AMD Ryzen 5 3600X vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen 5 3600X vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as Gears 5, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Prime95, MATLAB, Furmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, WPrime, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, SuperPi, 7zip, Blender, Handbrake, RealBench, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X.

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 3600X

55%

Ryzen 5 5600X

56%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 5 5600X is 1% better than Ryzen 5 3600X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

Ryzen 5 5600X

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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 processors were compared: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, NBA 2K20, Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	96.0	97.1
Valorant	109.1	110.4
Cyberpunk 2077	61.1	61.8
Apex Legends	102.6	103.8
Call of Duty Warzone	81.9	82.8
Overwatch	88.4	89.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.3	76.2
DOOM Eternal	54.6	55.2
Warzone	85.1	86.1
Assassin's Creed	91.7	92.7
Valheim	90.6	91.6

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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 3600X

47%

Ryzen 5 5600X

90%

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 5600X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3600X as it consumes less power: 95W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, streaming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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. Since there are still many programs that can 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 5 3600X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	204	258
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1647	1970
Cinbench 20 Single-core	501	604
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3751	4562
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1286	1572
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	9588	11268

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Single-Core	2651	3352
Multi-Core	18377	22120

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

	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Single-Core	1341	1768
Multi-Core	7891	8968

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 3600X	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Vermeer
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 3
Generation	3	5
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	6	6
Threads	12	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	4200 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	95 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	384KB
L2 cache	3MB	3MB
L3 cache	32MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK	100-000000065 100-100000065BOX 100-100000065MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 2% better than Ryzen 5 5600X in terms of CPU frequency. 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 3600X is better: 2
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is better: 26
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 3600X and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X before deciding which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 5600X specs and review.