The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the objective winner of this comparison, securing victory in eight of the fourteen evaluated categories. Its most significant technical advantage over the competition is its L3 cache, which is 300% larger. While the AMD Ryzen 5 8600G falls behind in total spec wins, it maintains a distinct edge in specialized hardware, offering NPU performance that is 100% better than the alternative.

Users prioritizing raw processing capacity and memory-heavy tasks should choose the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X for its superior cache architecture. Conversely, the AMD Ryzen 5 8600G is the appropriate selection for those who specifically require enhanced NPU capabilities for their computing workflows. Each processor serves a different functional priority, so the decision depends entirely on whether your primary needs favor cache-dependent performance or the specialized processing power provided by the integrated NPU.