Core i5-9600KF vs Ryzen 5 4500U
Core i5-9600KF
Ryzen 5 4500U
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. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-9600KF
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 5 4500U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($150) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake (2017−2019) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) / 7 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 5 4500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($150) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 i5-9600KF and Ryzen 5 4500U
Core i5-9600KF
The Core i5-9600KF is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 January 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 10,646 points. Launch price was $262.
Ryzen 5 4500U
The Ryzen 5 4500U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: FP6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,692 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Core i5-9600KF and Ryzen 5 4500U share an identical 6-core/6-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Core i5-9600KF versus 4 GHz on the Ryzen 5 4500U — a 14% clock advantage for the Core i5-9600KF (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i5-9600KF uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-9600KF scores 10,646 against the Ryzen 5 4500U's 10,692 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 4500U. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-9600KF vs 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 4500U.
| Feature | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 5 4500U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 6 | 6 / 6 |
| Boost Clock | 4.6 GHz+15% | 4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.7 GHz+61% | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 9 MB (total)+13% | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 14 nm | 7 nm-50% |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Renoir-U (Zen 2) (2020−2021) |
| PassMark | 10,646 | 10,692 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 7,301 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,600 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 6,200 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-9600KF uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 4500U uses FP6 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 5 4500U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | FP6 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2666 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 128 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-9600KF) / not specified (Ryzen 5 4500U). Primary use case: Core i5-9600KF targets Desktop.
| Feature | Core i5-9600KF | Ryzen 5 4500U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Core i5-9600KF and Ryzen 5 4500U
