AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 vs Intel Core i5-14600KF Comparison

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 both sit at the 90th percentile of all CPUs in the database, but that shared ranking masks a clear performance hierarchy. Across 17 head-to-head benchmark comparisons, the Intel part claims 15 wins while the AMD part takes only 2, with the average benchmark score for the i5-14600KF reaching 49394 compared to 47527 for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945. This is not a near-tie; it is a decisive victory for Intel in nearly every workload category, with the AMD chip showing superiority only in very specific mathematical operations.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result comes from the Cinebench suite, where Intel dominates with remarkable consistency. In Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, the i5-14600KF outperforms the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 by 10.8% in both single-core and multi-core tests across every generation of the benchmark. The R23 multi-core score of 32544 for Intel versus 29366 for AMD represents a gap of over 3000 points, while the single-core R23 result shows 4594 against 4145. This uniformity across three different Cinebench versions indicates a fundamental per-core advantage for the Intel architecture rather than any benchmark-specific quirk.

The Passmark suite reveals where each processor excels. Intel's largest victory comes in floating point math, scoring 93048 against AMD's 70291, a delta of 32.4%. The physics test shows an even bigger relative gap at 38.2%, with Intel scoring 2449 versus AMD's 1772. These results suggest Intel's compute units are substantially more efficient at scientific and simulation workloads. Intel also wins decisively in single-thread performance, posting 4273 in Passmark's single thread test against AMD's 3499, a 22.1% advantage that carries over to day-to-day responsiveness.

Data compression and random string sorting are also Intel strongholds. The i5-14600KF scores 485140 in data compression compared to 416599 for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945, a 16.5% edge, and 52056 against 43447 in random string sorting, a 19.8% margin. Encryption and extended instructions go to Intel as well, though by smaller margins of 4.9% and 6.5% respectively. The multi-thread Passmark score favors Intel at 38697 versus 34549, a 12% difference that reflects the i5-14600KF's higher thread count of 20 against AMD's 24 threads, showing Intel extracts more work per thread.

AMD's two wins are narrow but noteworthy. In integer math, the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 scores 129768 against Intel's 125982, a 2.9% margin that shows AMD's integer execution units remain competitive. The more dramatic AMD victory comes in prime number finding, where AMD scores 228 against Intel's 161, a 29.4% advantage for AMD. This suggests AMD's architecture handles certain modular arithmetic and bit manipulation tasks more efficiently, though this is a narrow workload niche.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher overall benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 averages 47527. Intel leads by roughly 3.9% in the database's aggregate metric, and both processors rank at the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How does the Intel chip compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The i5-14600KF sits 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, while trailing the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8%. These are all close competitors within a 1.6% spread.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between these two CPUs?

A: The largest delta is in Passmark physics, where Intel leads by 38.2% with a score of 2449 versus AMD's 1772. Floating point math is close behind at 32.4% in Intel's favor. AMD's biggest win is in prime number finding, where it leads by 29.4%.

Q: Does the AMD processor have any advantage in multi-threaded workloads?

A: Despite having 24 threads versus Intel's 20, the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 loses in multi-thread Cinebench tests by 10.8% and in Passmark multithread by 12%. The Intel chip's higher boost clock of 5.30 GHz against AMD's 4.70 GHz appears to compensate for its lower thread count.

Q: How do these processors compare in single-thread performance?

A: Intel wins decisively in every single-thread test. Cinebench R23 single-core shows 4594 against 4145, a 10.8% lead, and Passmark single thread shows 4273 against 3499, a 22.1% lead. The i5-14600KF's boost clock of 5.30 GHz gives it a clear per-core advantage.

Q: What does the percentile ranking indicate about these chips?

A: Both the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 sit at the 90th percentile of all CPUs in the database, meaning they outperform roughly 90% of all recorded processors. Their average scores of 49394 and 47527 place them in the same performance tier, despite Intel's head-to-head superiority.

The Verdict

The data points to a straightforward conclusion: the Intel Core i5-14600KF is the stronger processor by a wide margin. It wins 15 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench test and the majority of Passmark workloads. The i5-14600KF is the clear choice for users prioritizing raw compute performance, particularly in floating point workloads where it leads by 32.4%, physics simulations where it leads by 38.2%, and any single-threaded application where its 22.1% Passmark single thread advantage will be felt immediately.

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 should only be considered by users with very specific workloads centered on integer math or prime number calculations, where it holds 2.9% and 29.4% leads respectively. Its lower TDP of 65 watts against Intel's 125 watts makes it the more power-efficient option, but the benchmark data shows no other area where it beats Intel. The Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 carries a PRO designation and supports ECC memory, but for pure performance, the i5-14600KF is the superior choice in nearly every measurable way.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every fundamental specification. The Intel Core i5-14600KF has 14 cores and 20 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 has 12 cores and 24 threads. Intel's base clock runs at 3.50 GHz with a boost of 5.30 GHz, while AMD runs at 3.00 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost. The Intel chip has a TDP of 125 watts and uses Intel Socket 1700, while AMD has a 65 watt TDP and uses AMD Socket AM4. Intel supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, while AMD supports DDR4 only. Intel's PCIe interface is Gen 5 with 16 lanes, while AMD's is Gen 4 with 20 lanes. The i5-14600KF has an unlocked multiplier with part number SRN42, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 has a locked multiplier with part number 100-000000831. Intel's launch MSRP is $294, while AMD's launch MSRP is not recorded in the database.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is significant. Intel uses the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process fabricated by Intel, with a die size of 257 mm². AMD uses the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process fabricated by TSMC, with a die size of 2x 74 mm² and 8,300 million transistors. Intel's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3, while AMD's includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a much larger 64 MB of L3 cache. Intel's memory bandwidth is not recorded in the database, while AMD lists a figure of 51.2 GB/s. Both support ECC memory, and neither has integrated graphics. Intel's codename is Raptor Lake-R, while AMD's is Vermeer. The i5-14600KF was released on 2023-10-16, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 was released on 2022-04-03.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-14600KF wins in every category except two. Its biggest advantages appear in physics (38.2% lead), floating point math (32.4%), and single-thread performance (22.1%), making it the preferred choice for scientific computing, engineering simulations, financial modeling, and any application that benefits from high per-core speed. Its 16.5% lead in data compression and 19.8% lead in random string sorting make it strong for database workloads and file archiving. The Cinebench results, with a 10.8% lead across all versions, confirm its dominance in 3D rendering and video encoding.

The AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 wins only in integer math (2.9% lead) and prime number finding (29.4% lead). These wins point to workloads involving cryptographic key generation, integer-heavy algorithm processing, and certain types of scientific number theory computations. The AMD chip's larger 64 MB L3 cache may contribute to its prime number result, but the data does not support a broader recommendation. For users whose work involves heavy integer operations, the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 offers a modest edge, but for everyone else, the Intel Core i5-14600KF is the superior processor based on the recorded benchmark data.