The Comparator

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs Intel Core Ultra 5 225

Compare AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Core Ultra 5 225 in the United States side by side across price, specifications, capability by use case and the price at which the answer changes.

Market snapshot Nov 9, 2026 · USD

Specifications, performance and current prices compared in United States · USD · prices checked through Nov 9, 2026

Open in Compare

Ryzen 5 9600X

AMD

Current comparison price

$171Value · Balanced69

from 5 offers at 5 retailers · checked Nov 9

Capability highlights · price excluded

  • A Gaming
  • A Performance per Watt
+1 more · view all grades
  • A Gaming
  • C Productivity
  • A Performance per Watt

Intel Core Ultra 5 225

Intel

Current comparison price

$179Value · Balanced62

from 5 offers at 5 retailers · checked Nov 9

Capability highlights · price excluded

  • B Gaming
  • B Productivity
  • B Performance per Watt

Key differences at a glance

Capabilityprice excluded

Scenarios won: Ryzen 5 9600X 2, Intel Core Ultra 5 225 1, even 0. Ryzen 5 9600X is ahead for Gaming, Performance per Watt. View grades →

Valueunder Balanced

Ryzen 5 9600X has the higher Value under these priorities (69 vs 62).

Pricecurrent market snapshot

Ryzen 5 9600X costs less right now ($171 vs $179, 4% apart).

How priorities change the comparison Presets with the higher Value: Ryzen 5 9600X 3 · Intel Core Ultra 5 225 1 · even 0
Priority Ryzen 5 9600X Intel Core Ultra 5 225
6962
8977
6067
7057

Pick a preset to compare under it: the whole page follows. Within 2 points counts as even.

Price difference and break-even price

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

$171 69

Ryzen 5 9600X keeps the higher Value up to $191 (with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 at $179).

Intel Core Ultra 5 225

Current comparison price

$179 62

Intel Core Ultra 5 225 matches the Value of Ryzen 5 9600X (at $171) at $160 or less.

A crossover is a calculation under the active priorities and today's market frame, not a price forecast.

Price comparison: current offers

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

  1. $171Best priceAMD Ryzen 5 9600XNewegg · checked · Affiliate linkGo to offer →
  2. Check on AmazonAMD Ryzen 5 9600XAmazon · checked Go to offer →
  3. $218AMD Ryzen 5 9600XMemoryC · checked · Affiliate linkGo to offer →
  4. $279AMD Ryzen 5 9600XB&H · checked Go to offer →
  5. $280AMD Ryzen 5 9600XCentralComputer · checked Go to offer →
  6. Currently unavailable · last seen
  7. $164AMD Ryzen 5 9600X - Ryzen 5 9000 Series Granite Ridge (Zen 5) 6-Core 3.9 GHz - Socket AM5 65W - Radeon Graphics Processor - 100-100001405WOZ - International Version With Warranty Of Three YearsNewegg · last seen · no longer in the retailer’s listing · Affiliate linkView listing

Intel Core Ultra 5 225

  1. Check on AmazonBest priceIntel Core Ultra 5 225Amazon · checked Go to offer →
  2. $179Intel Core Ultra 5 225B&H · checked Go to offer →
  3. $190Intel Core Ultra 5 225CentralComputer · checked Go to offer →
  4. $196Intel Core Ultra 5 225Newegg · checked · Affiliate linkGo to offer →
  5. $208Intel Core Ultra 5 225MemoryC · checked · Affiliate linkGo to offer →

Affiliate links may earn us a commission. They never change the prices shown here, the ranking or Value.

Performance and key differences

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
GamingA #42B #112
ProductivityC #92B #90
Performance per WattA #13B #54
Multi-core performance847857
Single-core performance1,117930
Gaming performance1,028885

Where each one leads

  • Lower current price · Higher Value with these priorities · Better grade for Gaming · Lower TDP
  • Higher cores

Specifications compared

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
Cores6 cores10 cores
Threads12 threads10 threads
L3 cache32 MB20 MB
Boost clock5,400 MHz4,900 MHz
Platform
SocketAM5LGA 1851
Unlocked multiplierYesNo
Power and process
TDP88 W121 W
Process node4 nm3 nm
Product
ManufacturerAMDIntel
ArchitectureGranite RidgeArrow Lake-S
Release year20242025

Not tracked means the source data does not have this fact. It is not assumed to be absent.

Which one to choose: where each wins

Conditions drawn from the data above, not a universal recommendation. The better choice depends on which of these matter to you.

Ryzen 5 9600X fits better when…

  • the job is Gaming, Performance per Watt: higher capability grade
  • Single-core performance matters: higher index
  • Gaming performance matters: higher index
  • your priorities are Balanced: higher Value
  • the budget decides: 4% lower current price
  • L3 cache matters: 32 MB vs 20 MB

Intel Core Ultra 5 225 fits better when…

  • the job is Productivity: higher capability grade
  • Multi-core performance matters: higher index
  • Cores matters: 10 cores vs 6 cores

Nearby market alternative

Worth considering instead
AMD Ryzen 5 7500F — same A-tier capability for Gaming, about $65 cheaper · Value 100.
Neither of the two above is the only answer — this one clears the same bar for less. ⇄ Compare all three

Questions and methodology

Which one is better, AMD Ryzen 5 9600X or Intel Core Ultra 5 225?

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.

Which has the higher Value right now?

Under Balanced, Ryzen 5 9600X has the higher Value (69 vs 62) in the market snapshot of Nov 9, 2026. Value changes with your priorities and with prices.

At what price does the answer change?

Under Balanced, with Ryzen 5 9600X at its current price, Intel Core Ultra 5 225 reaches equal Value at $160. It is a calculation, not a price forecast.

Which one is more capable, ignoring price?

Scenarios won: Ryzen 5 9600X 2, Intel Core Ultra 5 225 1, even 0. Ryzen 5 9600X is ahead for Gaming, Performance per Watt.

Where can I compare current offers?

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.

How we measure →