AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core i5-14401E Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Core i5-14401E reveals a split picture across the four directly comparable tests. The AMD part wins the Cinebench R15 suite decisively, while the Intel part takes the Cinebench R23 suite by a narrower margin.

In Cinebench R15 multicore, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X posts a score of 2691 against 1830 for the Intel Core i5-14401E. That is a 47% advantage for the AMD chip, the largest single delta in the head-to-head set. The single-core Cinebench R15 result follows the same pattern: 342 for the AMD part versus 258 for the Intel part, a 32.6% lead. These two results indicate substantial architectural efficiency gains for the Zen 5 design in this older rendering workload.

The Cinebench R23 numbers flip the outcome. The Intel Core i5-14401E scores 18161 in the multicore test, beating the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X at 17528.5. The delta is 3.5% in favor of Intel. The single-core R23 result is more pronounced: Intel scores 2564 against 2183.5 for AMD, a 14.8% advantage. This means that in the newer Cinebench R23 workload, the Intel part delivers higher peak single-thread performance and slightly higher multi-thread throughput, despite the AMD part's wins in the older R15 version.

The head-to-head tally shows two wins for each processor. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X wins the R15 pair with large margins, while the Intel Core i5-14401E wins the R23 pair with a large single-core margin and a smaller multicore margin. The average benchmark scores in the database are not directly comparable here because the Intel part's average of 5253 is drawn from a different and much smaller benchmark sample than the AMD part's average of 29713, which includes a broader set of workloads. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core i5-14401E sits at the 60th percentile.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear division of use cases. For workloads that resemble Cinebench R15, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is the stronger part, with a 47% multicore lead and a 32.6% single-core lead over the Intel Core i5-14401E. For workloads that resemble Cinebench R23, the Intel part takes the edge, particularly in single-threaded performance where it leads by 14.8%, and in multicore where it leads by 3.5%.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X also holds a higher overall standing in the database, ranking at the 81st percentile versus the 60th percentile for the Intel part. Its nearest rivals in the database, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, have average scores within 0.8% of the 9600X, placing it in a dense cluster of strong performers. The Intel Core i5-14401E, by contrast, sits near the Intel Core i7-11700B and Intel Core i9-10850K, with deltas of 0.2%, and just 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-13400T.

The practical takeaway from the recorded data is that the AMD part is preferable for legacy rendering pipelines and general compute where the R15 pattern holds, while the Intel part fits newer single-thread-sensitive applications better. The Intel part also carries a locked multiplier, whereas the AMD part has an unlocked multiplier, which the database lists as a feature difference but does not quantify in performance terms.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X uses the Zen 5 architecture under the Granite Ridge codename, fabricated on a 4 nm process by TSMC. The Intel Core i5-14401E uses the Raptor Lake architecture under the Raptor Lake-R codename, fabricated on a 10 nm process by Intel. The process node difference is a major factor in the power and density characteristics, though the database does not record direct power measurements for these parts.

The AMD chip has a die size of 70.6 mm² with 8,315 million transistors. The Intel chip has a die size of 215 mm², and the database does not list a transistor count for it. That die size difference is substantial: the Intel die is roughly three times the area of the AMD die. The cache hierarchies also differ. Both parts have 80 KB of L1 cache per core. The AMD part has 1 MB of L2 cache per core, while the Intel part has 1.25 MB per core. For L3 cache, the AMD part has 32 MB shared, while the Intel part has 20 MB shared. The AMD part therefore offers 12 MB more shared L3 cache, while the Intel part offers 0.25 MB more L2 per core.

Memory support diverges as well. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X supports DDR5 only, with dual-channel memory and a recorded memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The Intel Core i5-14401E supports both DDR4 and DDR5, also dual-channel, but the database does not record a memory bandwidth figure for it. Both parts support ECC memory. The PCIe configurations differ: AMD provides Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU, while Intel provides Gen 5 with 16 lanes from the CPU. Integrated graphics differ too: the AMD part uses Radeon Graphics, while the Intel part uses UHD Graphics 730.

Both processors share a 65 W TDP, six cores, and twelve threads. The AMD part has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The Intel part has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The AMD part has the higher clocks on paper, which aligns with its R15 wins, but the Intel part still manages the R23 single-core win, indicating that benchmark-specific behavior matters more than raw clock comparison.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors as recorded in the database.

• Base clock: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X runs at 3.90 GHz, Intel Core i5-14401E at 2.50 GHz.
• Boost clock: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X reaches 5.40 GHz, Intel Core i5-14401E reaches 4.70 GHz.
• Socket: AMD uses AMD Socket AM5, Intel uses Intel Socket 1700.
• Process node: AMD is 4 nm (TSMC), Intel is 10 nm (Intel).
• Die size: AMD is 70.6 mm², Intel is 215 mm².
• Transistors: AMD has 8,315 million, Intel has no recorded count.
• L2 cache: AMD has 1 MB per core, Intel has 1.25 MB per core.
• L3 cache: AMD has 32 MB shared, Intel has 20 MB shared.
• Memory support: AMD supports DDR5 only, Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5.
• Memory bandwidth: AMD is recorded at 89.6 GB/s, Intel has no recorded value.
• PCIe lanes: AMD provides Gen 5, 24 lanes; Intel provides Gen 5, 16 lanes.
• Integrated graphics: AMD uses Radeon Graphics, Intel uses UHD Graphics 730.
• Multiplier: AMD is unlocked, Intel is locked.
• Launch MSRP: The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X has a launch MSRP of $279. The Intel Core i5-14401E has no recorded launch MSRP.
• Release date: AMD released on 2024-08-07, Intel on 2024-06-30.
• Part number: AMD is 100-000001405, Intel is Q49JSRNJS.

Fields that are identical include cores (6), threads (12), TDP (65 W), L1 cache (80 KB per core), memory bus (dual-channel), ECC support (true), market segment (Desktop), and production status (Active). The database records no v-cache for either part.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more head-to-head benchmarks?

A: Each processor wins two of the four directly compared tests. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X wins Cinebench R15 multicore and single-core, while the Intel Core i5-14401E wins Cinebench R23 multicore and single-core.

Q: What is the largest performance gap in the head-to-head data?

A: The largest gap is in Cinebench R15 multicore, where the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 2691 against 1830 for the Intel Core i5-14401E, a 47% lead.

Q: Does the Intel Core i5-14401E beat the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X in any test?

A: Yes. The Intel part wins Cinebench R23 multicore with a score of 18161 versus 17528.5, a 3.5% lead, and Cinebench R23 single-core with 2564 versus 2183.5, a 14.8% lead.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for both processors?

A: Both the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and the Intel Core i5-14401E have 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X has 32 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Core i5-14401E has 20 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and the Intel Core i5-14401E have ECC memory support recorded as true.

Q: What is the percentile ranking for each processor in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X ranks at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Core i5-14401E ranks at the 60th percentile.