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Ryzen 5 9600X vs Core Ultra 5 245KF

These are the newest midrange options from AMD and Intel. The Ryzen 5 9600X goes with 6 Zen 5 cores, 12 threads and a 65 W TDP; the Core Ultra 5 245KF combines 6 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores, 14 threads in total, with no integrated graphics.

Ryzen 5 9600X

Pick it if…

You want an AM5 platform with room to upgrade your CPU later, integrated graphics as a backup, and modest power draw (65 W TDP).

Core Ultra 5 245KF

Pick it if…

You do a lot of multithreaded work (rendering, compiling, compression) and will use a dedicated graphics card, since as an F model it has no integrated graphics.

Note. Different sockets (AM5 and LGA1851): they are not interchangeable on the same motherboard. Switching from one to the other means changing the motherboard.

Note. Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF does not include integrated graphics: you need a dedicated graphics card.

Specifications

We highlight the best value in each row with a soft background. A higher or lower value does not mean the processor is better for you: it depends on how you use it.

SpecificationRyzen 5 9600XCore Ultra 5 245KF
Price
Best price$185.00≈ $179.00 (best value in this row)
Performance per dollar (pts per USD)0.20Data not available
Processing
Cores614 (6P + 8E) (best value in this row)
Threads1214 (best value in this row)
Base frequency3.9 GHz4.2 GHz (best value in this row)
Boost / turbo frequency5.4 GHz (best value in this row)5.2 GHz
L2 cache6 MB26 MB (best value in this row)
L3 cache32 MB (best value in this row)24 MB
L2 + L3 cache38 MB50 MB (best value in this row)
Power and temperature
TDP / base power65 W (best value in this row)125 W
Maximum power (PPT / turbo)Data not available159 W
Maximum temperature (Tjmax)Data not availableData not available
Platform
SocketAM5LGA1851
RAMDDR5DDR5
Official RAM speed5,600 MT/s6,400 MT/s (best value in this row)
PCIePCIe 5.0PCIe 5.0 y 4.0
Integrated graphicsAMD Radeon GraphicsNo
ArchitectureZen 5Arrow Lake
GenerationRyzen 9000 seriesCore Ultra Series 2
ReleaseAugust 2024October 2024
Unlocked multiplierYesYes
Performance scores
gaming score (0-100)Data not availableData not available
productivity score (0-100)36Data not available
single-core score (0-100)Data not availableData not available
multi-core score (0-100)Data not availableData not available
efficiency score (0-100)Data not availableData not available

Still to be verified on the official spec sheet: Ryzen 5 9600X (Release date (month), PCIe version, Memory channels, Maximum power (PPT), Maximum temperature (Tjmax), PCIe lanes, Maximum RAM capacity); Core Ultra 5 245KF (PCIe version and lanes, Maximum temperature (Tjmax)).

Performance

Scores from 0 to 100 calculated from sourced benchmarks. If there is no real data, nothing is shown.

  • Ryzen 5 9600X
  • Core Ultra 5 245KF

Gaming

Ryzen 5 9600XNo data
Core Ultra 5 245KFNo data

Single-core

Ryzen 5 9600XNo data
Core Ultra 5 245KFNo data

Multi-core

Ryzen 5 9600XNo data
Core Ultra 5 245KFNo data

Productivity

Ryzen 5 9600X36
Core Ultra 5 245KFNo data

Efficiency

Ryzen 5 9600XNo data
Core Ultra 5 245KFNo data

Sources: Blender Open Data.

Price and performance

Relative performance (in Blender 3D rendering, not in games) divided by the current price. It is a figure to interpret, not a verdict.

  • Ryzen 5 9600X

    Relative performance
    36
    Price
    $185.00
    Performance per dollar
    0.20

  • Core Ultra 5 245KF

    Relative performance
    No data
    Price
    $179.00
    Performance per dollar
    No data

Videos for this comparison

Video tests of this combination. FPS depends on the GPU, the games and the settings of each test.

Related videos

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General features

Visual comparison of the official specifications. It does not measure real-world performance.

  • Ryzen 5 9600X
  • Core Ultra 5 245KF

Cores

Ryzen 5 9600X6
Core Ultra 5 245KF14

Threads

Ryzen 5 9600X12
Core Ultra 5 245KF14

Boost / turbo

Ryzen 5 9600X5.4 GHz
Core Ultra 5 245KF5.2 GHz

L2 + L3 cache

Ryzen 5 9600X38 MB
Core Ultra 5 245KF50 MB

TDP / base power

Ryzen 5 9600X65 W
Core Ultra 5 245KF125 W

Relative scale among the selected CPUs (100 = highest value on each axis). These are specifications, not performance.

Comparison breakdown

Cores and cache

The 9600X has 6 cores and 12 threads with 32 MB of L3 cache. The 245KF has 14 cores (6 P + 8 E) but also 14 threads, since Arrow Lake dropped Hyper-Threading; in exchange it has much more L2 cache (26 MB vs 6 MB). In workloads that spread well across many cores, the Intel chip starts with an edge thanks to its higher core count.

Power and cooling

AMD rates the 9600X at a 65 W TDP. Intel rates the 245KF at 125 W base and up to 159 W maximum turbo power. In practice, the Intel chip will need a somewhat more capable cooler if you push it through long workloads.

Platform and memory

The 9600X uses the AM5 socket, which AMD has promised to support for several years, so you'll be able to swap just the CPU later on. The 245KF uses LGA1851 with official DDR5 support up to 6400 MT/s. Both are DDR5-only with PCIe 5.0, so motherboard and memory costs are similar.

Based on official catalog specifications. Prices change: check the table, which shows the date of each price.

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