i9-10900K vs Ryzen 5 5600G

The i9-10900K is about 4% faster at 1440p. Whether that is worth it depends on the rest of your build.

The gap changes with resolution.

CPU differences shrink as resolution rises — at 4K the graphics card does most of the work.

In a real build with a RTX 3080.

Specs alone don’t tell you which to buy. Here is what each one does when it’s actually paired up, at 1440p.

So which should you buy?

The i9-10900K is faster, but the Ryzen 5 5600G is the better buy per dollar. Take the i9-10900K only if you want the extra headroom and the price gap doesn't bother you.

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Common questions.

Straight answers on the i9-10900K versus the Ryzen 5 5600G.

• Is the i9-10900K better than the Ryzen 5 5600G?

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  Yes, but by less than the spec sheet suggests. At 1440p the i9-10900K scores 70 against 67 for the Ryzen 5 5600G — roughly 4% faster. It also costs about $288 more at MSRP, so the question is whether that gap is worth the money for your build.

• Does the i9-10900K or Ryzen 5 5600G bottleneck a RTX 3080?

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  Paired with a RTX 3080 at 1440p, the i9-10900K build comes out balanced, and the Ryzen 5 5600G build comes out balanced. Being GPU-bound is the healthy outcome — it means the graphics card is the part working hardest.

• Is it worth upgrading from the Ryzen 5 5600G to the i9-10900K?

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  Only if you are also lifting the rest of the build. The i9-10900K is about 4% ahead at 1440p, and gaps like that shrink further at 4K where the GPU does more of the work. If you are upgrading from the Ryzen 5 5600G purely for frames, check the pairing first.

• Which is better value, the i9-10900K or the Ryzen 5 5600G?

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  On performance per dollar at MSRP, the Ryzen 5 5600G wins. The i9-10900K lists at $547 for an index of 70, and the Ryzen 5 5600G at $259 for 67.