+16%
Base Clock
2.3 GHz
3.5 GHz+52%
L3 Cache
6 MB (total)
32 MB (total)+433%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
512K (per core)+100%
Process
14 nm
7 nm-50%
Architecture
Coffee Lake-U (2018−2019)
Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark
7,843
21,550+175%
Cinebench R23 Multi
11,077
Geekbench 6 Single
2,052
Geekbench 6 Multi
8,600
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-8259U uses the FCBGA1528 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-8259URyzen 5 5600
Socket
FCBGA1528
AM4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
24
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i5-8259U) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 5600). Primary use case: Ryzen 5 5600 targets Desktop.

FeatureCore i5-8259URyzen 5 5600
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop