AMD has recently unveiled non-X SKUs for several CPUs, a move that comes quite late in the game. In this review, we will be examining the AMD Ryzen 5 5600. Despite having a locked multiplier, this CPU boasts 6 cores and 12 threads. It operates at a base frequency of 3.50GHz and can reach boost rates of up to 4.40GHz. Priced at just 199 EUR, this boxed CPU offers great value and could be an excellent choice for building a high-performance gaming system.
ZEN3 lineup of CPUs
ZEN, naturally, serves as the codename for the processor architecture. ZEN3 has pledged an updated architecture with improved IPC (instructions per cycle) along with the familiar chiplet designs that provide better yields. AMD has consistently been pushing the boundaries of chip-fabrication foundries, and the 7nm production has proven to be advantageous for AMD. They have been achieving good yields since the initial launch. The chiplet design contributes to the good yields; when you fabricate monolithic and only get 30 chips from a wafer with a 60% yield, you end up with 18 working dies. However, when you use chiplets (multiple chips per package), you can fabricate perhaps 200 chips per wafer, and with the same yield ratio, you suddenly have 120 working dies. This is part of the secret to AMD’s recent successes.
Gaming king?
There has been extensive discussion surrounding the Ryzen 5000, formerly known as ZEN3. AMD has demonstrated impressive single and multi-threaded performance, but has faced challenges with high FPS and CPU-bound games. This issue cannot be solely attributed to the processor itself, as the gaming industry has long favored Intel and optimized their processors accordingly. The architectural design of AMD’s ZEN and ZEN2 processors, specifically the cluster design, has presented certain disadvantages. Each processor die contains 8 cores, organized into two groups of four cores. This clustering results in latency issues between the two 4-core partitions, contributing to the gaming performance gap. To address this challenge, there are two primary approaches. The first involves enhancing IPC (instructions per clock) performance through more efficient buffers and caches, thereby improving core performance. Alternatively, a strategy employed by Intel is to maximize clock frequency. While Intel excels in high turbo clock frequencies, AMD has traditionally focused on strong IPC performance. While AMD processors do not underperform in games, they have struggled to surpass Intel in extreme scenarios such as CPU-bound games with high FPS. This has led to a reputation challenge for AMD, as enthusiasts often prioritize gaming performance when evaluating processors. Despite the overall quality of AMD’s processor series and infrastructure, the comparison to Intel’s gaming performance remains a key consideration for many users.
This article employs a foundational storyline for all our evaluations of the Ryzen 5000 processors. In this piece, we examine:
We will provide a comprehensive analysis in the following pages. The Ryzen 3000 series 5, 7, and 9 processors offer six to sixteen cores and are competitively priced, delivering a significant performance boost compared to the previous generation products.
