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
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.
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.
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.
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.