Ryzen 7 3800X vs i5-2500K

Aggregate performance score

Core i5-2500K
2011
4 cores / 4 threads, 95 Watt
2.60
Ryzen 7 3800X
2019
8 cores / 16 threads, 105 Watt
14.57
+460%

Ryzen 7 3800X outperforms Core i5-2500K by a whopping 460% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1718487
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.3115.80
Market segmentDesktop processorDesktop processor
SeriesCore i5 (Desktop)AMD Ryzen 7
Power efficiency2.5913.13
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge (2011−2013)Matisse (2019−2020)
Release date9 January 2011 (13 years ago)7 July 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$216$399

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 7 3800X has 4997% better value for money than i5-2500K.

Detailed specifications

Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores4 (Quad-Core)8 (Octa-Core)
Threads416
Base clock speed3.3 GHz3.9 GHz
Boost clock speed3.7 GHz4.5 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/sno data
L1 cache64 KB (per core)96K (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)512K (per core)
L3 cache6 MB (shared)32 MB
Chip lithography32 nm7 nm, 12 nm
Die size216 mm2no data
Maximum core temperature73 °Cno data
Number of transistors1,160 million19,200 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-+
Unlocked multiplier++

Compatibility

Information on Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration11 (Uniprocessor)
SocketLGA1155AM4
Power consumption (TDP)95 Watt105 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVXno data
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology-no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access+no data
FDI+no data
Fast Memory Access+no data
Precision Boost 2no data+

Security technologies

Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT-no data
EDB+no data
Identity Protection+-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+
VT-d-no data
VT-x+no data
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size32 GB128 GB
Max memory channels22
Maximum memory bandwidth21 GB/s51.196 GB/s

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 3000-
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video HD+-
Graphics max frequency1.1 GHz-
InTru 3D+-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported2-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X.

PCIe version2.0no data
PCI Express lanes16no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i5-2500K 2.60
Ryzen 7 3800X 14.57
+460%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i5-2500K 4123
Ryzen 7 3800X 23140
+461%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i5-2500K 652
Ryzen 7 3800X 1701
+161%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i5-2500K 1920
Ryzen 7 3800X 8224
+328%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 2.60 14.57
Recency 9 January 2011 7 July 2019
Physical cores 4 8
Threads 4 16
Chip lithography 32 nm 7 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 95 Watt 105 Watt

i5-2500K has 10.5% lower power consumption.

Ryzen 7 3800X, on the other hand, has a 460.4% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 years, 100% more physical cores and 300% more threads, and a 357.1% more advanced lithography process.

The Ryzen 7 3800X is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i5-2500K in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-2500K and Ryzen 7 3800X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

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Intel Core i5-2500K
Core i5-2500K
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Ryzen 7 3800X

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Core i5-2500K or Ryzen 7 3800X, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.