AMD Ryzen 5 1600 vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 5 1600 vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning. Here is useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Blender, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, Prime95, Gears 5, WPrime, PCMark 10, Handbrake, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, RealBench, MATLAB, SuperPi, 7zip, Blender, PassMark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or AMD Ryzen 5 1600.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen 5 1600

53%

Ryzen 7 3800X

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 3800X is 7% better than Ryzen 5 1600. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 5 1600

53%

Ryzen 7 3800X

56%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	93.8	98.9
Valorant	106.6	112.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.7	62.9
Apex Legends	100.2	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	79.9	84.3
Overwatch	86.3	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.6	77.5
DOOM Eternal	53.3	56.2
Warzone	83.1	87.7
Assassin's Creed	89.5	94.4
Valheim	88.5	93.3

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: 4K, 2K 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 5 1600

47%

Ryzen 7 3800X

44%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 1600 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 7 3800X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 105W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 1600	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	147	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1094	2165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	357	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2501	4960
Cinbench 23 Single-core	900	1325
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	6230	12874

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 1600	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	2063	2773
Multi-Core	12340	23436

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 1600	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	932	1393
Multi-Core	5690	10679

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 5 1600	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Announcement date	April 11, 2017	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Summit Ridge	Matisse
Architecture	Zen	Zen 2
Generation	2	3
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	6	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	2800 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	2667	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	576KB	512KB
L2 cache	3MB	4MB
L3 cache	16MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD1600BBM6IAE YD1600BBAEBOX YD1600BBAEMPK	100-000000025 100-100000025BOX 100-100000025MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 7 3800X is 17% better than Ryzen 5 1600 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 7 3800X has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 1600. 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 5 1600 is better: 2
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is better: 32
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen 5 1600 and AMD Ryzen 7 3800X before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 5 1600 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3800X specs and review.