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Specifications, performance and current prices compared in United States · USD · prices checked through Oct 17, 2026
AMD
Current comparison price
$172Value 87 · Balanced
from 3 offers at 3 retailers · checked Oct 17
Capability highlights · price excluded
Intel
Current comparison price
$160Value 84 · Balanced
from 3 offers at 3 retailers · checked Oct 17
Capability highlights · price excluded
Capabilityprice excluded
Ryzen 5 9600X leads in 2 scenarios, Intel Core Ultra 5 225 in 1, 0 even. Ryzen 5 9600X is ahead for Gaming, Performance per Watt. View grades →
Valueunder Balanced
Ryzen 5 9600X has the higher Value under these priorities (87 vs 84).
Pricecurrent market snapshot
Intel Core Ultra 5 225 costs less right now ($172 vs $160, 7% apart).
| Priority | Ryzen 5 9600X | Intel Core Ultra 5 225 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 84 | ||
| 88 | 75 | ||
| 14 | 18 | ||
| 95 | 71 |
Pick a preset to compare under it: the whole page follows. Within 2 points counts as even.
Under Balanced, each product holds or loses the higher Value at one price, with the other held at its current price. Enter the prices you were actually offered to see the answer for your deal.
Ryzen 5 9600X
Current comparison price
$172 Value 87
Ryzen 5 9600X keeps the higher Value up to $181 (with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at $160).
Intel Core Ultra 5 225
Current comparison price
$160 Value 84
Intel Core Ultra 5 225 matches the Value of Ryzen 5 9600X (at $172) at $152 or less.
A crossover is a calculation under the active priorities and today's market frame, not a price forecast.
New offers we track in United States (USD), cheapest first, with the date each was checked. Amazon appears as a link only: its price is not shown and never enters Value.
Ryzen 5 9600X
Intel Core Ultra 5 225
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What each product can do for a job, graded S to F with price left out, and the measured indexes behind it.
View full tier list and performance rankings
| Ryzen 5 9600X | Intel Core Ultra 5 225 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | A #40 | B #108 |
| Productivity | C #88 | B #86 |
| Performance per Watt | A #12 | B #53 |
| Multi-core performance | 847 | 857 |
| Single-core performance | 1,117 | 930 |
| Gaming performance | 1,028 | 885 |
Facts true of every board a product groups; a range or "varies" marks a fact that differs between boards.
4 identical facts hidden
| Ryzen 5 9600X | Intel Core Ultra 5 225 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores and cache | ||
| Cores | 6 cores | 10 cores |
| Threads | 12 threads | 10 threads |
| L3 cache | 32 MB | 20 MB |
| Boost clock | 5,400 MHz | 4,900 MHz |
| Platform | ||
| Socket | AM5 | LGA 1851 |
| Unlocked multiplier | Yes | No |
| Power and process | ||
| TDP | 88 W | 121 W |
| Process node | 4 nm | 3 nm |
| Product | ||
| Manufacturer | AMD | Intel |
| Architecture | Granite Ridge | Arrow Lake-S |
| Release year | 2024 | 2025 |
Not tracked means the source data does not have this fact. It is not assumed to be absent.
Conditions drawn from the data above, not a universal recommendation. The better choice depends on which of these matter to you.
It depends on the question. For capability (price left out) see the grades by use case; for how good the current price is for what you get, see Value under your priorities; and for the cheapest option today, see current prices. This page keeps the three apart and does not name one overall winner.
Under Balanced, Ryzen 5 9600X has the higher Value (87 vs 84) in the market snapshot of Oct 17, 2026. Value changes with your priorities and with prices.
Under Balanced, with Ryzen 5 9600X at its current price, Intel Core Ultra 5 225 reaches equal Value at $152. It is a calculation, not a price forecast.
Ryzen 5 9600X leads in 2 scenarios, Intel Core Ultra 5 225 in 1, 0 even. Ryzen 5 9600X is ahead for Gaming, Performance per Watt.
The offers section lists every new offer we track for both products in United States, with the date each price was checked. Open in Compare to add more products.