The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 5 3600 are both popular 6-core, 12-thread desktop CPUs from AMD, but they belong to different generations and have some key differences.
Here we have compared both CPUs in depth with benchmarks and gaming performance to determine which gives you a better value for money.
Main Differences
- Ryzen 5 5600X has a 4.6 GHz clock speed, while Ryzen 5 3600 has a 4.2 GHz Clock speed.
- Ryzen 5 3600 is 1 Year and 4 months older than Ryzen 5 5600X
Specs Comparison
Before we take a look at benchmarks, let’s compare some specifications for both CPUs.
| Ryzen 5 3600 | Ryzen 5 5600X | |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 6 | 6 |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base Clock Speed | 3.6 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 4.2 GHz | 4.6 GHz |
| Architecture | Zen 2 (Matisse) | Zen 3 (Vermeer) |
| Socket | AM4 | AM4 |
| L1 Cache | 384 KB | 384 KB |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB | 3 MB |
| L3 Cache | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Multiplier | 36x | 37x |
| Fabrication Process | 7nm | 7nm |
| Transistors | 3.8 billions | 4.15 billions |
| TDP | 65 W | 65 W |
| Max Temperature | 95°C | 95°C |
| Integrated Graphics | – | – |
| GPU Clock Seed | – | – |
| Memory | DDR4-3200 | DDR4-3200 |
| Memory Size | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| Memory Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | Yes | Yes |
| PCI Express Version | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Release date | 07 July 2019 | 08 October 2020 |
Benchmarks
Now that we have compared basic specs, Let’s compare some popular benchmark standards between these two CPUs to find out which one comes out on top in performance.
Passmark Single Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 2,536
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 3,363(+32%)
PassMark Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 17,708
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 21,861(23%)
Geekbench 6 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 1,614
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 2,113(+31%)
Geekbench 6 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 6,912
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 8,683(+25%)
Cinebench 2024 Single Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 75
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 94(+25%)
Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 568
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 639(+12%)
Gaming benchmark tests
While benchmarks like Passmark and Geekbench give a general idea about the performance, they still don’t show the full picture. Here is the comparison between both CPUs in popular games to show you the real-life usage performance of these CPUs.
| Game | Ryzen 5 3600(FPS) | Ryzen 5 5600X(FPS) |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege(Ultra 1080p) | 416 | 506 |
| Death Stranding (Very High 1080p) | 149 | 198 |
| Horizon Zero Dawn (Ultimate 1080p) | 125 | 161 |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider(Ultimate 1080p) | 121 | 159 |
| Borderlands 3 (Ultra 1080p) | 149 | 160 |
| Watch Dogs Legion (Ultra 1080p) | 93 | 114 |
| Hitman 2 (Ultra 1080p) | 114 | 150 |
| Far Cry New Dawn (Ultra 1080p) | 110 | 130 |
Productivity benchmark tests
Not everyone plans to use their PC for gaming purposes, but some people also use them for 3D design and video editing. So, we are also sharing some productivity benchmarks with you.
Blender (Lower is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 1338
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 1122(+16%)
Vray (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 10,015
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 12,994(+30%)
Adobe Photoshop (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 883
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 1076(+22%)
Adobe Premiere Pro (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 678
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 746(+10%)
Adobe After Effects (Higher is Better)
- Ryzen 5 3600 – 961
- Ryzen 5 5600X – 1164(+21%)
Price
At the time of making this comparison, the Ryzen 5 5600X is available at $207, while the Ryzen 5 3600 is priced at $75. So, the Ryzen 5 5600X is around 176% more expensive compared to the Ryzen 5 3600.
Conclusion – Which one should you buy?
Now, it’s time to look at all the data and figure out which one is the best option for you. First up, the Ryzen 5 3600 is 176% cheaper. However, it performs worse than the Ryzen 9 7900X in every scenario, especially when it comes to multi-core tasks.
If budget is tight, the Ryzen 5 3600 at $75 is an incredible value. It still handles modern games and workloads competently, especially when paired with a good GPU.
If you want the best performance possible on AM4, and you’re willing to pay for it, the Ryzen 5 5600X delivers significantly better results, but it’s not proportionally more powerful for the price.
Value-conscious buyers will likely get better ROI from the 3600, while performance-focused users (especially content creators or competitive gamers) should go for the 5600X if budget allows.
