AMD Ryzen 3 1200 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons 31-01-2023

   If you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 3 1200 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, programming, video editing, streaming. Here you can find all information from real streaming and video editing tests or various benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like VeraCrypt, Handbrake, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, 3DMark, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), MATLAB, Gears 5, Prime95, AIDA64, 7zip, RealBench, SuperPi, PCMark 10.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Red Dead Redemption 2
Overwatch
Fortnite
Valheim
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Death Stranding
Cyberpunk 2077
Rainbow Six Siege
Fallout 76
Watch Dogs Legion
Borderlands 3
Grand Theft Auto V
Valorant
DOOM: Eternal
Halo Infinite
Apex Legends
Last Man Standing
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or AMD Ryzen 3 1200.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 3 1200

51%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 3600X is 7% better than Ryzen 3 1200. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 3 1200

52%

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Monster Hunter World, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V, Control, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	91.9	96.0
Valorant	104.4	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	58.5	61.1
Apex Legends	98.2	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	78.3	81.9
Overwatch	84.6	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	72.1	75.3
DOOM Eternal	52.2	54.6
Warzone	81.5	85.1
Assassin's Creed	87.7	91.7
Valheim	86.7	90.6

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 3 1200

55%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 3 1200 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3600X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 3 1200	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	129	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	477	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	333	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1191	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	885	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	3368	9588

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 3 1200	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1894	2651
Multi-Core	6325	18377

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 3 1200	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1083	1341
Multi-Core	3839	7891

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 3 1200	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	July 27, 2017	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Summit Ridge	Matisse
Architecture	Zen	Zen 2
Generation	1	3
Turbo Frequency	3.4 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	4	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography		7 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	2667	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache		3MB
L3 cache		32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD1200BBM4KAE	100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 18% better than Ryzen 3 1200 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 3600X has 2 more core than Ryzen 3 1200. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 3 1200 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 32
Although it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen 3 1200 and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

AMD Ryzen 3 1200 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• AMD Ryzen 3 1200 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.