i5-14600K vs Ryzen 5 9600X
They perform within a few percent of each other at 1080p, and the Ryzen 5 9600X costs about $50 less right now. For the money, the Ryzen 5 9600X is the better buy.
Processor
Core i5-14600K
$354
cheapest new: at PC Case Gear · used about $210
- Cores / threads
- 14C/20T
- Socket
- LGA1700
- Memory
- DDR4 or DDR5
- Peak power
- 181 W
- Cooler in the box
- No
- Built-in graphics
- Yes
- Released
- 2023
Processor · better value
Ryzen 5 9600X
$304
cheapest new: at Amazon AU · used about $190
- Cores / threads
- 6C/12T
- Socket
- AM5
- Memory
- DDR5
- Peak power
- 88 W
- Cooler in the box
- No
- Built-in graphics
- Yes
- Released
- 2024
Average frame rates
Estimated across demanding games at High settings, each tested with an RTX 5090 and 32 GB of fast memory, so the processor is what limits the frame rate.
Cost per frame at 1080p: i5-14600K $2 · Ryzen 5 9600X $2
Game by game at 1080p
| Game | i5-14600K | Ryzen 5 9600X | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 136 | 132 | i5-14600K +3% |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 140 | 138 | about the same |
| Fortnite | 200 | 195 | i5-14600K +3% |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 400 | 390 | i5-14600K +3% |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 169 | 165 | i5-14600K +2% |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | 123 | 120 | i5-14600K +3% |
Which processor should you buy?
- Better value: the Ryzen 5 9600X costs less per frame ($2 vs $2 per fps at 1080p).
- They need different motherboards: the i5-14600K uses LGA1700 and the Ryzen 5 9600X uses AM5.
- For video editing, 3D and other work that uses every core, the i5-14600K is about 55% faster.
See how either processor pairs with your graphics card in the bottleneck checker.
Related comparisons
Frame rates are Rigsmith estimates from its performance indices, not measured benchmarks. Prices are the cheapest in-stock new price at Australian stores as of 12/11/2026, including GST.