Intel Core i5-2550k vs AMD Ryzen 5 1600X

Last updated: 2024-03-18

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Intel Core i5-2550k		AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
CPU comparison In this CPU comparison, we compare the Intel Core i5-2550k and the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster. We compare the Intel Core i5-2550k 4 core processor released in Q1/2012 with the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X which has 6 CPU cores and was introduced in Q1/2017.

Intel Core i5 (331)	Family	AMD Ryzen 5 (84)
Intel Core i 2000 (28)	CPU group	AMD Ryzen 1000 (15)
2	Generation	1
Sandy Bridge S	Architecture	Summit Ridge (Zen)
Desktop / Server	Segment	Desktop / Server
--	Predecessor	--
Intel Core i5-3570K	Successor	--

CPU Cores and Base Frequency The Intel Core i5-2550k is a 4 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.40 GHz (3.80 GHz). The processor can compute 4 threads at the same time. The AMD Ryzen 5 1600X clocks with 3.30 GHz (3.70 GHz), has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.
Intel Core i5-2550k	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
4	Cores	6
4	Threads	12
normal	Core architecture	normal
No	Hyperthreading	Yes
Yes	Overclocking ?	Yes
3.40 GHz	Frequency	3.30 GHz
3.80 GHz	Turbo Frequency (1 Core)	3.70 GHz
--	Turbo Frequency (All Cores)	3.50 GHz

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.
Intel Core i5-2550k	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
--	AI hardware	--
--	AI specifications	--

Internal Graphics Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.
no iGPU	GPU	no iGPU
	GPU frequency	--
--	GPU (Turbo)	--
--	GPU Generation	--
	Technology
	Max. displays
--	Compute units	--
--	Shader	--
No	Hardware Raytracing	No
No	Frame Generation	No
--	Max. GPU Memory	--
--	DirectX Version	--

Hardware codec support A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
no iGPU	GPU	no iGPU
No	Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit)	No
No	Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit)	No
No	Codec h264	No
No	Codec VP9	No
No	Codec VP8	No
No	Codec AV1	No
No	Codec AVC	No
No	Codec VC-1	No
No	Codec JPEG	No

Memory & PCIe Up to 32 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Intel Core i5-2550k, while the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X supports a maximum of 64 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s enabled.
Intel Core i5-2550k	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
DDR3-1333	Memory	DDR4-2666
32 GB	Max. Memory	64 GB
2 (Dual Channel)	Memory channels	2 (Dual Channel)
21.3 GB/s	Max. Bandwidth	42.7 GB/s
No	ECC	Yes
--	L2 Cache	--
6.00 MB	L3 Cache	16.00 MB
2.0	PCIe version	3.0
16	PCIe lanes	20
8.0 GB/s	PCIe Bandwidth	19.7 GB/s
Thermal Management The Intel Core i5-2550k has a TDP of 95 W. The TDP of the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X is 95 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.
Intel Core i5-2550k	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
95 W	TDP (PL1 / PBP)	95 W
--	TDP (PL2)	--
--	TDP up	--
--	TDP down	--
--	Tjunction max.	95 °C
Technical details The Intel Core i5-2550k has 6.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 32 nm. The cache of AMD Ryzen 5 1600X is at 16.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 14 nm.
Intel Core i5-2550k	Characteristic	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
32 nm	Technology	14 nm
Monolithic	Chip design	Monolithic
x86-64 (64 bit)	Instruction set (ISA)	x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX	ISA extensions	SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
LGA 1155	Socket	AM4 (PGA 1331)
VT-x, VT-x EPT	Virtualization	AMD-V, SVM
Yes	AES-NI	Yes
Windows 10, Linux	Operating systems	Windows 10, Linux
Q1/2012	Release date	Q1/2017
235 $	Release price	245 $

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Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz (3.80 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save! AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.30 GHz (3.70 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!

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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks

Intel Core i5-2550k (71%)

AMD Ryzen 5 1600X (100%)

⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks

Intel Core i5-2550k (40%)

AMD Ryzen 5 1600X (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	810 (85%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	950 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	2611 (50%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	5220 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	664 (57%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	1167 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	2010 (39%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	5089 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	4120 (31%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	13207 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	59 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	411 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	942 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	6470 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	389 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	2764 (100%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	323.8 (100%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	415 (100%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.30 GHz	3367 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.80 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz	151 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.


	Intel Core i5-2550k 4C 4T @ 3.40 GHz	0 (0%)
	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X 6C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	1126 (100%)

Devices using this processor
Intel Core i5-2550k	AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
Unknown	Unknown

News and articles for the Intel Core i5-2550k and the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X

The evolution of AMD Ryzen processors

Posted by Stefan on 2022-09-06

The AMD Ryzen processors are designed for the mid to high-end range and are grouped into the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 classes. AMD follows the market leader Intel, which groups its Core i series (Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Core i9) identically.

The AMD Ryzen processors were first introduced by AMD in Q1 2017. They are the successor to the not particularly successful AMD Bulldozer processors. The latter were manufactured using an outdated manufacturing process and could not keep up with the competing products from Intel. AMD lost a large portion of its desktop processor market share during this period.

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