AMD Ryzen 7 5700G vs Intel Core i9-9900K Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a surprisingly lopsided contest. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G wins 14 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons, while the Intel Core i9-9900K takes only three. Looking at the raw scores, the Ryzen 7 5700G's dominance is not marginal in most cases—it is decisive. In PassMark's data encryption test, the AMD part scores 20,325 against Intel's 6,430, a staggering 68.4% advantage. That is the single largest delta in the entire comparison, and it suggests the Zen 3 architecture's cryptographic instruction handling is in a different league. Similarly, in integer math, the Ryzen 7 5700G posts 91,541 versus 66,134, a 27.8% gap that shows up in real-world productivity workloads.

The Cinebench R15 multi-core test tells a similar story, with the AMD chip scoring 2,107 against Intel's 1,545—a 26.7% lead. This is particularly notable because both processors have 8 cores and 16 threads, so the difference comes down to architectural efficiency rather than core count. The PassMark multi-thread score reinforces this, with the Ryzen 7 5700G at 24,419 and the Intel part at 18,153, a 25.7% difference. Even in floating-point math, where Intel has historically been competitive, the AMD chip leads 51,296 to 41,036, a 20% margin.

However, the Intel Core i9-9900K is not without its victories, and one of them is striking. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the Intel part scores 2,164 against AMD's 1,494—a 44.8% advantage. That is an enormous single-thread gap, far larger than any other difference in the dataset. The R23 multi-core test also goes Intel's way, with 15,333 versus 12,830.5, a 19.5% lead. This creates an interesting paradox: Intel wins the newer Cinebench R23 tests but loses the older R15 tests. The data suggests the R23 workload may be more sensitive to the Intel chip's higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz versus AMD's 4.60 GHz, or that the memory subsystem behaves differently under these specific loads.

Intel's third win comes in PassMark random string sorting, where it scores 36,238 against AMD's 33,384, an 8.5% margin. This is a narrow win, but it is consistent with the idea that Intel's cache hierarchy—while architecturally older—handles certain pointer-chasing workloads well. The remaining benchmarks all favor AMD. In Geekbench single-core, the Ryzen 7 5700G leads 1,894 to 1,681, an 11.2% margin, and in multi-core it leads 9,950 to 9,276, a 6.8% margin. The PassMark single-thread test shows AMD ahead by 11.1% (3,283 versus 2,919), and even in physics simulation, AMD edges out Intel 999 to 934, a 6.5% lead.

The Verdict

The aggregate data paints a clear picture. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has an average benchmark score of 27,051, while the Intel Core i9-9900K sits at 27,097—a mere 0.2% difference in the overall average. Both processors land at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they are statistically indistinguishable in overall performance. However, the distribution of wins is heavily skewed. The Ryzen 7 5700G wins 14 benchmarks, losing only three, and its victories tend to be large (ranging from 6.5% to 68.4%). Intel's three wins include one colossal 44.8% margin in Cinebench R23 single-core, but its other two wins are more modest (19.5% and 8.5%).

For a user whose workload is dominated by multi-threaded, integer-heavy, or encryption-heavy tasks, the Ryzen 7 5700G is the clear choice. The data shows it is not just ahead—it is often ahead by double-digit percentages. For a user who prioritizes single-thread performance as measured by Cinebench R23, the Intel part is the obvious pick, but that is a narrower use case. The benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 7 5700G's efficiency on the 7 nm node, despite a lower 65 W TDP versus Intel's 95 W, allows it to outperform in most scenarios. The Intel Core i9-9900K, being end-of-life and built on 14 nm, still holds its own in specific workloads but cannot match the AMD part's overall breadth of performance. Data suggests the Ryzen 7 5700G is the more versatile processor for general use, while the Intel chip is a specialist for certain single-threaded applications.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Core i9-9900K is built on the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake-R refresh, using a 14 nm process node fabricated by Intel. Its die size is 180.3 mm². The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G uses the Zen 3 architecture under the codename Cezanne, built on a 7 nm process node at TSMC. The AMD die is slightly smaller at 180 mm² but packs 10,700 million transistors—a density advantage that the 7 nm node enables.

Cache configurations differ significantly. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache differs: Intel has 256 KB per core, while AMD has 512 KB per core. This double-sized L2 cache likely contributes to AMD's strong performance in integer math and encryption. Both share 16 MB of L3 cache, but Intel's is described as "shared" while AMD's is simply listed as 16 MB. The memory bandwidth also differs, with AMD achieving 51.2 GB/s versus Intel's 42.7 GB/s, despite both using dual-channel DDR4.

The integrated graphics present another major architectural divergence. Intel includes UHD Graphics 630, a basic iGPU that is generally considered adequate for display output but not for gaming. AMD includes Radeon Vega 8, which is a more capable integrated solution. The production statuses reflect their lifecycles: Intel's part is end-of-life (released in 2018), while AMD's is still active (released in 2021). Both use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, and neither supports ECC memory.

Specification Differences

The most obvious specification gap is in clock speeds. Intel's base clock is 3.60 GHz with a boost of 5.00 GHz, while AMD's base is higher at 3.80 GHz but its boost is lower at 4.60 GHz. This explains why Intel wins the Cinebench R23 single-core test—the 5.00 GHz boost clock is a significant advantage for lightly-threaded workloads that can sustain maximum frequency.

The TDP difference is substantial: Intel draws 95 W, while AMD draws 65 W. For a desktop processor, this means the Ryzen 7 5700G runs cooler and requires less power delivery hardware. The sockets are incompatible—Intel uses Socket 1151, while AMD uses AM4—so the motherboard choice dictates which processor is even an option.

Memory bandwidth favors AMD at 51.2 GB/s versus Intel's 42.7 GB/s. The process node is another clear differentiator: Intel uses 14 nm, AMD uses 7 nm. The transistor count is only listed for AMD (10,700 million), and the die sizes are nearly identical (180.3 mm² for Intel, 180 mm² for AMD). Intel's launch MSRP was $488, which is worth noting as a historical fact. AMD's launch MSRP is not listed in the data. Both have unlocked multipliers, making them overclockable. The part numbers differ, as do the generations—Intel is Core i9 (Coffee Lake Refresh), AMD is Ryzen 7 (Zen 3 Cezanne).

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900K has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The Intel part's higher boost likely explains its 44.8% advantage in Cinebench R23 single-core.

Q: How do the two compare in PassMark data encryption?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G scores 20,325, while the Intel Core i9-9900K scores 6,430. This gives AMD a 68.4% lead, which is the largest performance gap in any benchmark between these two processors.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Intel Core i9-9900K has a TDP of 95 W, while the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has a TDP of 65 W. This means the AMD part is rated for significantly lower power consumption and heat output.

Q: Does the Intel Core i9-9900K win any benchmarks?

A: Yes, the Intel part wins three benchmarks: Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,333 vs 12,830.5, a 19.5% lead), Cinebench R23 single-core (2,164 vs 1,494, a 44.8% lead), and PassMark random string sorting (36,238 vs 33,384, an 8.5% lead).

Q: Which processor has more L2 cache per core?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has 512 KB of L2 cache per core, while the Intel Core i9-9900K has 256 KB per core. The larger L2 cache may contribute to AMD's strong performance in integer math and data compression.

Q: Are both processors unlocked for overclocking?

A: Yes, both the Intel Core i9-9900K and the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G have unlocked multipliers, meaning both can be overclocked by the user. The data does not include any overclocked benchmark results, so the scores reflect stock performance.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G is the winner in the vast majority of workloads. If the task involves integer math (91,541 vs 66,134), data encryption (20,325 vs 6,430), or data compression (318,262 vs 283,506), the AMD part is the clear choice. The same applies to floating-point math (51,296 vs 41,036), extended instructions (21,847 vs 18,965), and prime number finding (59 vs 47). For multi-threaded productivity, the PassMark multi-thread score of 24,419 versus 18,153 shows a 25.7% advantage for AMD. Even in Geekbench, both single-core (1,894 vs 1,681) and multi-core (9,950 vs 9,276) favor the Ryzen 7 5700G. The Cinebench R15 tests also go AMD's way, with a 26.7% lead in multi-core and a 10.5% lead in single-core.

The Intel Core i9-9900K is the winner in Cinebench R23, which is the more modern version of that benchmark suite. The single-core score of 2,164 versus 1,494 is a 44.8% blowout, making this the definitive Intel victory. The multi-core R23 score of 15,333 versus 12,830.5 shows a 19.5% lead, which is also substantial. The third Intel win is in PassMark random string sorting, where it leads 36,238 to 33,384, an 8.5% margin.

The use-case split is clear. For users running Cinebench R23 as their primary benchmark—perhaps for 3D rendering or animation work that uses that specific engine—the Intel Core i9-9900K is the better choice. For virtually everything else, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G offers superior performance. The AMD part also has the advantage of a lower 65 W TDP, a more modern 7 nm process, and a larger L2 cache. Given that the average benchmark scores are nearly identical (27,097 vs 27,051), the choice comes down to workload specialization. The Ryzen 7 5700G is the general-purpose winner, while the Intel Core i9-9900K is the specialist for R23-heavy tasks and random string sorting.