Core i9-8950HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X

Core i9-8950HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X Performance Spectrum

Core i9-8950HK

6 / 12

10,373

0.0%

21,845

+110.6%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

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.

Core i9-8950HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core i9-8950HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core i9-8950HK

2018

Why buy it

✅Draws 45W instead of 65W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 5600X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,373 vs 21,845).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 32 MB).

Ryzen 5 5600X

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $299 MSRP, while Core i9-8950HK mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌44.4% higher power demand at 65W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 5600X better than Core i9-8950HK?

Yes. Ryzen 5 5600X is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 18.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 110.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 5 5600X is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 18.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 5 5600X is the stronger fit. You are getting 110.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 5600X is the better buy right now. Ryzen 5 5600X comes in at an unclear MSRP at $299 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you a 18.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (73.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 5600X makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2018), 166.7% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 12 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Core i9-8950HK vs Ryzen 5 5600X Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core i9-8950HK

The Core i9-8950HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,373 points. Launch price was $583.

Ryzen 5 5600X

The Ryzen 5 5600X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,845 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

Both the Core i9-8950HK and Ryzen 5 5600X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-8950HK versus 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 5 5600X — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-8950HK (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i9-8950HK uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-8950HK scores 10,373 against the Ryzen 5 5600X's 21,845 — a 71.2% lead for the Ryzen 5 5600X. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i9-8950HK vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Feature	Core i9-8950HK	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+4%	4.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz	3.7 GHz+28%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	32 MB+167%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	14 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture	Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019)	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	10,373	21,845+111%

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-8950HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 5600X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.