AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Review

The Ryzen 5 7600X is one of AMD's mid-range Desktop processors. It was released in 2022 with 6 cores and 12 threads. With base clock at 4.7GHz, max speed at 5.3GHz, and a 105W power rating. The Ryzen 5 7600X is based on the Raphael 5nm family and is part of the Ryzen 5 series.

Ryzen 5 7600X is also the successor of AMD's last gen Ryzen 5 5600X processor that was based on the Zen 3 and 7nm process and was released in 2020.

In our mind, the best processors are the ones that deliver outstanding performance at a reasonable price point. And, the Ryzen 5 7600X absolutely nails this concept.

Speaking of which, if you want a high-end desktop (HEDT) 16-core processor that can compete with the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, you’re going to have to drop quite a bit more cash and get something like the $589.99 Intel Core i9-12900K. And, even if you do go with this Intel chip, you won’t necessarily end up with the same level of performance.

AMD Ryzen 5 5th Generation, and the Zen 4 (Raphael) architecture itself, is notable because it leads 5nm processors to the mainstream for the first time. But, there’s a lot more going on under the hood than just a smaller manufacturing node.

Increased IPC improvements, along with the massive turbo boost of 5.3GHz mean that even in single core performance – long a weak link of AMD’s processors – comes within reaching distance of rival chips.

AMD's Zen 4 (Raphael) series has landed, upping the ante with Intel in its high-stakes game for desktop PC market dominance with a well-rounded lineup of new chips that push mainstream platforms to higher core counts and more raw compute than we've ever seen. As a result, Intel's commanding presence in the enthusiast space is threatened in a way we haven't seen in over a decade.

The Ryzen 5 7600X slots in beneath the Ryzen 7 7700X, which comes with 5nm compute die to yield a 8-core 16-thread part. AMD has worked wonders to reduce the impact of this sort of multi-chip arrangement, but it's fair to assume that the Ryzen 5 7600Xs single-compute-die design, paired with a higher TDP rating that facilitates more aggressive boost clocks, could actually rival the Ryzen 7 7700X in some applications – games included.

As we've seen, gaming remains an advantage for Intel, so if squeezing out every last frame is all you care about, Intel's processors are a good choice. Much of that performance advantage will be less noticeable when gaming at higher resolutions, or if you pair the processors with a lesser graphics card.

AMD Ryzen 5 5 Generation is finally here, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X might just be the poster child for what this generation of processors has in store for consumers. Sure, it might have stuck with the 6-core, 12-thread setup, which it inherited from its predecessor, the Ryzen 5 5600X. However, with the new 5nm manufacturing process, it delivers a far better performance at lower power consumption.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X was rolled out on Sep 27th, 2022 for $299, which puts it in the same general price range as the last-generation Ryzen 5 5600X. This means that at least we're not seeing any considerable price jumps from generation to generation.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, like the rest of AMD's Raphael processors, is built on a 5nm manufacturing node – the smallest in a commercially available CPU. What this means for most people is lower power consumption and much improved performance at the same time.

This decision to 5nm has brought a beefy 15% boost to IPC (instructions per clock) performance. Effectively, compared to a Ryzen 5 4-Generation processor at the same clock speed, you will get a straight 15% increase in performance. That’s not big enough to be evident in day-to-day workloads, but it does still mean something.

What this all means is that the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is an absolute beast when it comes to multi-threaded workloads, especially at this price point. If you're counting on doing some video editing or compiling one hell of an Excel spreadsheet, you're going to see firsthand a performance boost with the Ryzen 5 7600X.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is another impressive release from AMD and its 5 Generation of Ryzen 5 chips. With it, you’re getting 6-cores and 12-threads, with a boost clock of 5.3GHz. It may not be the strongest contender ever made on paper, but when you see and feel the actual performance gains it offers, you’re certainly getting a lot of bang for your $299 buck.

We stand by that assessment, but that won't escape us from running a few up to date benchmarks. We'll focus on gaming performance which should make life a little easier for Intel's CPU. For application performance you can refer back to our day-one coverage of the Core i5-12600K where the Ryzen 5 5600X was included. You can safely bet the 2.5% factory overclock isn’t going to make the Ryzen 5 7600X any more than about 1-2% faster than those figures.

If you're mostly playing games on your PC, you will be happy buying either processor. Both proved to be solid options and are evenly matched with a slight advantage to the Intel chip if you don't tune up the Core i5 processor. The base performance we showed for the Ryzen 5 7600X can be achieved with $90 memory, while the Core i5-12600K will require $110 - $120 memory in order to enable the frame rates shown here. It’s not a big cost difference and right now with anything less than an RTX 2070 or Vega 64 you’ll more than likely become GPU limited.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X seems to be a decent performing chip that is readily available for $299 at your favorite retailer. The main competition for this processor is the Core i5-12600K 10-Core unlocked desktop processor with UHD Graphics 770 graphics ($469.99 shipped).

For a 6-core processor, AMD’s $299 flagship Ryzen 5 7600X processor seems downright cheap. On paper, the cost of those -4 extra cores is almost an afterthought when you stack it up against its direct competitor, the $469.99 10-core Intel Core i5-12600K.

With Ryzen 5, AMD continues to innovate on its new architecture and 5nm process. Like Ryzen 7, AMD has engineered Ryzen 5 to operate on a AM5 chipset with all the modern amenities of computing. This includes support for DDR4 RAM, the fastest NVMe SSDs and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Now the biggest question is can AMD’s Ryzen 5 processor play games? The answer is simply yes as it got a respectable gaming score of 99% in our benchmarks.

Regardless of those external factors, the Ryzen 5 7600X proves it has the chops to be your main gaming system and a just as effective media creation platform – two things that are becoming intrinsically connected in this age of live-streaming, eSports and uploading gameplay videos.

The Ryzen 5 7600X clocks up to 5.3Ghz just as it promises on the box, and with AMD’s software you can take one of the cores all the way up to 5.4GHz. However, don’t expect to get much beyond that without seriously upgrading your cooling solution and manually tweaking voltages behind the operating system level.

Fresh from a successful roll-out of mainstream Ryzen 5 CPUs, AMD's attack on Intel now extends down into the mid-range with its Ryzen 5 7600X processors, which the company is making available as of Sep 27th, 2022.

Although there is an unlocked Core i9-12900K at the top of Intel's Core i5 family, it isn't particularly popular. The chip is relatively expensive, and it unfortunately requires a pricey motherboard for overclocking support. In comparison, AMD lets you overclock Ryzen 5 on cheaper platforms.

Like all other Raphael chips, the Ryzen 5-series CPUs drop into any Socket AM5 motherboard. But most will find a home on boards equipped with the B650 chipset, which has provisions for overclocking and offers plenty of connectivity options. Unlike Intel, AMD plans to utilize its current socket until 2023, so upgrading to future models shouldn't require a new motherboard.