AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against desktop processors at a similar price

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 6.4/10 overall, ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus at 6.0/10.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X leads on single-core performance, efficiency and platform.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus leads on multi-core performance.

They score the same on integrated graphics.

The biggest difference is multi-core performance, where the Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus scores 9/10 to the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X's 5/10.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

6.4/10verdict: good, not the best

The Ryzen 5 9600X is for builders who want a six-core AM5 desktop processor with a 65W default TDP. It suits general development, light virtualisation and a workstation or small server where cooling matters. It is less suited to anyone who needs many cores or media transcoding from the integrated graphics.

Typically about £164.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

6.0/10verdict: good, not the best

The Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus suits developers and homelabbers who want a lot of cores for builds, rendering and parallel workloads. It also suits anyone who needs ECC memory support on a desktop socket. It is a weaker fit for always-on servers where idle power matters, or for buyers whose main aim is gaming.

Typically about £216.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Multi-core performance	25%	5/10	9/10
Single-core performance	20%	8/10	6/10
Efficiency	20%	7/10	3/10
Platform	20%	7/10	6/10
Integrated graphics	15%	5/10	5/10
Overall		6.4/10	6.0/10

Specifications

Spec	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X	Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus
Cores / threads	6 cores, 12 threads	18 total (6 performance + 12 efficient), 18 threads
Base / boost clock	Base 3.9 GHz, max boost up to 5.4 GHz	P-core base 4.2 GHz, P-core max turbo 5.3 GHz; E-core base 3.3 GHz, E-core max turbo 4.6 GHz
Socket	AM5	FCLGA1851
TDP	65W default	Processor Base Power 125 W; Maximum Turbo Power 159 W
Cache	L1 480 KB, L2 6 MB, L3 32 MB	30 MB Intel Smart Cache; total L2 cache 30 MB
Integrated graphics	AMD Radeon Graphics, 2 cores, 2200 MHz	Intel Graphics, 4 Xe-cores, 300 MHz base, 1.9 GHz max dynamic, 8 GPU peak TOPS
Memory support	DDR5, 2 channels, UDIMM, max DDR5-5600 with 2 DIMMs or DDR5-3600 with 4 DIMMs, max capacity 256 GB on AMD product page, ECC yes with motherboard support	Up to DDR5-7200 MT/s; 2 memory channels; max 256 GB; ECC supported

Strengths and weaknesses

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

+ Boost clock up to 5.4 GHz
+ 65W default TDP and easy cooling
+ AM5 with PCIe 5.0 and ECC support
− Only 6 cores and 12 threads
− Basic integrated graphics with no listed encoding
− Owners criticise the launch price

Skip it if:

Buyers who need 8 or more cores for compiling, rendering or many VMs
Plex or Jellyfin users who want to transcode on the integrated graphics
Builders who need verified low idle power draw for a server

Read the full AMD Ryzen 5 9600X review ›

Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

+ 18 cores and 18 threads for parallel work
+ ECC memory supported, up to 256 GB DDR5
+ Reviewers praised its low price and multi-core performance
− Reviewers criticised high idle power draw
− 125 W base power, 159 W maximum turbo
− Reviewers noted gaming shortfalls and limited Gen 5 SSD speeds

Skip it if:

Homelabbers building a low-power server that stays on around the clock
Gamers who want the best gaming results above all
Buyers planning around the fastest Gen 5 SSD speeds

Read the full Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus review ›

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