AMD Ryzen 5 3500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Processor comparisons   18-02-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 5 3500 vs AMD Ryzen 5 2600X and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, programming, streaming, video editing, machine learning. Here you can find useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Handbrake, 7zip, AIDA64, MATLAB, PCMark 10, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, PassMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Furmark, Blender, Gears 5, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or AMD Ryzen 5 3500.

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 3500

53%

Ryzen 5 2600X

54%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 2600X is 1% better than Ryzen 5 3500. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 5 3500

53%

Ryzen 5 2600X

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Metro Exodus, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Microsoft Flight Simulator, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.7	94.6
Valorant	107.6	107.5
Cyberpunk 2077	60.3	60.2
Apex Legends	101.2	101.1
Call of Duty Warzone	80.7	80.6
Overwatch	87.2	87.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.3	74.2
DOOM Eternal	53.8	53.8
Warzone	83.9	83.9
Assassin's Creed	90.4	90.3
Valheim	89.3	89.3

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So 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 3500

276%

Ryzen 5 2600X

39%

To make a final resolution 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 5 3500 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 2600X since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate 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, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 5 3500	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	188	176
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1129	1380
Cinbench 20 Single-core	464	421
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2652	3048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	995	1074
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7015	7514

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	2504	2438
Multi-Core	12878	14033

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Single-Core	1245	1127
Multi-Core	6579	6497

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500	AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
Announcement date	February 18, 2019	April 19, 2018
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	FP5	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Pinnacle Ridge
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen
Generation	3	2
Turbo Frequency	3.7 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2.1 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	4	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	12 nm
Transistors count	4200 millions	3600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	95 W
Memory type		DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	2400	2933
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	384KB	576KB
L2 cache	2MB	3MB
L3 cache	4MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YM3500C4T4MFG	YD260XBCM6IAF YD260XBCAFBOX YD260XBCAFMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 2600X is 41% better than Ryzen 5 3500 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 5 2600X has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 3500. 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 3500 is better: 19
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is better: 13
However, it should be understood that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 5 3500 and AMD Ryzen 5 2600X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500 - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X specs and review.