Ryzen 5 9600 vs Ryzen 5 9600X
They perform within a few percent of each other at 1080p, and the Ryzen 5 9600 costs about $125 less right now. For the money, the Ryzen 5 9600 is the better buy.
Processor · better value
Ryzen 5 9600
—
No new stock · used about $179
- Cores / threads
- 6C/12T
- Socket
- AM5
- Memory
- DDR5
- Peak power
- 88 W
- Cooler in the box
- Yes
- Built-in graphics
- Yes
- Released
- 2025
Processor
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: Ryzen 5 9600 $1 · Ryzen 5 9600X $2
Game by game at 1080p
| Game | Ryzen 5 9600 | Ryzen 5 9600X | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 131 | 132 | about the same |
| Black Myth: Wukong | 136 | 138 | about the same |
| Fortnite | 192 | 195 | about the same |
| Counter-Strike 2 | 385 | 390 | about the same |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 163 | 165 | about the same |
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | 118 | 120 | about the same |
Which processor should you buy?
- Better value: the Ryzen 5 9600 costs less per frame ($1 vs $2 per fps at 1080p).
- The Ryzen 5 9600 comes with a cooler in the box; budget about $40–80 for a cooler for the other.
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.