If you’re planning to build a new PC, you’re probably struggling to decide which CPU to use. Choosing a CPU can be stressful because there are a lot of options, and most of them offer similar performance. It can be hard to find the best value CPU for your PC build.
One particular CPU-series that has been getting a lot of attention recently is the AMD Ryzen 5 series. Gone are the days where you need to drop hundreds of dollars on a good gaming CPU, with the Ryzen 5 Series, AMD has made high performance attainable at every budget.
AMD is known for making budget-friendly CPUs that offer similar, if not better, performance when compared to the usual Intel models. In this article, you’ll learn about some good CPU options in the AMD Ryzen 5 series lineup.
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 Series Good for Gaming?
Every CPU in the AMD Ryzen 5 series is good for gaming because they’re budget-friendly, have 6-cores, and offer excellent clock-rates. As long as it’s paired with a good GPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 series will run every CPU-heavy AAA game, such as the Battlefield games or Battle Royales, with absolutely no problems.
Most PC experts agree that the AMD Ryzen 5 Series is the best value CPU series on the market, and they’re recommended in almost every PC-build part list. While the AMD 5 series does have some downsides, they’re generally not dealbreakers.
You might be thinking:
Do I Need a Good CPU for Gaming?
You need a good CPU for gaming because it will allow you to reach a higher framerate which will improve your reaction time and overall performance in certain games. While most games are optimized to use your graphics card, there are some that rely heavily on your CPU, and without a good CPU, those games won’t run well.
Generally, games that have a lot of action on screen, like hundreds of models, will require a good CPU. The Battlefield games are one example, the Conquest modes are known to have 64 players battling it out at all times, with a wide range of vehicles, weapons, and tools. As you can imagine, a good CPU is needed to process all those effects.
Overall, it’s just a good idea to invest in a powerful CPU because not only will you be able to run more games but your computer will be faster and responsive, which will, in turn, make you more productive.
What’s the Best AMD 5 Series Processor?
While every chip in the AMD 5 Series is good, the Ryzen 5 2600 is considered the best value because it has 6 cores, 12 threads, a core 3.4 GHz (up to 4.2 GHz), and it’s much more budget-friendly than the Intel equivalents.
A close contender to the Ryzen 5 2600 is the Ryzen 3600 which offers even better performance but with a small price increase.
Combine the Ryzen 5 2600 with a graphics card (such as the GTX 1080) and you’ll never run into any gaming performance issues, at least not for another few years.
The Ryzen 5 2600 is pretty much all you need to power a PC, it will not only handle modern games but also other tasks such as, video rendering and browsing the internet, which will be fast and responsive.
What is AMD’s X Series?
AMD has the habit of creating a slightly overclocked version of their CPUs which include an x at the end of the name. The x series CPUs are good but more demanding and hotter and often require a dedicated cooler.
The x versions usually only add a small 1 – 10% increase in performance, so they’re generally not recommended. It’s also important to note that the x series have much higher TDP (Thermal Design Power) often 30 Watts or more.
You might have noticed that there are two versions of the Ryzen 5 2600, the original, and then the Ryzen 5 2600x. Let’s take a look at how they hold up.
Ryzen 5 2600 vs 2600x
The Ryzen 5 2600x is a slightly overclocked version of 2600 which offers a small performance gain at the cost of higher temperatures and more power consumption. 2600 has a core clock rate of 3.5 GHz while the x version has 3.6 GHz.
Most people agree that the non-x version of the Ryzen 5 2600 is the better choice because the x version offers minimal performance gains, and the higher temperatures aren’t good for longterm use. The original version is good enough.
Ryzen 5 3600 vs 3600x
If you’re looking for a really good budget-friendly CPU the Ryzen 5 3600 is worth a look, it has a 3.6 GHz base clock, 6 cores, and 12 threads. Once again, the 3600x is slightly more expensive and offers an increase of 0.2 GHz at the cost of higher temperatures. The problem here is the x version offers a very minimal increase in performance, around 2% in some categories, so most people don’t think the 3600x is worth it.
Ryzen 7 2700 vs 2700x
If you’re looking for more power, the Ryzen 7 2700 is a step up from the previous chip. The 2700 version has 8 cores, clocked at 3.2 GHz (up to 4.15), and 16 threads. The 2700x has the same number of cores and threads, but with a 3.7 GHz base clock (up to 4.3).
The 2700x is slightly more expensive with higher power demands. When it comes down to it, the performance gain that the 2700x offers over 2700 is not much, around 10% more, based on various benchmarks, which isn’t noticeable in day-to-date use.
The Bottom Line:
So if you’re looking for a new AMD CPU to add to your PC build, I recommend choosing one of the chips in the AMD Ryzen 5 series. For people on a lower budget, I suggest taking a look at Ryzen 5 2,600.
If you’re looking for a bit more power, then you can check out the Ryzen 5 3600 is a really good choice. I do not recommend the x series of the AMD CPUs because they offer a very small performance increase, and the downsides aren’t worth it.
Picture credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/amd-ryzen-processor-technology-4952189/
