How does the new Ryzen 5 7600 compare to the Ryzen 5 7600X? Specs, performance, pricing, and more compared

The Ryzen 5 7600 is the latest budget processor from Team Red. The chip is a slightly tuned-down version of the $300 7600X. However, like most other Ryzen 5 processors, it comes with six cores and 12 threads.

AMD is selling the product for $230. Thus, it is a budget entry in the Zen 4 lineup. The chip, along with other non-X offerings, makes AM5 processors more affordable to the point where budget gamers can now opt for the latest and greatest from AMD.

However, when pitched against the original Ryzen 5 in the Zen 4 lineup, how does the new Ryzen 5 7600 hold up? Many system builders will be confused between these chips since the price difference is just a few dollars.

Previously, we have seen the price of the 7600X drop to as low as $250. This brings the difference between these mid-range chips down to $20. Thus, choosing between them might be even more difficult. Let's try to analyze the differences and find out which processor is a better deal.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the opinions of the writer

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The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is quite powerful for its price

The 7600 and the 7600X are mid-range offerings for gamers who want to build a high-performance gaming rig without spending a fortune on their setup. They are quite close to each other in terms of specs.

The biggest differences in the non-X chip are the slower operating clock speeds and the more power-efficient 65W TDP.

	Ryzen 5 7600X	Ryzen 5 7600
Architecture	5nm Zen 4	5nm Zen 4
Socket	AM5	AM5
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	12
Base clock	4.7 GHz	3.8 GHz
Boost clock	5.3 GHz	5.1 GHz
L3 cache	32 MB	32 MB
TDP	105W	65W

It is worth noting that Ryzen 7000 processors will keep boosting until they have run out of the 95℃ thermal headroom. Thus, the chip might draw more than the advertised power draw. According to the review data, the Ryzen 5 7600 can draw up to 88W under full load.

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Performance differences

The massive hit to the power draw limits and the frequencies means that the Ryzen 5 7600 is slower than its higher-end 'X' counterpart.

However, games mostly rely on the single-core performance marks that a CPU can push out. Multi-core performance, although necessary in sims like Total War: Warhammer and Age of Empires, is not widely indicative of the performance a chip can output in most video games on the market.

In this regard, the Ryzen 5 7600 holds up pretty well compared to the 7600X. The chip can deliver almost 95% of the performance marks of the costlier CPU while drawing significantly less power.

Thus, if gamers are on a budget constraint, they can opt for the newer and cheaper CPU and call it a day. However, for the vast majority of gamers, the Ryzen 5 7600X makes more sense as it is barely costlier and, although marginally, is faster in video games and creative software.

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Conclusion

The Ryzen 5 7600 brings down the lower barrier of entry into Zen 4. However, the 'X' variant of the chip makes more sense following AMD's price cuts.

Generally, the Ryzen 5 non-X processors were launched as the company's $200 competitor. Both the Ryzen 5 3600 and the 5600 launched at this price point.

Thus, the Red Camp should drop the pricing of the non-X chips before they can become a universal recommendation for budget gamers.