AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT vs Intel Core i9-9900K Comparison

The Intel Core i9-9900K and AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT present a stark contrast in generational design philosophy, with the former being an end-of-life 8-core/16-thread processor from 2018 and the latter an active 6-core/12-thread part from 2024. Despite the i9-9900K’s higher core count and boost clock, the Ryzen 5 5500GT wins 11 of the 17 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench test, while the Intel chip counters with decisive victories in several Passmark workloads, most notably a 47.4% margin in random string sorting. The overall average benchmark scores are remarkably close—27097 for Intel versus 26748 for AMD—placing both processors at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, with the i9-9900K’s nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G (0.2% delta) and the 5500GT’s nearest rival being the AMD EPYC 9554 (0% delta).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher single-thread performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT scores 2237 points in Cinebench R23 single-core, which is 3.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-9900K’s 2164 points. This pattern repeats across all Cinebench versions, with AMD winning by 3.3% to 3.6% in both single-core and multi-core tests.

Q: How do the two processors compare in multi-threaded rendering workloads?

A: Despite having 2 fewer cores and 4 fewer threads, the Ryzen 5 5500GT leads in every multi-core Cinebench test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, AMD scores 15848 versus Intel’s 15333, a 3.2% advantage. The gap is consistent at 3.3% in both R15 and R20 multi-core tests.

Q: What is the most significant performance difference in the entire benchmark suite?

A: The largest delta is in Passmark data encryption, where the Ryzen 5 5500GT scores 14754 compared to the i9-9900K’s 6430—a 56.4% advantage for AMD. Conversely, Intel’s biggest win is in random string sorting, where it leads by 47.4% (36238 vs 24583).

Q: Are these processors comparable in overall benchmark standings?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i9-9900K has an average benchmark score of 27097, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT averages 26748, a difference of only 349 points. Both sit at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, indicating near-identical overall performance tiers.

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock, and does it translate to benchmark wins?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900K boosts to 5.00 GHz compared to the Ryzen 5 5500GT’s 4.40 GHz, yet AMD wins the single-thread Passmark test (3066 vs 2919, a 4.8% margin) and all Cinebench single-core tests. The higher clock does not yield a single-thread victory in this dataset.

Q: How does the i9-9900K fare in integer and floating-point math workloads?

A: Intel leads in both Passmark integer math (66134 vs 64218, a 3% margin) and floating-point math (41036 vs 36694, an 11.8% margin). However, AMD wins in prime number finding (54 vs 47, a 13% margin) and extended instructions fall to Intel by 11.4% (18965 vs 17027).

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs represent fundamentally different manufacturing and design eras. The Intel Core i9-9900K uses the Coffee Lake-R architecture on a 14 nm process fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 180.3 mm². In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT employs the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process from TSMC, featuring a die size of 180 mm² and 10,700 million transistors. The process node difference is substantial—14 nm versus 7 nm—which partially explains how AMD achieves competitive performance with lower power consumption.

Core and thread configurations differ significantly. The i9-9900K provides 8 cores and 16 threads, while the 5500GT offers 6 cores and 12 threads. Both use a 64 KB L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache differs: Intel uses 256 KB per core, whereas AMD uses 512 KB per core. The L3 cache is identical at 16 MB shared for both, though Intel specifies it as "16 MB (shared)" and AMD simply lists "16 MB". The base clocks are equal at 3.60 GHz, but the boost clocks diverge—Intel reaches 5.00 GHz versus AMD’s 4.40 GHz.

Memory architecture shows both supporting DDR4 in dual-channel mode, but with different bandwidth ratings: Intel at 42.7 GB/s and AMD at 51.2 GB/s. Neither supports ECC memory. Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, and both have unlocked multipliers. Integrated graphics differ, with Intel featuring UHD Graphics 630 and AMD featuring Radeon Vega 7. The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 versus AMD Socket AM4. Power envelopes also contrast sharply, with Intel rated at 95W TDP and AMD at 65W TDP. The i9-9900K is end-of-life and was released on 2018-10-18, while the 5500GT is active and launched on 2024-01-07.

The Verdict

The benchmark data presents a nuanced picture that defies simple categorization. For users prioritizing multi-threaded rendering workloads, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT is the clear choice—it wins every Cinebench test across R15, R20, and R23, with margins ranging from 3.2% to 3.6%. This consistency is remarkable given that AMD does so with 2 fewer cores and 4 fewer threads, suggesting superior per-core efficiency from the Zen 3 architecture. The 5500GT’s Passmark multithread score of 19000 versus Intel’s 18153 (a 4.5% edge) reinforces this pattern. Additionally, AMD’s data encryption performance is overwhelmingly superior at 14754 versus 6430, a 56.4% advantage that would matter for security-related tasks.

However, the Intel Core i9-9900K retains distinct strengths in specific workloads. Its 47.4% lead in random string sorting (36238 vs 24583) and 11.8% advantage in floating-point math (41036 vs 36694) indicate that certain algorithmic patterns still favor Intel’s Coffee Lake design. The i9-9900K also wins extended instructions by 11.4% (18965 vs 17027) and physics by 11.2% (934 vs 840). For integer math, Intel leads by a narrower 3% (66134 vs 64218). Users running these specific workload types may find the i9-9900K’s performance superior, despite its older architecture.

Given the overall average scores—27097 for Intel versus 26748 for AMD—the processors are effectively tied in general-purpose performance. The decision hinges on workload mix. For Cinebench-style rendering, data encryption, and prime number calculations, the Ryzen 5 5500GT is preferable. For string sorting, floating-point math, physics simulations, and extended instruction sets, the i9-9900K holds the edge. The 5500GT’s lower TDP of 65W versus 95W, its active production status, and its more recent release date suggest it is the more future-proof option, but the i9-9900K’s higher core count remains relevant for heavily threaded tasks not represented in these benchmarks.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i9-9900K | AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 12 |

| Boost Clock | 5.00 GHz | 4.40 GHz |

| TDP | 95 W | 65 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | AMD Socket AM4 |

| Architecture | Coffee Lake | Zen 3 |

| Codename | Coffee Lake-R | Cezanne |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | Not specified | 10,700 million |

| Die Size | 180.3 mm² | 180 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 512 KB (per core) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 42.7 GB/s | 51.2 GB/s |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 630 | Radeon Vega 7 |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2018-10-18 | 2024-01-07 |

| Launch MSRP | $488 | $125 |

| Part Number | SRG19SRELS | 100-000001489 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500GT dominates the Cinebench suite with complete consistency. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, AMD scores 1597 against Intel’s 1545, a 3.3% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar 3.6% gap (225 vs 217). Moving to Cinebench R20, AMD wins multi-core by 3.3% (6656 vs 6439) and single-core by 3.3% (939 vs 908). The pattern holds in R23, with AMD leading multi-core at 15848 versus 15333 (3.2%) and single-core at 2237 versus 2164 (3.3%). These results indicate that the 5500GT’s architectural efficiency consistently overcomes the i9-9900K’s higher boost clock and additional cores in rendering workloads.

The Passmark suite reveals a split personality. Intel’s largest victory comes in random string sorting, where it scores 36238 versus AMD’s 24583—a substantial 47.4% margin. Data compression also favors Intel at 283506 versus 243904, a 16.2% lead. In floating-point math, Intel posts 41036 against AMD’s 36694, an 11.8% advantage. Extended instructions go to Intel by 11.4% (18965 vs 17027), and physics follows with an 11.2% margin (934 vs 840). Integer math is closer, with Intel winning 66134 versus 64218, a 3% difference.

AMD counters in the Passmark suite with its own decisive wins. Data encryption shows the most dramatic gap: AMD scores 14754 versus Intel’s 6430, a 56.4% advantage. Prime number finding goes to AMD at 54 versus 47, a 13% margin. The multithread test favors AMD at 19000 versus 18153, a 4.5% lead. Single-thread performance also goes to AMD at 3066 versus 2919, a 4.8% margin, appearing identically in both the single_thread and singlethread tests. The overall win count stands at 11 for AMD and 6 for Intel, but the magnitude of Intel’s wins in string sorting and compression demonstrates that workload-specific performance remains highly variable between these two processors.