The wait is officially over! AMD has released its AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. But today we’ll be talking about the entry-level chipset; the AMD Ryzen 5 7600x. Should you buy it? Is it worth the 250 dollars? I’m sure you’ll have all your answers by the end of this article.
This mid-range processor is brilliant for gaming and day-to-day use and offers excellent single-core performance. And do you know what makes it even more appealing? It gives almost the same gaming experience as some of the other Ryzen chips sold at double the price. Crazy! isn’t it? And you also get a wraith stealth cooler with it but don’t get too excited! As it won’t be enough to keep the temperature in check.
If you’re a seasonal gamer running on a tight budget, this CPU might be your best bet. Now to help you decide I’ll reveal all the untold details about the AMD Ryzen 5 7600x. So read on!
Key specifications: you should know
So before we dive into the performance details, I think you ought to know what specifications we are dealing with here;
- Threads: 12
- Cores: 6
- Supported socket: AM5
- TDP(thermal design power): 105 watts
- L2 cache: 6MB
- L3 cache: 32MB
- Codename: Raphael
- Base clock speed: 4.7 GHZ
- Boosted clock speed: 5.3 GHz
Pros
- Exceptional single-core performance
- Extremely power-efficient
- Affordable price and comes with a Wraith Stealth cooler
- Compatible AM5 platform, which AMD intends to support through 2025 and beyond
- Incredible for gaming and general use
- Works with DDR5 memory and the latest PCle 5.0 technology
Cons
- Low core/thread count (6/12)
- Gets very hot and is hard to cool
- Multi-core performance wasn’t up to my expectations
Latest upgrades in the Ryzen 5 7600x
Now before I dive into the performance review, I want you to know what’s new in the Ryzen 5 7600x. How is it better than the previous model? So let’s get right into it!
Supported with AM5 CPU socket
Yup! You read it right! AMD is finally over the old AM4 and has gone for the latest AM5 CPU socket. As great as AM4 was, it’s no longer able to keep up with the upcoming advancements in the PC hardware so it had to be ditched for good. But don’t worry, your AM4 would still support the new AMD BIOS updates.
It introduces the newer socket type, LGA 1718, named after the number of its pins. Although this upgrade would have surprising boosts in performance, there were two main reasons for it;
LGA has way higher pin density than PGA allowing manufacturers more room to pack extra features into the motherboards. Plus it’s cheaper to make which helps in bringing down the overall CPU price, a good thing for us!
So, if you’re considering going for the Ryzen 5 7600x my friend, you’ll also have to upgrade to the new DDR5 memory which is gonna cost you a fortune.
Advanced 5 nm manufacturing process
Now, let’s talk a bit about its architecture. It goes by the name, Zen 4, and it’s built upon the TSMC’s 5nm manufacturing process. The older 5000 series chips were all made using a 7nm process. But why is it better?
To keep it short, the smaller the manufacturing process, the smaller would be the transistors inside the core. Transistors are little yes/no gates that are responsible for carrying complex instructions. So, the more you have the better!
A higher number of transistors increases the IPC (instructions per cycle) of the CPU which results in faster responses. AMD aimed to hit a 10% increase in the IPC for the Zen 4 design but guess what? They surpassed their target and achieved a 13% rise from the last Zen 3 core. Lucky for us! Right?
Compatible with AM4 cooling system
This feature was odd yet quite thoughtful at the same time. Your new AM5 chip would still support your old AM4 cooling system. This means you don’t have to invest in a new cooling system, you can simply use your older one.
But I wouldn’t suggest doing this! The reason is that the Zen 4 CPUs generate a lot more heat and only a high-end cooling system would be a safe way to go. I mean isn’t it better to invest in a quality cooling system than to risk your CPU?
Overall performance
I know that you’ve been longing to know; how does AMD Ryzen 5 7600x actually perform? Well, I’ll have to say, it delivered almost a similar gaming experience as the high-priced AMD Ryzen 9 7900x. I know it seems like an overstatement but believe me, it’s not!
It performed way better than my old Intel Core i5-12600K and was able to hit 91 fps in Horizon Zero Dawn and 138 fps in Dirt Rally at 1080 resolution. Impressive numbers for such an affordable price, right?
Another great feature was the new AMD EXPO technology! It helps in optimizing your system settings for the best ever gaming experience. Depending on the game you’re playing and your hardware configuration, it can adjust your CPU frequency, fan speed, memory speed, and more. Everything a gamer needs! Isn’t it?
But frankly, I was quite disappointed with its performance in all the multi-core benchmarks. I ran it through a bunch of tests like Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, and PC Mark 10. And also tested various games like Dirt Rally, Civilization Vl, Borderlands 3, and more.
Then I ran the same exacts on other processors including Intel Core i5 12600K, Intel Core i9 12900K, and AMD Ryzen 9 7900x. With all these values I formed a chart sheet to analyze AMD Ryzen 5 7600x all-in-all performance. Here are the results! Take a look for yourself!
Single/multi-core speed tests
| Performance tests | AMD Ryzen 5 7600x | AMD Ryzen 9 7900x | Intel Core i5 12600K | Intel Core i9 12900K |
| PC Mark 10 | 10,537 | 10,865 | 9991 | 10,602 |
| Geekbench 5 single-core | 2054 | 2180 | 1820 | 1937 |
| Geekbench 5 multi-core | 11,055 | 18,613 | 12,711 | 17,709 |
| Cinebench R23 single | 1926 | 1999 | 1894 | 1998 |
| Cinebench R23 multi | 15,119 | 27,528 | 17,402 | 27,014 |
Gaming benchmarks
| Games | AMD Ryzen 5 7600x | AMD Ryzen 9 7900x | Intel Core i5 12600K | Intel Core i9 12900K |
| Dirt Rally 4K | 65 fps | 65 fps | 63 fps | 63 fps |
| Dirt Rally QHD | 107 fps | 106 fps | 100 fps | 101 fps |
| Civilization Vl turn time (in seconds) | 7 secs | 6.96 secs | 7.35 secs | 7.27 secs |
| Borderlands 3 4K | 36 fps | 30 fps | 34 fps | 34 fps |
| Borderlands 3 QHD | 62 fps | 60 fps | 64 fps | 64 fps |
There! You’ve seen it yourself! AMD Ryzen 5 7600x shined in all of the gaming and single-core tests. But in multi-core benchmarks, it failed to beat even the mid-range Intel Core i5 12600K as I expected and there was a reason for that!
It was because the Intel Core i5 12600K which throws some serious competition for the 7600x has an integrated GPU (Intel Xe Graphics) that enhances the gaming and video editing experience. Priced about the same (279 dollars), the Intel Core i5 12600K also has a higher boost clock speed (4.9 GHz). But all this comes at a price; it has a higher TDP (125W) that may bring in heavy energy bills.
So if you’re looking for a processor that comes in handy in both gaming and heavy-duty content creation then I wouldn’t suggest you buy it. But if you’re all about games and looking for the best value gaming processor then there’s no need to search anymore. This one is made for you!
Power consumption and heat generation
When it comes to buying a new processor, you can’t just decide based on the performance now, can you? You can’t ignore some other factors like how power efficient is it. How much heat does it produce? So for your assistance, I made sure to test these too.
Power efficiency
| Power drawing status | AMD Ryzen 5 7600x | AMD Ryzen 9 7900x | Intel Core i5 12600K | Intel Core i9 12900K |
| Idle power draw | 73.5 W | 78 W | 51.5 W | 73.1 W |
| Peak power draw | 168.5 W | 216 W | 195.8 W | 330 W |
At idle stance, AMD Ryzen 5 7600x’s performance was a little concerning as it consumed even more power than Intel Core i9 12900K. But this problem can be solved if you remember to turn off your PC when not in use.
On the other hand, it drew almost half the amount of power than the Intel Core i9 12900K at peak performance. So if you’re worried about high energy bills Ryzen 5 7600x has got your back. Plus, you wouldn’t need to invest in a new PSU (power supply unit).
Heat
| CPU status | AMD Ryzen 5 7600x | AMD Ryzen 9 7900x | Intel Core i5 12600K | Intel Core i9 12900K |
| Idle processor temperature | 39°C | 40°C | 24°C | 23°C |
| Peak processor temperature | 89°C | 96°C | 68°C | 92°C |
As great as it was at power efficiency, I didn’t expect to create this much heat. Both at rest and peak performance state, its temperatures were considerably higher than the Intel Core i5 12600K.
It suggests that the Wraith Stealth cooler won’t be enough to hold the temperatures. I would recommend you purchase a high-end cooling system, especially if you intend to overclock your processor.
Final thoughts
Now that you know all about the AMD Ryzen 5 7600x, I’ll come down to the core of our discussion. Is AMD Ryzen 5 7600x worth buying? Well, as much as I want to, I can’t answer that for you. After all, it depends on your preferences and how much you’re willing to spend. But what I can do is make the choices more clear for you.
If you’re looking for a gaming processor that offers you the best value and works well in light editing tasks. Look no more! You’ve found yourself a perfect match! But bear in mind that you’ll need to upgrade to the AM5 platform with a high-end cooling system. So it’s gonna cost more than it seems.
Running a little tight on budget? Well, then I’d suggest going for the non-X Ryzen models or some other alternatives from AMD and Intel.
We’ve also put the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X head-to-head with the Ryzen 5 5600X. Discover which one comes out on top in our detailed comparison – just click here!
Muhammad Allayhan, a gaming and PC hardware virtuoso, breathes life into pixelated worlds. A legendary overclocker, he unlocks hidden power in gaming rigs. Navigating from 8-bit realms to today’s masterpieces, Muhammad’s words immerse readers in an ever-evolving digital odyssey. Join him as he reveals the secrets of gaming’s cutting edge.