AMD Ryzen 5 2600X vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the comprehensive tests AMD Ryzen 5 2600X vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 3DMark, VeraCrypt, RealBench, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, UserBenchmark, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, AIDA64, Blender, Furmark, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, 7zip, WPrime, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or AMD Ryzen 5 2600X.

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 2600X

54%

Ryzen 7 3800X

57%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 3800X is 5% better than Ryzen 5 2600X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 5 2600X

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 of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Battlefield V, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Ghostrunner, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, DOTA 2A, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.6	98.9
Valorant	107.5	112.4
Cyberpunk 2077	60.2	62.9
Apex Legends	101.1	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	80.6	84.3
Overwatch	87.1	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.2	77.5
DOOM Eternal	53.8	56.2
Warzone	83.9	87.7
Assassin's Creed	90.3	94.4
Valheim	89.3	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 that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. 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 5 2600X

39%

Ryzen 7 3800X

44%

To make a finishing resolution 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 7 3800X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video rendering or video editing, machine learning, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. 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. Because 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 2600X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	176	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1380	2165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	421	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3048	4960
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1074	1325
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7514	12874

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	2438	2773
Multi-Core	14033	23436

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	1127	1393
Multi-Core	6497	10679

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. 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. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Announcement date	April 19, 2018	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Pinnacle Ridge	Matisse
Architecture	Zen	Zen 2
Generation	2	3
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	6	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	12 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	3600 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	2933	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	576KB	512KB
L2 cache	3MB	4MB
L3 cache	16MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD260XBCM6IAF YD260XBCAFBOX YD260XBCAFMPK	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 7% better than Ryzen 5 2600X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 7 3800X has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 2600X. 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 2600X 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 undividedly trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and AMD Ryzen 7 3800X before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3800X specs and review.