AMD brings the Zen 3 architecture to the sub-£300 market with this 6-core CPU. While it may not be the budget bargain we are used to seeing, it remains a stunning piece of engineering.
AMD’s 6-core CPUs have been fan favorites for years, and the Ryzen 5 5600X looks set to continue that trend. However, with a price tag of around $299, it faces stiff competition from both its own predecessors and Intel’s lineup.
The Verdict: 88%
“Not the bargain 6-core chip we’re used to seeing but a stunning CPU nonetheless.”
The Ryzen 5 5600X is a potent all-rounder. While the older Ryzen 7 3700X offers two more cores for the same price, and the Intel Core i5-10600K retails for less, the 5600X brings the efficiency and speed of the new Zen 3 microarchitecture to the table.
Specs and Features
Despite a modest 65W Thermal Design Power (TDP), this chip is extremely potent.
- Boost Frequency: It hits a peak of 4.6GHz. While this is lower than the 4.9-5GHz seen on the flagship Ryzen 9 5950X, the all-core boost sits comfortably at 4.4GHz.
- Cooler Included: Unlike the higher-end Zen 3 CPUs, AMD includes the Wraith Stealth cooler in the box, saving you money if you don’t plan to push the chip to its limits immediately.
- Cache: It features a single CCX design with 32MB of L3 cache (same as the Ryzen 7 5800X) and 3MB of L2 cache.
Performance and Overclocking
Overclocking the Ryzen 5 5600X proved to be very fruitful. We managed to hit 4.7GHz across all cores with a vcore of 1.25V, beating the stock boost frequency by 100MHz.
Because this manual overclock increases both single-core and all-core speeds, there is very little reason not to tweak this CPU.
Benchmarks
- Image Editing: The high boost clock shined here, scoring just under 71,000. This result is significantly higher than the Intel Core i9-10900K and beats both 16-core Ryzen CPUs tested.
- Video Encoding: A score of 542,000 saw it beat the Core i5-10600K comfortably, though it lagged behind the 8-core Ryzen 7 5800X.
- Cinebench: The single-threaded score of 600 is impressive, while the multi-threaded score of 4,296 held an 800-point lead over the Core i5.
Gaming Performance
In Far Cry New Dawn, the 5600X delivered a stellar result:
- Stock: Minimum 100fps | Average 134fps
- Overclocked: Minimum 106fps | Average 140fps
This made it the fastest CPU in this specific test, well ahead of the Ryzen 7 3700X and Core i5-10600K. Power efficiency was also excellent, with the whole system drawing just 223W, shaving over 20W off the Intel equivalent.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Excellent overclocker | ❌ Pricey for a 6-core CPU ($299) |
| ✅ Great gaming performance | ❌ Ryzen 7 3700X is better for multi-threaded work |
| ✅ Comes with a cooler | ❌ Best performance requires overclocking |
Conclusion
The Ryzen 5 5600X rarely shows any deficit compared with pricier Zen 3 options in games, while comfortably outpacing the Core i5-10600K and Ryzen 5 3600XT.
If multi-threaded performance is your absolute top priority, the Ryzen 7 3700X might be a slightly better buy. However, for a gaming-focused build, the 5600X is a fantastic choice that is highly overclockable.
Note: Since this review, rumors have circulated about a potential Ryzen 5 5600X3D, which could offer 3D V-Cache technology for budget gamers.
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