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AMD Ryzen 5 5600 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against desktop processors at a similar price

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X scores 5.1/10 overall, ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 at 4.9/10.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 leads on efficiency.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X leads on single-core performance.

They score the same on multi-core performance, platform and integrated graphics.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600

4.9/10verdict: skip

The Ryzen 5 5600 is for builders who want a 6-core, 12-thread AM4 processor and already plan to fit a discrete graphics card. It suits general desktop use, development work and lighter homelab tasks on DDR4. It does not suit anyone who wants to build without a discrete graphics card.

Typically about £121.98 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

5.1/10verdict: good, not the best

The Ryzen 5 5600X is for people building a desktop or workstation who want strong per-core speed from six cores. It suits developers and gamers who already plan to fit a graphics card. It is a poor fit for a headless or always-on homelab box, because it has no integrated graphics and owner reports mention higher idle power than expected.

Typically about £145.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightAMD Ryzen 5 5600AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Multi-core performance25%6/106/10
Single-core performance20%6/108/10
Efficiency20%6/105/10
Platform20%5/105/10
Integrated graphics15%0/100/10
Overall4.9/105.1/10

Specifications

SpecAMD Ryzen 5 5600AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / threads6 cores / 12 threads, Zen 3 (Vermeer)6 cores, 12 threads
Base / boost clockBase 3.5 GHz, max boost up to 4.4 GHzBase 3.7 GHz, max boost up to 4.6 GHz
SocketAM4AM4
TDP65W65W default TDP
CacheL1 384 KB, L2 3 MB, L3 32 MB35 MB total (L2 3 MB, L3 32 MB)
Integrated graphicsNone; discrete graphics card requiredNone (discrete graphics card required)
Memory supportDDR4 only, 2 channels, up to 128 GB, UDIMM, up to 3200 MT/sDDR4, up to 3200 MT/s

Strengths and weaknesses

AMD Ryzen 5 5600

  • + 6 cores and 12 threads on Zen 3
  • + Works with seven listed AM4 chipsets, including A520 and B550
  • + PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 memory up to 128 GB
  • − No integrated graphics; a discrete card is required
  • − DDR4 only, and ECC support is reported inconsistently
  • − Older AM4 boards may need a BIOS update first

Skip it if:

  • Anyone who wants to build without a discrete graphics card
  • Buyers who need confirmed ECC memory support
  • People wanting more than six cores for heavy parallel workloads
Read the full AMD Ryzen 5 5600 review ›

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

  • + Zen 3 cores boost up to 4.6 GHz
  • + PCIe 4.0 on the AM4 socket
  • + Owner feedback praises performance for the price
  • − No integrated graphics; discrete card required
  • − Owner reports mention higher than expected idle power
  • − Six cores and 12 threads limit heavy parallel work

Skip it if:

  • Anyone building a headless server without a graphics card
  • Buyers who need more than six cores for VMs or rendering
  • Always-on builds where low idle power is the priority
Read the full AMD Ryzen 5 5600X review ›

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