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AMD Ryzen 5 5600X vs AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

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

all judged against desktop processors at a similar price

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores 6.3/10 overall, ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X at 5.1/10.

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D leads on platform and integrated graphics.

They score the same on multi-core performance, single-core performance and efficiency.

The biggest difference is integrated graphics, where the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores 5/10 to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X's 0/10.

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

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

6.3/10verdict: good, not the best

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is for builders who want an 8-core AM5 processor with a large 96 MB L3 cache and a high boost clock. It suits a fast desktop or workstation more than a low-power always-on server, because AMD publishes no idle figure and owners report high temperatures under load. Buyers who need a media-encoding iGPU or lots of cores should check the specifications closely first.

Typically about £339.99 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 5600XAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Multi-core performance25%6/106/10
Single-core performance20%8/108/10
Efficiency20%5/105/10
Platform20%5/107/10
Integrated graphics15%0/105/10
Overall5.1/106.3/10

Specifications

SpecAMD Ryzen 5 5600XAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Cores / threads6 cores, 12 threads8 cores / 16 threads
Base / boost clockBase 3.7 GHz, max boost up to 4.6 GHzBase 4.7 GHz, boost up to 5.2 GHz
SocketAM4AM5
TDP65W default TDP120 W default TDP
Cache35 MB total (L2 3 MB, L3 32 MB)104 MB total (L2 8 MB, L3 96 MB)
Integrated graphicsNone (discrete graphics card required)AMD Radeon Graphics, 2 graphics cores, 2200 MHz
Memory supportDDR4, up to 3200 MT/sDDR5, 2 memory channels, DDR5-5600 at 1 DIMM per channel and DDR5-3600 with 2 DIMMs per channel; maximum capacity listed as 192 GB by the shop page and 256 GB by the AMD support page

Strengths and weaknesses

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 ›

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

  • + Boost up to 5.2 GHz on Zen 5
  • + 96 MB L3 cache, 104 MB total
  • + PCIe 5.0, DDR5 and ECC with board support
  • − Owners report temperatures near 94 °C and loud fans
  • − No published idle power figure
  • − Hardware AV1/HEVC encode support not published

Skip it if:

  • Homelabbers who need hardware AV1 or HEVC encoding from the iGPU for Plex or Jellyfin.
  • Builders wanting a quiet, low-power always-on server who need a published idle power figure.
  • Anyone needing more than 8 cores for heavy parallel compiling, VMs or rendering.
Read the full AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D review ›

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