Ryzen am4 cpu list: AM4 CPU list, specs, and socket features

AM4 CPU list, specs, and socket features

The AM4 is a CPU socket used by AMD for the company’s Ryzen CPU lineup. The AM4 features the pin grid array design and has been used for all Ryzen processors ever since the first-gen Ryzen lineup debuted in 2017. The socket itself debuted in September 2016. You can find the AM4 socket on eight chipsets, starting with the ancient B350 and X370, up to the relatively recent B550. If you want to find out more about CPU sockets, and processors in general, feel free to visit Levvvel’s CPU section. It’s pretty informative.

Being a PGA design instead of LGA, the AM4 socket features 1331 pin slots instead of pins. Pins can be found on the CPU. Some of the most critical features that debuted during the AM4 era include DDR4, PCIe 4.0, and AMD’s Infinity Fabric. While there are more and more rumors about AM4’s successor, chances are AMD will utilize the socket one last time, for Zen 3D CPUs. Below you can find the full AM4 CPU list as well as comparisons with other AMD sockets, AM4 hardware specs, and the list of chipsets featuring the socket.

AM4 CPU list

Series:

Architecture:

Cores:

Threads:

Base Clock:

Turbo:

AM4 Hardware Specs

AMD introduced the AM4 socket back in 2017. The company launched the socket as a one-for-all CPU socket, meant to replace every other consumer-grade AMD CPU socket of the time (AM3+, FM2+, etc.). When it comes to HEDT (high-end desktop) and server processors, AMD decided to use different, LGA-based sockets, such as the TR4, sTRX4, and SP3. The AM4 supports up to four sticks of DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration. As for the maximum memory speed, newer CPUs and boards officially support DDR4 up to 3200 MT/s but in reality, you can use faster memory without issues.

The AM4 socket features the Pin Grid Array (PGA) design in which the protruding pins used for contact between the socket and the CPU are on the CPU backside. The socket houses the holes for the said pins – 1331 in total – which is entirely different from the PGA design used by Intel. PGA design isn’t slower or anything, but users have a higher chance of messing things up while installing the CPU because the protruding pins can bend quite easily. That’s despite the AM4 being a ZIF, or zero insertion force, socket. On the other hand, the CPU installation procedure with an LGA socket is a fairly bit simpler and less prone to pin bending.

The AM4 socket measures 40mm x 40mm, and uses a different cooling solution hole pattern than its predecessor, the AM3+. Instead of the 54mm x 90mm hole pattern seen on the AM3+ AM4 uses a 48mm x 96mm hole pattern. This is why all AM4-based motherboards require mounting brackets that are specifically compatible with the AM4 platform. Of course, most current cooling solutions work great with Ryzen processors.

The most important new technology that debuted alongside the AM4 is Infinity Fabric; a high-speed “system interconnect architecture” used for communication between an AMD Ryzen CPU or AMD GPU and the rest of the system. Other new technologies that first debuted on AM4-compatible chipsets and CPUs include DDR4 memory and PCIe 4.0 interface. It’s now all but certain that the AM4 won’t see the introduction of DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 interface. AMD reserved these two for the AM5 socket.

AM4 vs AM3+

AM3+ vs AM4 Image Credit: D-Kuru; Michelko; Wikimedia Commons

The AM3+ is a direct predecessor of the AM4. It uses the same PGA design and includes 942 pinholes found on the socket itself. Despite the socket having 942 pin holes, CPUs compatible with the AM3+ only have 940 pins on their backside. AMD released the socket in 2011. The company designed the AM3+ for the CPUs based on the, now ill-fated, Bulldozer microarchitecture. The AM3+ is mechanically compatible with the older AM3 CPU socket.

However, the AM4 and AM3+ aren’t compatible, mechanically or electrically, even though they have the exact dimensions of 40mm square. The AM4 introduced a new hole pattern for cooling solutions despite the two sockets sharing physical dimensions. Also, it’s interesting that, despite being the same size and the AM4 having a large hole in the middle, AMD managed to squeeze 389 extra pin holes on the newer socket.

AM4 vs AM5

We don’t know much about the upcoming AM5 socket, which AMD should use for the Zen 4 processors. What’s almost certain is that, with the AM5, AMD will finally switch to the LGA socket design for its consumer-based CPUs. The company already has experience using the LGA-based socket for its Threadripper and Epyc series of processors. Rumors claim the upcoming socket will come with 1718 contacts or pins. This, if correct, will be a massive, 29.1 percent increase in pins/holes compared to the AM4 socket.

The AM5 will also almost certainly launch with DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support. This info isn’t 100 percent confirmed, but given that Intel launched its LGA 1700 socket and Z690 motherboards with support for the same technologies, we reckon AMD will do the same with the AM5 and corresponding chipsets.

CPUs compatible with AM4

The first generation of AM4 motherboards supported the last generation of Excavator CPUs – i.e., A6-9550 – and the first-gen Ryzen processors. Over the years, the AM4 continued to be the only CPU socket used for consumer-grade AMD CPUs. Today, the socket is compatible with all four generations of Ryzen CPUs – Zen, Zen+, Zen 2, and Zen 3. And, by the looks of it, the socket could also be compatible with the upcoming Zen 3D, a Zen 3 refresh that includes 3D V-cache technology.

With that said, not all AM4-based chipsets are compatible with all AM4-based CPUs. The first generation of chipsets (A320, B350, and X370) supports Excavator and Ryzen CPUs up to Ryzen 3000 series, depending on the BIOS version. The second generation of Ryzen-chipsets (B450, X470) has support for every generation of Zen CPUs. Again, with an appropriate BIOS version. Finally, the latest chipsets – A520, B550, X570 – support Zen 2 and Zen 3 CPUs. In the future, they might also be compatible with the Zen 3D CPU lineup.

As for the technologies and standards found on CPUs compatible with the AM4, there are many of them. The most important one is Infinity Fabric, which allowed the chiplet-based design each Ryzen CPU is based on. Next, the AM4 and compatible CPUs only support DDR4 memory. The first generation of CPUs and motherboards had a ton of teething pains, but today, Ryzen CPUs work great with high-speed DDR4 memory. You can equip AM4-based boards with up to four sticks of DDR4 RAM. And while the maximum supported speed is DDR4 3200 MT/s, all newer Ryzen CPUs and motherboards have zero issues with DDR4 3600 memory and faster.

As for the PCIe interface, the AM4-compatible chipsets work with CPUs compatible with PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 standards. The socket was also the first AMD socket to see M.2 slots and support for the NVMe storage standard. AMD pushed SATA Express and its proprietary StoreMI technology, but, over time, both storage standards made way for the good old SATA III and NVMe. Finally, most AM4-compatible chipsets support overclocking, with X-series chipsets also supporting multi-GPU setups.

Chipsets featuring AM4 socket

There are eight chipsets housing the AM4 socket. They’re divided into three categories: the A series includes entry-level chipsets with a limited number of features. Next, we have the B-series chipsets, mid-range options that come with a wide array of features, overclocking support, and are the best choice for most users. The X-series of chipsets comes with the most PCIe lanes, high-speed USB ports, and M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs. X570 boards are the best choice for power users needing multiple PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots. However, budget X570 boards could also be a solid choice for gaming setups. Unlike what they did with their earlier sockets, AMD uses the AM4 for every consumer-based CPU and APU; from low-end options to flagship models. Here’s the list of chipsets that house the AM4 socket:

A320
B350
X370
B450
X470
A520
B550
X570

Explaining threads, base & boost clock, and TDP

CPU threads and hyperthreading – Every CPU has a certain number of physical cores. If a CPU supports hyperthreading or simultaneous multithreading, as AMD calls the technology, each physical core can be divided into two virtual ones. Each of the virtual cores can then process a single task or thread. In other words, each physical core then, technically, is working on multiple tasks or threads simultaneously. Two virtual threads will always be weaker than two physical threads, though.

And while hyperthreading improves CPU performance, some fringe cases see a lower performance with hyperthreading than without it. Certain games are a pretty good example. While some games work slower with hyperthreading turned on, others run faster. The difference isn’t big in most cases, but it’s definitely there.

Base & Boost clocks – On Ryzen CPUs, the base clock is the processor’s frequency while idle. And even when performing certain undemanding tasks (writing in Microsoft Word, browsing the web, etc.), most cores will work at the base clock since only one or two cores are under load during light workloads.

The maximum boost clock on Ryzen CPUs is the highest frequency a single physical CPU core can reach when under load. For instance, the Ryzen 5 5600X has a base clock of 3.7 GHz and a max boost clock of up to 4.6 GHz. This “up to” is there for scenarios when a user pairs the CPU with an inappropriate thermal solution or if the board has a weak VRM section, both of which can affect the CPU and prevent it from reaching the advertised frequencies.

TDP (Thermal Design Power) – TDP or thermal design power represents the maximum power consumption a CPU can reach with default clocks & settings. And while Intel has all but abandoned classic TDP labels, Ryzen processors have pretty accurate TDP numbers. For instance, the 5600X will reach around 65W under max load, precisely its TDP value. However, official TDP values go off the boat when you overclock a Ryzen CPU or turn on PBO (precision boost overclock, basically an auto OC option found on most AM4-equipped motherboards). The advertised TDP is very accurate to real numbers at stock settings, at least when we’re talking about Ryzen CPUs.

Socket AM4 — AMD — WikiChip

200GE	$ 55.00 € 49.50 £ 44.55 ¥ 5,683.15	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	6 September 2018	Zen	Athlon	Raven Ridge	2	4	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
220GE	$ 65.00 € 58.50 £ 52.65 ¥ 6,716.45	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	21 December 2018	Zen	Athlon	Raven Ridge	2	4	3.4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
240GE	$ 75.00 € 67.50 £ 60.75 ¥ 7,749.75	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	21 December 2018	Zen	Athlon	Raven Ridge	2	4	3. 5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
3000G	$ 49.00 € 44.10 £ 39.69 ¥ 5,063.17	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	20 November 2019	Zen	Athlon	Dali Raven Ridge	2	4	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
PRO 200GE		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	6 September 2018	Zen	Athlon	Raven Ridge	2	4	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
PRO 300GE		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	30 September 2019	Zen+	Athlon	Picasso	2	4	3.4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0. 0469 hp 0.035 kW
1200	$ 109.00 € 98.10 £ 88.29 ¥ 11,262.97	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	27 July 2017	Zen	Ryzen 3	Summit Ridge	4	4	3.1 GHz 3,100 MHz 3,100,000 kHz	3.4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
1300X	$ 129.00 € 116.10 £ 104.49 ¥ 13,329.57	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	27 July 2017	Zen	Ryzen 3	Summit Ridge	4	4	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
2200G	$ 99.00 € 89.10 £ 80.19 ¥ 10,229.67	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	12 February 2018	Zen	Ryzen 3	Raven Ridge	4	4	3. 5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
2200GE		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	19 April 2018	Zen	Ryzen 3	Raven Ridge	4	4	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
2300X		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	10 September 2018	Zen+	Ryzen 3	Pinnacle Ridge	4	4	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
3200G	$ 99.00 € 89.10 £ 80.19 ¥ 10,229.67	12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	7 July 2019	Zen+	Ryzen 3	Picasso	4	4	3. 6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
4300G		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	21 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 3	Renoir	4	8	3.8 GHz 3,800 MHz 3,800,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
4300GE		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	21 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 3	Renoir	4	8	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
5300G		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	13 April 2021	Zen 3	Ryzen 3	Cezanne	4	8	4 GHz 4,000 MHz 4,000,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
5300GE		7 nm 0. 007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	13 April 2021	Zen 3	Ryzen 3	Cezanne	4	8	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
PRO 1200		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm		Zen	Ryzen 3	Summit Ridge	4	4	3.1 GHz 3,100 MHz 3,100,000 kHz	3.4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 1300		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm		Zen	Ryzen 3	Summit Ridge	4	4	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 2200G		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	10 May 2018	Zen	Ryzen 3	Raven Ridge	4	4	3. 5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 2200GE		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	10 May 2018	Zen	Ryzen 3	Raven Ridge	4	4	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
PRO 3200G		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	30 September 2019	Zen+	Ryzen 3	Picasso	4	4	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 3200GE		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	30 September 2019	Zen+	Ryzen 3	Picasso	4	4	3.3 GHz 3,300 MHz 3,300,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0. 0469 hp 0.035 kW
PRO 4350G		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	21 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 3	Renoir	4	8	3.8 GHz 3,800 MHz 3,800,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 4350GE		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	21 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 3	Renoir	4	8	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
PRO 5350G		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	1 June 2021	Zen 3	Ryzen 3	Cezanne	4	8	4 GHz 4,000 MHz 4,000,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 5350GE		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	1 June 2021	Zen 3	Ryzen 3	Cezanne	4	8	3. 6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
1400	$ 169.00 € 152.10 £ 136.89 ¥ 17,462.77	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	11 April 2017	Zen	Ryzen 5	Summit Ridge	4	8	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz	3.4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
1500X	$ 189.00 € 170.10 £ 153.09 ¥ 19,529.37	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	11 April 2017	Zen	Ryzen 5	Summit Ridge	4	8	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
1600	$ 219.00 € 197.10 £ 177.39 ¥ 22,629. 27	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	11 April 2017	Zen	Ryzen 5	Summit Ridge	6	12	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
1600X	$ 249.00 € 224.10 £ 201.69 ¥ 25,729.17	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	11 April 2017	Zen	Ryzen 5	Summit Ridge	6	12	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	4 GHz 4,000 MHz 4,000,000 kHz	95 W 95,000 mW 0.127 hp 0.095 kW
2400G	$ 169.00 € 152.10 £ 136.89 ¥ 17,462.77	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	12 February 2018	Zen	Ryzen 5	Raven Ridge	4	8	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	3. 9 GHz 3,900 MHz 3,900,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
2400GE		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	19 April 2018	Zen	Ryzen 5	Raven Ridge	4	8	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz	3.8 GHz 3,800 MHz 3,800,000 kHz	35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
2500X		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	10 September 2018	Zen+	Ryzen 5	Pinnacle Ridge	4	8	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
2600	$ 170.00 € 153.00 £ 137.70 ¥ 17,566.10	12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	19 April 2018	Zen+	Ryzen 5	Pinnacle Ridge	6	12	3. 4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
2600E		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	10 September 2018	Zen+	Ryzen 5	Pinnacle Ridge	6	12	3.1 GHz 3,100 MHz 3,100,000 kHz		45 W 45,000 mW 0.0603 hp 0.045 kW
2600X	$ 229.00 € 206.10 £ 185.49 ¥ 23,662.57	12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	19 April 2018	Zen+	Ryzen 5	Pinnacle Ridge	6	12	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		95 W 95,000 mW 0.127 hp 0.095 kW
3400G		12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	7 July 2019	Zen+	Ryzen 5	Picasso	4	8	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0. 0872 hp 0.065 kW
3500		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm 12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm		Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Matisse	6	6	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
3500X		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm 12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm		Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Matisse	6	6	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
3600	$ 199.00 € 179.10 £ 161.19 ¥ 20,562.67	7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm 12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	7 July 2019	Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Matisse	6	12	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0. 0872 hp 0.065 kW
3600X	$ 249.00 € 224.10 £ 201.69 ¥ 25,729.17	7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm 12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	7 July 2019	Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Matisse	6	12	3.8 GHz 3,800 MHz 3,800,000 kHz		95 W 95,000 mW 0.127 hp 0.095 kW
3600XT	$ 249.00 € 224.10 £ 201.69 ¥ 25,729.17	7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm 12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	7 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Matisse	6	12	3.8 GHz 3,800 MHz 3,800,000 kHz		95 W 95,000 mW 0.127 hp 0.095 kW
4600G		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	21 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Renoir	6	12	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0. 0872 hp 0.065 kW
4600GE		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	21 July 2020	Zen 2	Ryzen 5	Renoir	6	12	3.3 GHz 3,300 MHz 3,300,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
5600G	$ 259.00 € 233.10 £ 209.79 ¥ 26,762.47	7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	13 April 2021	Zen 3	Ryzen 5	Cezanne	6	12	3.9 GHz 3,900 MHz 3,900,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
5600GE		7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm	13 April 2021	Zen 3	Ryzen 5	Cezanne	6	12	3.4 GHz 3,400 MHz 3,400,000 kHz		35 W 35,000 mW 0.0469 hp 0.035 kW
5600X	$ 299. 00 € 269.10 £ 242.19 ¥ 30,895.67	7 nm 0.007 μm 7.0e-6 mm 12 nm 0.012 μm 1.2e-5 mm	5 November 2020	Zen 3	Ryzen 5	Vermeer	6	12	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz		65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 1500		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	29 June 2017	Zen	Ryzen 5	Summit Ridge	4	8	3.5 GHz 3,500 MHz 3,500,000 kHz	3.7 GHz 3,700 MHz 3,700,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 1600		14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm		Zen	Ryzen 5	Summit Ridge	6	12	3.2 GHz 3,200 MHz 3,200,000 kHz	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0. 0872 hp 0.065 kW
PRO 2400G	$ 169.00 € 152.10 £ 136.89 ¥ 17,462.77	14 nm 0.014 μm 1.4e-5 mm	10 May 2018	Zen	Ryzen 5	Raven Ridge	4	8	3.6 GHz 3,600 MHz 3,600,000 kHz	3.9 GHz 3,900 MHz 3,900,000 kHz	65 W 65,000 mW 0.0872 hp 0.065 kW

The best Ryzen CPU: Which Ryzen processor should you buy?

AMD’s top CPUs aren’t quite the performance leaders they were when they were first released in 2020, but that doesn’t mean its CPUs aren’t worth buying. The best Ryzen CPUs represent excellent value for their money, offering high core counts and blistering clock speeds at reasonable prices. The most recent Ryzen 5000 range includes processors that can go toe to toe with the best from rival Intel. The question is: Which CPU should you pick up?

The Ryzen family is broken down into four distinct branches, targeting the entry-level, mainstream, performance, and high-end enthusiast sectors of the market — otherwise known as Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9. They’re all great chips in their own ways, but some certainly offer more value than others, and for many, the most powerful chips will be complete overkill.

For most people, we recommend the Ryzen 5 5500 thanks to the excellent value for money it presents.

Contents

Ryzen 5 5500
Ryzen 5 5600G
Ryzen 7 5700X
Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Ryzen 9 5900X
Frequently Asked Questions

Ryzen 5 5500

The best value Ryzen CPU for gaming

Jump to details

Ryzen 5 5600G

The best value Ryzen APU

Jump to details

Ryzen 7 5700X

The best value Ryzen CPU for productivity

Jump to details

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The fastest Ryzen CPU for gaming

Jump to details

Ryzen 9 5900X

The best value high-end Ryzen CPU

Jump to details

Ryzen 5 5500

The best value Ryzen CPU for gaming

Pros

Six cores and 12 threads
Cheapest Zen 3 desktop CPU
Overclockable
Excellent gaming performance

Cons

Relatively low default clock speed
Less L3 cache than other Ryzen CPUs

Why you should buy this: The Ryzen 5 5500 is the cheapest Zen 3 desktop CPU and has good mid-range performance.

Who it’s for: Gamers and hobbyists who want the best bang for their buck.

What we thought of the Ryzen 5 5500:

When AMD launched Ryzen 5000 in late 2020, we had no idea we wouldn’t see a truly budget Ryzen 5000 CPU for over a year. The Ryzen 5 5600X, with an MSRP of $300, was the cheapest CPU you could buy until the much cheaper Ryzen 5 5500 came out in April 2022. The price of the 5600X had fallen in the meantime, but at the time of writing, it is still about $200, whereas the 5500 can be found for around $140.

So, what do you get for $140? Six cores and 12 threads utilizing the Zen 3 architecture. On the surface, this is identical to the more expensive 5600X, as well as the Ryzen 5 5600 (which currently retails for around $185), but the 5500 is actually quite different from its neighbors. The 5500 is based on the same silicon that Ryzen APUs use, but with the integrated graphics disabled. This means the 5500 only has 16 MB of L3 cache as opposed to the 32 MB of the 5600X and 5600.

In spite of this lack of cache, the 5500 performs well enough to be worth it. The 5500 can easily do 120-plus frames per second in games](https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-ryzen-5-5600-and-ryzen-5-5500-review) and has similar multi-threaded performance to the 5600 and 5600X. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, it’s just not worth it to pay $45 more for the 5600 or $60 more for the 5600X.

Alongside the Ryzen 5 5500, AMD also launched the Ryzen 5 4500 for $135, but we really don’t think anyone should buy this CPU. Like the 5500, the 4500 is basically an APU with the graphics disabled, but it uses the much older Zen 2 architecture that came out in 2019, not to mention it has a measly 8MB of L3 cache. When you can buy the 5500 for just $5 more, the 4500 basically has no reason to exist.

Ryzen 5 5500

The best value Ryzen CPU for gaming

Ryzen 5 5600G

The best value Ryzen APU

Pros

Six cores and 12 threads
Fast integrated graphics
Cheapest Zen 3 desktop APU
Overclockable CPU and GPU cores

Cons

Less L3 cache than other Ryzen CPUs
Relies on high speed DDR4 RAM for good integrated graphics performance

Why you should buy this: The Ryzen 5 5600G is the cheapest Zen 3 desktop APU, providing both good CPU performance and decent integrated graphics.

Who it’s for: Gamers who can’t afford a discrete GPU at the moment and hobbyists who want to build a compact PC without discrete graphics.

What we thought of the Ryzen 5 5600G:

The Ryzen 5 5600G is basically the Ryzen 5 5500, so it has the same six Zen 3 cores, the same 12 threads, and the same 16 MB L3 cache, but it also has slightly higher clock speeds and working integrated graphics. At the time of writing, the 5600G can be found for around $170, and although this price isn’t nearly as affordable as the venerable Ryzen 3 3200G (which often went on sale for well below $100), the 5600G is far more capable thanks to faster and more numerous CPU and GPU cores.

If you wanted to build a fast but budget-friendly PC without discrete graphics, the 5600G is the best Ryzen APU you can choose. Older and slower Ryzen APUs are either out of stock or are more expensive, which makes the 5600G really the only choice for this segment. Not that that’s a bad thing, because the 5600G is significantly better than Ryzen 3000 APUs, which came out in 2018 and used the original Zen architecture.

The 5600G is also decent for people who don’t want or can’t really afford a good discrete GPU now but plan on getting one later. Even though the 5600G is pretty mid-range, you could pair it with a fairly high-end GPU like the 3070 Ti as long as you’re just aiming for 60 to 120 fps. The 16 MB L3 cache is particularly limiting for gaming at a super high frame rate (200-plus fps), but it’s hard to not recommend a $170 APU with good gaming performance, good multi-threaded performance, and decent integrated graphics.

Ryzen 5 5600G

The best value Ryzen APU

Ryzen 7 5700X

The best value Ryzen CPU for productivity

Pros

Eight cores and 16 threads
Large L3 cache
Cheapest eight-core Zen 3 desktop CPU
Overclockable

Cons

Not much higher gaming performance compared to cheaper Zen 3 CPUs

Why you should buy this: The Ryzen 7 5700X provides both a good gaming experience and high performance in productivity tasks.

Who it’s for: Users who want to game and work on the same PC.

What we thought of the Ryzen 7 5700X:

If you want more performance in the productivity department while maintaining great frame rates in games, you’ll want the Ryzen 7 5700X. The 7-series part comes with eight cores and 16 threads while featuring the same IPC and memory improvements as the Ryzen 5 5500 and the 5600G. It also requires a lot more power — 105 watts to 65 watts — and boosts higher, with a max boost clock of 4.6GHz.

Having launched in April at $299 (and currently retailing for around $285), the 5700X is essentially a discounted Ryzen 7 5800X, which launched for an eye-watering $449 in late 2020, but at the time of writing, is selling for around $310. The 5700X not only has a much, much more reasonable price tag but also has about the same performance in games and isn’t far behind in multi-threaded applications and other software. Enabling Precision Boost Overdrive on the 5700X basically turns it into a 5800X with no discernible differences, making the more expensive 5800X almost pointless.

If you need integrated graphics, the Ryzen 7 5700G is basically the APU version of the 5700X. But just as the 5600G has less L3 cache than the 5600 and 5600X, the 5700G also has less cache than the 5700X: 16MB versus 32. The 5700G currently goes for around $275, so it is cheaper than the 5700X, but most will probably find the integrated graphics aren’t worth trading away gaming and multi-threaded performance. Most will be much better off with the 5700X.

Ryzen 7 5700X

The best value Ryzen CPU for productivity

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The fastest Ryzen CPU for gaming

Pros

Fastest gaming CPU
Massive amount of L3 cache

Cons

Low productivity performance relative to price
Inflated pricing due to low supply

Why you should buy this: It’s the fastest gaming CPU, period, and it can be found for less than $500.

Who it’s for: Gamers who want the highest performance possible on an AMD platform.

What we thought of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D:

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D isn’t for everyone, but it does have one important characteristic: It’s the fastest CPU for gaming. Thanks to AMD’s 3D V-Cache technology, the 5800X3D has a whopping 96MB of L3 cache, way higher than anything we’ve ever seen on a consumer CPU. However, it only has eight cores, the same eight cores you’ll find in the 5700X (albeit running at a higher clock speed). This means that while the 5800X3D can go head to head with the Ryzen 9 5950X and the Core i9-12900K in games, it gets left in the dust in anything more multi-threaded.

The 5800X3D is supposed to retail for $449, but it’s more commonly found for around $470, which isn’t great but isn’t terrible either. Even at $449, though, the 5800X3D finds itself in an awkward position because both AMD and Intel’s current-generation 12 core CPUs, the Ryzen 9 5900X and the Core i7-12700K, are currently on sale for just under $400. The 5900X and the 12700K aren’t quite as fast in gaming but are far ahead of the 5800X3D in any application that can use more than eight cores.

The 5800X3D is the best choice for gamers who want the best or nearly the best gaming performance guaranteed while also saving some money. The 5950X and the 12900K are sometimes faster than the 5800X3D, but they’re also significantly more expensive, especially the 12900K, which relies on fast but expensive DDR5 memory to do its best in games.

Ryzen 7 5800X3D

The fastest Ryzen CPU for gaming

Ryzen 9 5900X

The best value high-end Ryzen CPU

Pros

12 cores and 24 threads
High default clock speed
Very large L3 cache
Good value for a high-end CPU

Cons

Not quite as fast as the 5950X or 12900K
No V-Cache option

Why you should buy this: The Ryzen 9 5900X is the second most powerful Ryzen CPU and provides great value.

Who it’s for: Users who really need powerful multi-thread performance.

What we thought of the Ryzen 9 5900X:

Of AMD’s high-end Ryzen CPUs, the 12-core, 24-thread Ryzen 9 5900X is the best overall. Although it doesn’t have the Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s V-Cache and lacks the 16 cores of the Ryzen 9 5950X, it has a great combination of gaming performance, multi-threaded performance, and price. At the time of writing, the 5900X retails for about $390, lower than both the 5800X3d and the 5950X (which is going for about $540).

Although the 5900X can’t run circles around 12th-gen Intel CPUs like it did 10th- and 11th-gen, it doesn’t lose to Intel’s competing chip, the Core i7-12700K, either. When it comes to gaming and multi-threaded applications, the 5900X performs similarly to 12700K for about the same price. Whether you’re building a new PC or upgrading from a lower-end Ryzen CPU, you can’t go wrong with the 5900X.

Perhaps the much more interesting comparison, however, is against the Ryzen 9 5950X. In games, the 5900X and 5950X are often neck and neck, which isn’t surprising since more cores generally don’t improve gaming performance. However, in multi-threaded workloads, the 5950X is only about 15% faster than the 5900X. Since the 5950X is nearly 40% more expensive than the 5900X, the 5900X clearly provides a much better bang for the buck.

Like other non-G Ryzen CPUs, the 5900X lacks integrated graphics, and there isn’t a 12-core APU that is equivalent to the 5900X, but for the vast majority of users, this probably won’t be much of an issue, and we don’t recommend choosing the similarly priced and performing 12700K just because it has graphics.

Ryzen 9 5900X

The best value high-end Ryzen CPU

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Ryzen processor is the fastest?

It depends. For multi-thread performance, it’s the Ryzen 9 5900X, which does very well in applications like Blender. For gaming, it’s the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. However, all of these CPUs provide decent to great performance in both applications and games. You don’t need a 5900X for work, nor do you need a 5800X3D to game.

Is AMD better than Intel?

At the moment, AMD and Intel provide very similar performance at any given price point. Intel’s Core i9-12900K, however, is the overall fastest CPU you can buy. Ryzen 5000 CPUs are more power efficient than 12th-gen CPUs, which can be important for smaller and more compact PCs that use smaller CPU coolers.

Should I get a G processor with integrated graphics?

Integrated graphics aren’t as fast as discrete graphics, and Ryzen G processors (or APUs) have slightly worse CPU performance than non-G CPUs. We really only recommend Ryzen APUs for users who don’t plan on using discrete graphics. Ryzen APUs are good for users on a budget who might not be able to afford a discrete GPU right now but plan on buying one later.

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Which CPUs can run Windows 11? Here’s the list

Updated

Microsoft’s drawn a line in the sand, but it remains to be seen just how restrictive that line is.

By Alaina Yee

Senior Editor, PCWorld Oct 6, 2021 7:30 am PDT

Gordon Mah Ung

A new operating system incompatible with older hardware—you’d assume it’s the launch of a new MacOS version, right? Not this time. Windows users are now in the same boat as Apple fans, as Microsoft has made Windows 11’s hardware compatibility much stricter.

Unlike previous generations of the operating system, Windows 11 tacks on tougher security requirements, like the presence of a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and the ability to use Secure Boot. It also only works on specific processors that cleared for the next era of Windows.

If you’re curious whether your chip made the cut, you can check. To make it easier, we dug in and pulled out the most commonly found CPUs on the list, which you’ll see below.

Is your processor not called out as compatible? You can install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, but be aware doing so disables Windows Updates.

Intel CPUs compatible with Windows 11

At the moment, Intel processors compatible with Windows 11 date back to mid-2017 and no earlier. Think 8th-generation CPUs and beyond. Microsoft has the full rundown on its site, which includes Pentium, Celeron, and Xeon chips. For ease of scanning, we’ve culled that list to a handful of the common mainstream consumer processors from each generation.

Update 8/27/2021: Microsoft has announced the addition of Intel Core X-series, Xeon W-series, and the Intel Core 7820HQ (found in the Microsoft Surface Studio 2) to its compatability list. We’ve added the specific Core X models below.

Intel 8th generation (Coffee Lake, Whiskey Lake, Amber Lake)

Desktop

Core i3-8100
Core i5-8400
Core i5-8600
Core i5-8600K
Core i7-8700
Core i7-8700K
Core i7-8086K

Mobile

Core m3-8100Y
Core i5-8200Y
Core i3-8130U
Core i3-8145U
Core i3-8100H
Core i5-8250U
Core i5-8250U
Core i5-8400H
Core i7-8650U
Core i7-8665U
Core i7-8750H

Intel 9th generation (Coffee Lake Refresh)

Desktop

Core i3-9100
Core i5-9400
Core i5-9600
Core i5-9600K
Core i7-9700
Core i7-9700K
Core i9-9900
Core i9-9900K

Intel 10th generation (Comet Lake, Ice Lake, Amber Lake, Cascade Lake)

Desktop

Core i3-10100
Core i5-10400
Core i5-10600
Core i5-10600K
Core i7-10700
Core i7-10700K
Core i9-10900
Core i9-10900K

Mobile

Core i3-10100Y
Core i3-10100U
Core i5-10210U
Core i5-10200H
Core i5-10400H
Core i7-10510U
Core i7-10710U
Core i7-10750H
Core i7-10850H
Core i9-10980HK

Core X (Enthusiast Desktop)

Core i9-10900X
Core i9-10920X
Core i9-10940X
Core i9-10980XE

Intel 11th generation (Tiger Lake, Rocket Lake)

Desktop

Core i3-11100
Core i5-11400
Core i5-11600
Core i5-11600K
Core i7-11700
Core i7-11700K
Core i9-11900
Core i9-11900K

Mobile

Core i3-1115G4
Core i5-1135G7
Core i5-11300H
Core i7-1165G7
Core i7-1185G7
Core i7-11375H

AMD CPUs compatible with Windows 11

Currently, AMD processors approved for Windows 11 date back to 2018. For the most part, that covers 2nd gen Ryzen (Zen+) CPUs and beyond. Microsoft has the full list on its site, which includes Athlon and Epyc chips, but for ease of scanning, we’ve culled it down to the most common mainstream consumer processors from each generation.

We did find a few curious omissions from the full rundown. At the time of publication, the 3300X, 4600HS, and 5900H were missing.

Update 8/27/2021: Microsoft has said that after analyzing their performance in Windows 11, AMD’s first-generation Ryzen processors (“Zen”) won’t be supported. The company’s reasoning can be found in its Windows Insider blog post detailing the news.

AMD Ryzen 2000 series (Zen+)

Desktop

Ryzen 3 2300X
Ryzen 5 2600
Ryzen 7 2700
Ryzen 7 2700X

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

AMD Ryzen 3000 series (Zen 2, Zen+*)

Desktop

Ryzen 3 3100
Ryzen 5 3600
Ryzen 7 3700X
Ryzen 9 3900
Ryzen 9 3900X
Ryzen 9 3950X

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
Ryzen Threadripper 3970X
Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Ryzen Threadripper 3995WX

Ryzen 3 3200G*
Ryzen 5 3400G*

Mobile**

Ryzen 3 3300U
Ryzen 5 3500U
Ryzen 5 3550H
Ryzen 7 3700U
Ryzen 7 3750H

AMD Ryzen 4000 series (Zen 2)

Desktop

Ryzen 3 4300G
Ryzen 5 4600G
Ryzen 7 4700G

Mobile

Ryzen 3 4300U
Ryzen 5 4500U
Ryzen 5 4600H
Ryzen 7 4700U
Ryzen 7 4800HS
Ryzen 7 4800H
Ryzen 9 4900HS
Ryzen 9 4900H

AMD Ryzen 5000 series (Zen 3)

Desktop

Ryzen 5 5600X
Ryzen 7 5800X
Ryzen 9 5900X
Ryzen 9 5950X

Mobile

Ryzen 3 5400U
Ryzen 5 5600U
Ryzen 5 5600HS
Ryzen 5 5600H
Ryzen 7 5800U
Ryzen 7 5800HS
Ryzen 7 5800H
Ryzen 9 5900HS
Ryzen 9 5900HX
Ryzen 9 5980HS
Ryzen 9 5980HX

Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor

Alaina Yee is PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter—when she’s not covering PC building, computer components, mini-PCs, and more, she’s scouring for the best tech deals. Previously her work has appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. You can find her on Twitter at @morphingball.

How to Upgrade Your AMD CPU

Introduction

Since the release of the 12th Generation Intel “Alder Lake” desktop processors, AMD Ryzen 5000 Series “Vermeer” desktop processors have become considerably less expensive. AMD has been using socket AM4 motherboards for Ryzen desktop processors since early 2017. That means there are many AM4 desktop systems of various ages out there. This post will discuss “How to Upgrade Your AMD CPU.”

Since 2017, there have been several generations of “compatible” AM4 motherboards and AMD Ryzen processors. I have compatible in quotes for a reason, which I will explain later.

Depending on the exact motherboard and processor in question, there is a pretty good chance that you can upgrade just your processor to a newer generation Ryzen processor that will work just fine in an existing older motherboard. Newer generation Ryzen processors also have higher core count models which give you additional upgrade choices.

This means you might be able to get a pretty substantial performance upgrade for a relatively small amount of money, just by upgrading your processor. This is exciting, but you need to do some research and preparation first.

Understanding AMD Processor Names

AMD has released four generations of AMD Ryzen desktop processors since March of 2017. These are shown below.

First Generation: 14nm Zen released in March of 2017
Second Generation: 12nm Zen+ released in April of 2018
Third Generation: 7nm Zen 2 released in July of 2019
Fourth Generation: 7nm Zen 3 released in November 2020
Fifth Generation: 5nm Zen 4 due to be released in Q3 2022

A fifth generation is probably going to be released in Q3 2022. FYI: Zen 4 will require a new chipset and motherboard socket, so the AM4 party will be over. I have a more detailed post about Understanding AMD Processor Names.

What Processors Are Compatible Your Motherboard?

Since 2017, AMD has had three main generations of motherboards, with eight different chipsets. The first AM4 generation had the X370, B350, and A320 chipsets. AMD’s second AM4 generation included the X470 and B450 chipsets. Finally, the third generation of AM4 has the X570, B550 and A520 chipsets.

Normally for an all-new system, you want to match the generation of the motherboard and the processor. For example, you would have an AMD B550 chipset motherboard with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor. AMD has always had some flexibility here as far as backwards and forwards compatibility goes, but it was not unlimited.

Until recently, you could not use a 4th generation Ryzen 5000 series processor in a 1st generation AMD X370 motherboard. You also could not use a 3rd generation Ryzen 3000 series processor in a 1st generation AMD X370 motherboard.

AMD has recently changed that, letting you use newer Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 5000 series processors in many older AMD 300 series motherboards. You will need a BIOS update to do this, and it is not supported for all motherboards. The figure below outlines the new compatibility policy.

AMD Chipsets and Processor Compatibility

If you have a 2nd generation 400 series motherboard, you will also need a BIOS update in order to use a Ryzen 5000 series processor. This has been possible and supported for quite a while.

Note: Processor compatibility is dependent on your motherboard brand and model and what BIOS version it has. It is critically important that you check the processor compatibility list on the motherboard vendor’s web site for your exact motherboard model to see whether it will support the new processor model that you are thinking about using. With older motherboards, it is very likely that you will have to update your BIOS in order to support a newer processor.

How to Upgrade Your AMD CPU

Once you are 100% sure that a newer processor is supported in your motherboard, it is a pretty simple procedure to actually upgrade your processor. It involves these steps:

Buy the newer processor
- It could be brand new or used from the secondary market
Have a fresh tube of thermal paste
- I like Arctic MX-4
If necessary, update (flash) your BIOS to a new enough version to support the newer processor
- Being on the latest BIOS version for your motherboard is usually a very good idea
- I have made many YouTube videos about how to update the BIOS on various motherboards
Reenable AMP/XMP in your BIOS after flashing the BIOS
- This is not required, but gives you better memory performance
Update your AMD chipset software to the latest version
- This is not required, but it is a good idea
Shutdown and unplug your system completely
Lay the system on its side and take off the side panel
Remove your GPU
- This makes it easier to get to the CPU cooler and CPU
Remove the CPU cooler
Carefully clean off the CPU thermal paste from the CPU cooler
Carefully clean off the CPU thermal paste from the IHS (top surface) of the CPU
Lift the CPU retention bar to release the CPU
Remove the old CPU, only touching the edges. Do not touch the pins!
Carefully install the new CPU in the socket
- You have to match the gold triangle marking on the corner of the CPU and the marking on the motherboard
Lower the CPU retention bar to secure the CPU
Apply a small line of thermal paste in the middle of the IHS of the processor
Reinstall your CPU cooler and GPU
- Leave the side of the case off (for good luck)
Plug in the system and connect the peripherals and see if it will POST
- The first POST will take much longer than usual (don’t panic)
- You will get an F1 prompt telling you that the CPU has changed

This may sound complicated, but it actually goes pretty quickly in most cases.

Here is an example video about how to update the BIOS on an MSI motherboard with M-Flash

Final Words

Brand new Ryzen 5000 series desktop processors are available at very reasonable prices right now, typically for around $30-$35 per core. If your motherboard supports it, you could go from something like an older Ryzen 7 1700 to something like a Ryzen 7 5800X and see a very substantial increase in single and multi-threaded performance.

Over the next few months there should be lots of used Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series processors for sale at even lower prices, which gives you even more affordable CPU upgrade possibilities. You should be able to sell your older CPU on the secondary market to recoup some of the cost of the new processor.

If your budget allows, getting a new motherboard to go with your new processor has a lot of benefits, mainly from an I/O perspective. For example, you need a 500 series motherboard to get PCIe 4.0 support. But replacing your motherboard is also a more involved procedure.

A friend of mine, Aaron Bertrand, recently took my advice and upgraded his CPU from a Ryzen 7 3700X to a Ryzen 9 5900X. It went very smoothly for him, and I think he is pretty happy with the results.

If you have any questions about this post, please ask me here in the comments or on Twitter. I am pretty active on Twitter as GlennAlanBerry. Thanks for reading!

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Where to buy AMD Ryzen 7000 processors in the UK

The launch of AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors has brought one of the biggest gen-on-gen upgrades for years, with big boosts to gaming and content creation performance thanks to a new 5nm process node, a larger L2 cache and other internal improvements that boost both clock speeds and instructions per clock (IPC). The new chips use a new AM5 motherboard socket too, with support for PCIe 5.0, DDR5 RAM and higher power targets. It’s all very exciting — but how much do these new CPUs cost? And what’s the best place in the UK to buy one?

These are all valid questions — after all, nabbing one of these processors will make for a costly adventure, given you’ll need to change over to a new AM5 motherboard, find a compatible CPU cooler and grab some DDR5 RAM if you want to build a Ryzen 7000 based PC.

To make things easier, we’ve rounded up the cheapest prices we can find for each of the four Ryzen 7000 processors across UK retailers. With this, you can get then garner an idea of what each CPU costs, and from which retailer it’d be best to buy.

First, here’s a table with all the essential information — the cheapest AMD Ryzen 7000 chips, how much they cost and where to find ’em:

CPU	Retailer	Cheapest Price
Ryzen 9 7950X	Amazon UK	£769.99
Ryzen 9 7900X	Scan	£594.98
Ryzen 7 7700X	Scan	£428.99
Ryzen 5 7600X	Scan	£325.99

If it’s the most powerful new Ryzen 7000 chip you’re after, then you’ll want to check out the Ryzen 9 7950X. With 16 cores and 32 threads, it’s a proper powerhouse of a CPU that should be an especially formidable choice for not only gaming, but also content creation, where AMD says the processor should really shine. Of course, as the 7000 series supports DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 too, you’ll also be able to take advantage of more newfound speed to make those intense tasks more of a breeze.

A little step down from the Ryzen 9 7950 both in specs and indeed in price is the 7900X. We noted in our Ryzen 9 7900X review that this CPU is a great choice for content creation and gaming alike, thanks to the steep gen-on-gen gains and high core count. The most visible advancement here is the sky-high maximum boost clock, which is rated at 5.6GHz.

For those who may not need the all out power afforded by the Ryzen 9 chips, the Ryzen 7 7700X offers a great mid-range option for the new processors. Make no bones about it though, this is still an excellent processor for most people and will be more than speedy enough for gaming. Benchmarks suggest that the 7700X actually offers rather similar performance in titles to the more expensive chips above, all from an eight core and 16 thread chip, which is marvellous, and of course, the benefits of PCIe 5. 0 and DDR5 are more than welcome.

The Ryzen 5 7600X might be the cheapest processor in the new 7000 series lineup, but it’s certainly no slouch. This mid-range part offers surprisingly similar gaming performance to the higher end chips, and offers a bigger fps increase over its last-gen counterpart than the Ryzen 9 7900X. Moreover, a boost clock of 5.3GHz means that AMD has broke the 5GHz barrier on every processor in the lineup, which is testament to how powerful each of them are.

Frequently asked questions

What motherboards support Ryzen 7000?

AMD’s X670E, X670, B650E and B650 motherboards all support Ryzen 7000 out of the box. X670E offers PCIe 5.0 throughout, X670 offers PCIe 5.0 for storage and graphics, and B650 offers PCIe 5.0 for storage only. In general, as you progress from X670E to B650, expect fewer features, fewer PCIe lanes and lower prices — although no doubt we’ll see cheaper X670E and premium B650 boards that will blur the lines between the four different chipsets. X670 and X670E debut in September, while B650 and B650E arrive in October. Anandtech has a great article that goes more into depth on the differences between the various chipsets.

What memory is best for Ryzen 7000?

Unlike Intel’s 12th-gen and 13th-gen CPUs, Ryzen 7000 is a DDR5-only platform, so your older DDR4 RAM won’t work here. Instead, you’ll need to pick up a new kit of DDR5, which starts at DDR5-4800 and goes up to DDR5-6400 and beyond.

The usual RAM buying advice applies here. First, get two or four sticks to ensure you’re running in dual channel mode, as using a single stick suffers from a severe performance penalty. Secondly, make sure you enable XMP, DOCP or EXPO in your motherboard’s BIOS to ensure that you’re getting the rated speeds — you can check your current RAM speed with a free tool like CPU-Z or Windows 11’s Task Manager.

What CPU coolers support Ryzen 7000 / AM5?

All existing AM4 coolers that screw into or clip onto AMD’s default AM4 backplate work with AM5 motherboards as well; those that use custom backplates don’t work. Expect CPU cooler makers that did use custom backplates to create kits or entirely new designs to accommodate the new fixed AM5 backplate.

Well, there you have it — the best prices for AMD’s all-new Ryzen 7000 series of processors and a little advice too. Let us know if you spot one of these CPUs for a lower price, and stay tuned to @dealsfoundry on Twitter for more PC deals as we find them.

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Processor Requirements Windows Windows 10 Processors AMD 21h2

Nearly Silent Thermal Solution

near-silent thermal solution

AMD	Series A	A10 Micro-6700T Graphics Based™ R6
AMD	Series A	A10-6700 with Hd™ 8670D
AMD	Series A	A10-6700T with Hd™ 8650D
AMD	Series A	A10-6790B with Hd™ 8670D
AMD	Series A	A10-6790K with Hd™ 8670D
AMD	Series A	A10-6800B with Hd™ 8670D
AMD	Series A	A10-6800K with Hd™ 8670D
AMD	Series A	A10-7300 with graphics Based on R6™
AMD	Series A	A10-7400P with Graphics Based™ R6
AMD	Series A	A10-7700K with R7™ 9 Series0005
AMD	Series A	A10-7800 with R7™ Series
AMD	Series A	A10-7850K with R7™ Series
AMD	Series A	A10-7860K with R7 Based™ Graphics and
AMD	Series A	A10-7860K with R7™ Series
AMD	Series A	A10-7870K with R7 graphics and™ near-silent thermal solution
AMD	Series A	A10-7870K with R7™ Series
AMD	Series A	A10-7890K with Graphic™ and Wraith cooler
AMD	Series A	A10-8700P APU
AMD	Series A	A10-8700P with Graphics Based™ R6
AMD	Series A	A10-9600P APU
AMD	Series A	A10-9630P APU
AMD	Series A	A10-9700 APU
AMD	Series A	A10-9700E APU
AMD	Series A	A12-9700P APU
AMD	Series A	A12-9730P APU
AMD	Series A	A12-9800 APU
AMD	Series A	A12-9800E APU
AMD	Series A	A4 Micro-6400T with Graphics Powered by R3™
AMD	Series A	A4-5000 with Hd™ 8330
AMD	Series A	A4-5100 with Hd™ 8330
AMD	Series A	A4-6210 with Izve r3™ graphics
AMD	Series A	A4-6300 with Hd™ 8370D
AMD	Series A	A4-6320 with Hd™ 8370D
AMD	Series A	A4-7210 with Izve r3™ graphics
AMD	Series A	A4-7300 with Hd™ 8470D
AMD	Series A	A4-9120 APU
AMD	Series A	A4-9120C APU
AMD	Series A	A4-9125 APU
AMD	Series A	A6-5200 with Hd™ 8400
AMD	Series A	A6-5200M with Hd™ 8400
AMD	Series A	A6-5350M with Hd™ 8450G
AMD	Series A	A6-6310 with Izve™ R4 Graphics
AMD	Series A	A6-6400B with Hd™ 8470D
AMD	Series A	A6-6400K with Hd™ 8470D
AMD	Series A	A6-6420B with Hd™ 8470D
AMD	Series A	A6-6420K with Hd™ 8470D
AMD	Series A	A6-7000 with Izve™ R4 Graphics
AMD	Series A	A6-7310 with Izve™ R4 Graphics
AMD	Series A	A6-7400K with R5™ Series
AMD	Series A	A6-7470K with R5™ Series
AMD	Series A	A6-8500P with Izve™ R5 Graphics
AMD	Series A	A6-9210 APU
AMD	Series A	A6-9220 APU
AMD	Series A	A6-9220C APU
AMD	Series A	A6-9225 APU
AMD	Series A	A6-9500 APU
AMD	Series A	A6-9500E APU
AMD	Series A	A6-9550 APU
AMD	Series A	A8-6410 with Izve™ r5 Graphics
AMD	Series A	A8-6500 with Hd™ 8570D
AMD	Series A	A8-6500B with Hd™ 8570D
AMD	Series A	A8-6500T with Hd™ 8550D
AMD	Series A	A8-6600K with Hd™ 8570D
AMD	Series A	A8-7100 with Izve r5™ graphics
AMD	Series A	A8-7200P with Graphics Based™ R5
AMD	Series A	A8-7410 with Izumi™ R5 GPUs
AMD	Series A	A8-7600 with R7™ Series
AMD	Series A	A8-7650K with Izl™ R7 graphics and
AMD	Series A	A8-7650K with R7™ Series
AMD	Series A	A8-7670K with Iz-P7™ graphics and
AMD	Series A	A8-8600P APU
AMD	Series A	A8-8600P with graphics Based on R6™
AMD	Series A	A8-9600 APU
AMD	Series A	A9-9410 APU
AMD	Series A	A9-9420 APU
AMD	Series A	A9-9425 APU
AMD	™ Athlon	200GE
AMD	™ Athlon	220GE
AMD	™ Athlon	240GE
AMD	™ Athlon	3000G
AMD	™ Athlon	300GE
AMD	™ Athlon	300U
AMD	™ Athlon	320GE
AMD	™ Athlon	™ Athlon 5150 APU with No™ R3 Series
AMD	™ Athlon	™ Athlon 5350 APU with No™ R3 Series
AMD	™ Athlon	™ Athlon 5370 APU with No™ R3 Series
AMD	™ Athlon	Gold 3150C
AMD	™ Athlon	Gold 3150G (OEM only)
AMD	™ Athlon	Gold 3150GE (OEM only)
AMD	™ Athlon	Gold 3150U
AMD	™ Athlon	Silver 3050C
AMD	™ Athlon	Silver 3050e
AMD	™ Athlon	Silver 3050GE (OEM only)
AMD	™ Athlon	Silver 3050U
AMD	™ Athlon	X4 940
AMD	™ Athlon	X4 950
AMD	™ Athlon	X4 970
AMD	EPYC™	7232P
AMD	EPYC™	7251
AMD	EPYC™	7252
AMD	EPYC™	7261
AMD	EPYC™	7262
AMD	EPYC™	7272
AMD	EPYC™	7281
AMD	EPYC™	7282
AMD	EPYC™	72F3
AMD	EPYC™	7301
AMD	EPYC™	7302
AMD	EPYC™	7302P
AMD	EPYC™	7313
AMD	EPYC™	7313P
AMD	EPYC™	7343
AMD	EPYC™	7351
AMD	EPYC™	7351P
AMD	EPYC™	7352
AMD	EPYC™	7371
AMD	EPYC™	73F3
AMD	EPYC™	7401
AMD	EPYC™	7401P
AMD	EPYC™	7402
AMD	EPYC™	7402P
AMD	EPYC™	7413
AMD	EPYC™	7443
AMD	EPYC™	7443P
AMD	EPYC™	7451
AMD	EPYC™	7452
AMD	EPYC™	7453
AMD	EPYC™	74F3
AMD	EPYC™	7501
AMD	EPYC™	7502
AMD	EPYC™	7502P
AMD	EPYC™	7513
AMD	EPYC™	7532
AMD	EPYC™	7542
AMD	EPYC™	7543
AMD	EPYC™	7543P
AMD	EPYC™	7551
AMD	EPYC™	7551P
AMD	EPYC™	7552
AMD	EPYC™	75F3
AMD	EPYC™	7601
AMD	EPYC™	7642
AMD	EPYC™	7643
AMD	EPYC™	7662
AMD	EPYC™	7663
AMD	EPYC™	7702
AMD	EPYC™	7702P
AMD	EPYC™	7713
AMD	EPYC™	7713P
AMD	EPYC™	7742
AMD	EPYC™	7763
AMD	EPYC™	7F32
AMD	EPYC™	7F52
AMD	EPYC™	7F72
AMD	EPYC™	7h22
AMD	Series E	E1 Micro-6200T with Graphics Based on R2™
AMD	Series E	E1-2100 with Hd™ 8210
AMD	Series E	E1-2200 with Hd™ 8210
AMD	Series E	E1-2500 with Hd™ 8240
AMD	Series E	E1-6010 with graphics Powered by R2™
AMD	Series E	E1-7010 with graphics Powered by R2™
AMD	Series E	E2-3000 with Hd™ 8280
AMD	Series E	E2-3800 with Hd™ 8280
AMD	Series E	E2-6110 with graphics Powered by R2™
AMD	Series E	E2-7110 with Radiated™ R2 GPUs
AMD	Series E	E2-9010 APU
AMD	FX-Series	9800P APU
AMD	FX-Series	9830P APU
AMD	FX-Series	FX 6100
AMD	FX-Series	FX-4100
AMD	FX-Series	FX-4130
AMD	FX-Series	FX-4170
AMD	FX-Series	FX-4300
AMD	FX-Series	FX-4320
AMD	FX-Series	FX-4350
AMD	FX-Series	FX-6200
AMD	FX-Series	FX-6300
AMD	FX-Series	FX-6350
AMD	FX-Series	FX-6350 with Wraith Cooler
AMD	FX-Series	FX-7500 with Graphics Based™ R7
AMD	FX-Series	FX-7600P with graphics Powered by R7™
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8120
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8150
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8300
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8310
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8320
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8320E
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8350
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8350 with Wraith cooler
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8370
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8370 with Wraith cooler
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8370E
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8800P APU
AMD	FX-Series	FX-8800P with graphics Powered by R7™
AMD	FX-Series	FX-9370
AMD	FX-Series	FX-9590
AMD	PRO Series A	A10 PRO-7350B Graphics Based™ R6
AMD	PRO Series A	A10 PRO-7800B Graphics Based™ R7
AMD	PRO Series A	A10 PRO-7850B Graphics Based™ R7
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-8700B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-8730B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-8750B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-8770 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-8770E APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-8850B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-9700 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-9700B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-9700E APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A10-9730B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-8800B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-8830B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-8870 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-8870E APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-9800 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-9800B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-9800E APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A12-9830B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A4 PRO-3340B with HD™ Graphics 8240
AMD	PRO Series A	A4 PRO-3350B Graphics Based™ R4
AMD	PRO Series A	A4 PRO-7300B with HD™ 8470D
AMD	PRO Series A	A4 PRO-7350B Graphics Based™ R5
AMD	PRO Series A	A4-4350B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A4-5350B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A4-8350B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6 PRO-7050B Graphics Based™ R4
AMD	PRO Series A	A6 PRO-7400B Graphics Based™ R5
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-7350B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-8350B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-8500B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-8530B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-8550B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-8570 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-8570E APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-9500 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-9500B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A6-9500E APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A8 PRO-7150B Graphics Based™ R5
AMD	PRO Series A	A8 PRO-7600B Graphics Based™ R7
AMD	PRO Series A	A8-8600B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A8-8650B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A8-9600 APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A8-9600B APU
AMD	PRO Series A	A8-9630B
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	1200
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	1300X
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	2200G with Vega™ 8 Graphics
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	2200GE with Vega™ 8 Graphics
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	2200U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	2300U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	2300X
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3100
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3200G with Vega™ 8 Graphics
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3200GE (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3200U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3250C
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3250U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3300U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3300X
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	3350U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	4300G (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	4300GE (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 3	4300U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	1200
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	1300
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	2200G with Vega™ 8 Graphics
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	2200GE with Vega™ 8 Graphics
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	2300U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	3200G
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	3200GE
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	3300U
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	4350G
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	4350GE
AMD	Ryzen™ 3 PRO	4450U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	1400
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	1500X
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	1600
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	1600 (AF)
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	1600X
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2400G with RX™ Vega 11 GPUs
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2400GE with Navi™ RX Graphics Vega 11
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2500U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2500X
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2600
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2600E
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2600H
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	2600X
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3400G with RX™ Vega 11 GPUs
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3400GE (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3450U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	Processor 3500 (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3500C
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3500U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3550H
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3580U Microsoft Surface® Edition
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3600
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3600X
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	3600XT
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	4500U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	4600G (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	4600GE (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	4600H
AMD	Ryzen™ 5	4600U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	1500
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	1600
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	2400G with Vega™ 11 Graphics
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	2400GE with Graphics Application™ 11
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	2500U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	2600
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	3350G
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	3350GE
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	3400G
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	3400GE
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	3500U
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	3600
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	4650G
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	4650GE
AMD	Ryzen™ 5 PRO	4650U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	Processor 1700
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	1700X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	1800X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	2700
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	Processor 2700E
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	2700U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	2700X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	2800H
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3700C
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3700U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3700X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3750H
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3780U Microsoft Surface® Edition
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3800X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	3800XT
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	4700G (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	4700GE (OEM only)
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	4700U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	4800H
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	4800HS
AMD	Ryzen™ 7	4800U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	1700
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	Processor 1700X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	2700
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	2700U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	2700X
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	3700
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	3700U
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	4750G
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	4750GE
AMD	Ryzen™ 7 PRO	4750U
AMD	Ryzen™ 9	Processor 3900 (only oem)
AMD	Ryzen™ 9	3900X
AMD	Ryzen™ 9	3900XT
AMD	Ryzen™ 9	3950X
AMD	Ryzen™ 9	4900H
AMD	Ryzen™ 9	4900hs
AMD	Ryzen™ 9 PRO	3900
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	1900X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	1920X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	1950X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	2920X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	2950X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	2970WX
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	2990WX
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	3960X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	3970X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™	3990X
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO	3945WX
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO	3955WX
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO	3975WX
AMD	Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO	3995WX

The best processors from Intel and AMD for your PC

If you are thinking about buying a new processor to get a more powerful PC, chances are you have lost yourself among the huge collection of Intel and AMD models available on the market, so we thought about to make a list. what we consider to be the best processor you can buy right now.

Our selection criteria

The huge range of CPUs from Intel and AMD makes it difficult to select CPUs in each category without first screening them in general. That’s why we decided to implement a selection scale, which first consists of a series of exclusion criteria for rejecting a large number of processors on the market.

The first exclusion criterion is the number of cores, today a 4-core configuration is not enough for the future, so all Intel and AMD processors that have a 4-core configuration have been dropped. Likewise, most applications don’t use CPU power beyond 8 cores, so any CPUs above that number were excluded from our comparison.
The second criterion is the choice of generations of different processors. On the one hand, we downsized the Ryzen 5000 to AMD, while in the case of Intel, we chose the eleventh generation of Intel with the exception of the Core i9-10900F, because there is no processor with more than eight tenths of a core. generation.
The third selection criterion is based on the rejection of CPU models that are part of the OEM world and therefore cannot be purchased separately in normal trade chains from the date of writing.

After we have chosen the selection criteria, let’s see which Intel and AMD processors are the best at the moment. That’s why we divided the selection into several different sections based on the number of cores in each processor.

The best 6-core processors from Intel and AMD

The first turn is processors with six cores, from which we have selected three representatives to compete with each other. On the Intel side, we have their Intel Core i5-11600K based on the Rocket Lake architecture and the Intel Core i5-11400F based on the same architecture, and on the AMD side, we chose the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X.

Intel Core i5-11400F

Model	Intel Core i5-11400F
Series	11th Gen Intel Core
Architecture	Rocket Lake-S
GHz bass	2. 6
GHz Turbo/Boost	4.4
L1 cache (per core)	80 KB
L2 cache	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB
cores	6
Threads of execution	12
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

The reason we chose this CPU is because of its excellent value for money as we can find it in most places for less than 200 euros. It’s a six-core, 12-core processor that starts at a base clock of 2.6GHz but bumps up to 4.4GHz when it’s in turbo mode.

Excellent power-to-price ratio makes it ideal for anyone looking to build a gaming PC or professional workstation at a very low price. Is this the only limitation? The fact that you don’t bring an integrated graphics card, but that’s something to say goodbye because this is the perfect processor if you want a gaming PC to play in Full HD or Quad HD if you connect it to a good graphics card.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Model	Intel Core i7-11700K
Series	11th Gen Intel Core
Architecture	Rocket Lake-S
GHz bass	3.6
GHz Turbo/Boost	5
L1 cache (per core)	80 KB
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	16 MB
cores	6
Threads of execution	12
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

AMD’s six-core variant based on the Zen 3 architecture is a powerful CPU with a base frequency of 3.7 GHz. The maximum clock frequency can reach 4.6GHz. Because this processor is part of the AMD Vermeer family of chipset-built processors, this processor does not include an integrated GPU and therefore we require one, which will be common to all AMD processors in comparison.

The AMD Ryzen 5600X has an advantage over its direct competitor in the same price range, the Intel Core i5-11600K, in that it is built on a more advanced manufacturing node, TSMC’s 7nm versus Intel’s 14nm. What makes the 65W TDP for this processor is a section that seems important to you when choosing a processor, as the Ryzen 5600X is the best option for you.

Intel Core i5-11600K

Model	Intel Core i7-11600K
Series	11th Gen Intel Core
Architecture	Rocket Lake-S
GHz bass	3.9
GHz Turbo/Boost	4.9
L1 cache (per core)	80 KB
L2 cache	3 MB
L3 cache	12 MB
cores	6
Threads of execution	12
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

The third of the six-core processors we chose is the Intel Core-i5 11600K, a processor that is, after all, a 125W TDP version of the Core i5-11400F that also has an integrated GPU, albeit one with limited power will sound like this. do not play high level games.

Its base clock is 3.9GHz with the ability to reach 4.9GHz in turbo mode, so it has better performance than the i5-11400F, so if you are looking for a 6-core Intel processor and have enough money , we recommend this one above Core i5-11400F.

Compared with the Ryzen 5 5600X, there are two processors that are completely the same in most games, with differences in games.

Best 8-core processors from Intel and AMD

8-core processors are in the upper mid-range of PC processors, so they are obviously higher than 6-core processors in the price range, but they are ideal for games, since most games in them are currently optimized for this number of cores, and therefore you you will see a significant improvement in games compared to six cores.

So these are the options you should choose if you want your gaming PC to play in Quad HD and 4K resolutions. And that’s why they’re the perfect match for high-end graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA, as a six-core configuration can put an RTX 3080 or RX 6800 XT in a performance bottleneck. more tips.

Our choice? In this case, we have chosen only 2 processors, on the one hand, the Intel Core i7-11700K, and on the other hand, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X. Which even in terms of performance and timing, to the point where the Intel model wins in some games and the AMD model wins in others.

Intel Core i7-11700K

Model	Intel Core i7-11700K
Series	11th Gen Intel Core
Architecture	Rocket Lake-S
GHz bass	3.6
GHz Turbo/Boost	5
L1 cache (per core)	80 KB
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	16 MB
cores	6
Threads of execution	12
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

The Intel Core i7-11700K, like the rest of the Intel processors we’ve reviewed in this list, is based on the Intel Rocket Lake architecture. We chose the i7-11700K over the other 8-core models because it has the best price-to-power ratio of the bunch.

It’s true that the 11900K is a much better processor in numbers, the 11700K is usually 200 euros cheaper, which gives us the opportunity to get much better hardware around it, and therefore we are talking about better performance for the same price.

We are facing a processor with a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz, but with the possibility of reaching a maximum frequency of 5 GHz. It has a TDP of 125W, but it has a lower power mode that sets the base clock at 3.1GHz and drops the power down to 95W.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

Model	AMD Ryzen 9 5800X
Series	Multiply
Architecture	Zen 3
GHz bass	3.8
GHz Turbo/Boost	4.7
L1 cache (per core)	64 KB
L2 cache	4 MB
L3 cache	32 MB
cores	8
Threads of execution	16
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

Representing AMD’s 8-core architecture is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which, like the AMD Ryzen 5600X we reviewed earlier, is based on its Zen 3 architecture. This processor has a base clock speed and turbo speed and is the most powerful of the AMD processors Ryzen 5000 with 8 cores. Its base clock is 3.8GHz, but it can go up to 4.7GHz if boosted to a single core, and up to 4.5GHz if boosted temporarily on all cores.

AMD Ryzen 5000 generally have the same external design as the Ryzen 3000, not surprisingly, they use the same Central IO Die, so the mechanisms for accessing RAM, DDR4 and peripherals are the same as the Ryzen 3000. All this is because they use the same type of connector, AM4. However, the IO Die in the Ryzen 5000 has been improved to allow for higher clock speeds in RAM than the Ryzen 5000 compared to the Ryzen 3000.

In addition to 8 cores

Our third category of processors are those that go beyond 8 cores, which in the case of Intel we have to go back a generation and invest in a tenth generation model, because Intel decided not to go with Rocket Lake-S beyond 8 cores. That’s why we chose the Intel Core i9-10900KF and its ten cores.

From an AMD perspective, our investment is a 12-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900X processor, also from the Ryzen 5000 family based on Zen 3.

10-core Intel Core i9-10900KF

Model	Intel Core i9-10900KF
Series	10th Gen Intel Core
Architecture	Comet Lake
GHz bass	3.7
GHz Turbo/Boost	5.3
L1 cache (per core)	64 KB
L2 cache	2560 KB
L3 cache	20 MB
cores	6
Threads of execution	12
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

In this case, we have a ten-core CPU based on the Comet Lake architecture, so the performance at the same clock speed and number of cores per core is slightly lower than the rest of the models we have previously reviewed, but its multi-threading performance is superior to its ten cores , which allow it to execute up to 20 threads of execution.

This processor has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz with the ability to increase the maximum clock speed to 5.2 GHz using Intel Turbo Boost Technology 3.0. In terms of memory support, its controls are designed for DDR-2933 memory, and while it can support faster memory, it won’t use its bandwidth.

The only negative point? This lack of support for PCI Express 4.0.

AMD Ryzen 9 12-core processor5900X

Model	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Series	Multiply
Architecture	Zen 3
GHz bass	3.7
GHz Turbo/Boost	4.8
L1 cache (per core)	64 KB
L2 cache	6 MB
L3 cache	64 MB
cores	12
Threads of execution	24
RAM support	Ddr4
Connector	AM4

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core 24-core processor, technically it’s like using two CCD chips from AMD RX 5600X into one processor. So it’s the only AMD dual-chipset processor you’ll see in the entire comparison.

Its base clock? 3.7 GHz, upgradable to 4.8 GHz, with 64 MB L3 cache, 32 MB in each CCD chip. When consuming 105 watts. This is the most powerful processor we have discussed in this article, not only because of its powerful 12-core configuration, but also because it uses the Zen 3 architecture, which also means that it is the most expensive of all, and because so this is ideal if you want to set up a high performance gaming PC, so we recommend you pair it with an advanced GPU.

This concludes our list of the best Intel and AMD processors right now, we hope this list was helpful in choosing a new processor for your PC.

TOP 10 popular processors on hotline.ua (January 2021)

When choosing a processor, you always want to get the best option for your tasks with the best price / performance ratio. We offer to consider the ten most popular models for desktop PCs on our market. This rating is dynamically formed based on the number of views of specific CPU models by hotline.ua visitors and transitions to the pages of online stores over the past 14 days. Let’s see which models more often than others fell into the focus of potential buyers at the beginning of 2021.

We help

ZMIST

1 1. Intel Core i5-10400F
2 2. Intel Core i3-10100f
3 3. AMD Ryzen
4. AMD Ryzen 7 4. AMD Ryzen 7 AMD Ryzen 5 2600
6 6. AMD Ryzen 5 3600
7 7 7. AMD Ryzen 5 5600x
8. AMD Ryzen 5 1600
9 9. Intel Core i5-10400
10
11 Results

Core i5-10400F (6/12; 2.9/4.3 GHz). Such a high position of this model, on the one hand, is of interest, on the other hand, it has a completely logical explanation. It is this 6-core processor that currently offers the best price / performance ratio.

After a long history with a shortage of Intel chips, the manufacturer still managed to establish the proper production volumes of desktop processors and, which is very important, stick to the declared cost. For the equivalent of $175, we get a fairly vigorous 6-core 12-thread chip, which in resource-intensive tasks is somewhat inferior to its classmates from AMD, but it definitely doesn’t get lost in games and costs much cheaper than solutions from its main competitor. The last fact is especially surprising, but such are the realities of the beginning of 2021.

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Another very tempting offer from Intel was the 4-core Core i3-10100F (4/8; 3.6/4.3 GHz). The model with disabled integrated graphics appeared on the market much later than the modification with activated GPU. The manufacturer without much fanfare added it to its price list, and at first in retail sales such versions cost almost more than chips with the included video core.

When the price settled down, it turned out that we are dealing with the most affordable 4-core 8-thread processor on the market, which for its ~$100 is perhaps the most tempting way to spend the above amount when assembling an entry-level gaming platform. While its direct competitors only added to the price or completely left the market, the Core i3-10100F was exactly where it was. In general, price dumping, which is unusual for Intel, works great in practice. To the delight of customers, of course.

The advent of Zen 3 processors markedly improved AMD’s already strong position in the desktop chip market. A significant update with improved performance per clock (IPC) has significantly increased the overall processing power of the CPU. Admittedly, it was somewhat surprising that of the entire line of Vermeer chips, the 12-core Ryzen 9 5900X (12/24; 3.7 / 4.8 GHz) turned out to be the most popular at the beginning of 2021.

A completely non-budget chip costing ~$700 is of interest primarily to those who create media content, working with multi-threaded applications that use the full potential of such CPUs. In the range of Intel now there is simply nothing to offer as an alternative. At least within the LGA1200 consumer platform.

The Ryzen 7 3700X (8/16; 3.6/4.4 GHz) is still quite popular. An 8-core 16-thread processor remains an attractive option for multi-threaded tasks in cases where the user needs computing resources, but he is not ready to seriously spend money on buying the fastest CPU.

Although the cost of AMD processors has been getting less and less lately, ~$350, in our opinion, is a fair price for a chip with such capabilities.

Strong demand continues for basic 6-core AMD models. So, almost three years old Ryzen 5 2600 (6/12; 3.4/3.9GHz) today absolutely does not look like a “hello and the past”, although its position in the ranking has been somewhat shaken with the release of starting CPUs from Intel with the same functional formula. Despite the use of Zen+ computing architecture, 6/12 processors fit perfectly into the same entry-level gaming systems. The $150 price tag is a convincing argument that increases attention to this model.

The recent leader in the popularity rating of processors has somewhat lost ground, and for several reasons at once. The Ryzen 5 3600 (6/12; 3.6/4.2 GHz) is still a good chip, well suited for mid-range configurations, but recently its retail price has increased by 20% — from $ 200 to $ 240-250. In this class of processors, price plays a very important role, because the popularity of Ryzen 5 3600 chips has decreased somewhat, especially against the background of much more affordable models from Intel. For the price difference of 6-core models (~$70) in the case of the same Core i5-10400F, you can already buy either a simple motherboard, or a 16 GB dual-channel memory kit, or a 500 GB SSD.

Ryzen 5 5600X (6/12; 3.7/4.6 GHz) is still the most affordable model of the new Vermeer processor family with Zen 3 architecture. AMD remains the lot of those who are willing to spend heavily on the purchase of a new processor.

The six-core Ryzen 5 5600X is undeniably good, but given the price, it is already invading 8-core models. For example, the same Ryzen 7 3700X or Core i7-10700F. And in this case, the Ryzen 5 5600X becomes just a decent processor for its money, but not an uncompromising solution. The popularity of the chip is quite high, but the future more affordable processor of the Vermeer line can count on universal popular love.

Processors with the designation Ryzen 5 1600 (6/12; 3.2/3.6 GHz) went on sale almost 4 years ago. A very decent time for such a dynamic segment of PC components. However, throughout this period, the manufacturer managed to maintain interest in this 6-core model. At the start of sales, she regularly took a place in the top of popular chips. With the release of new generations of processors, the manufacturer reduced the selling price to a level that allows keeping this model among the most popular CPUs. What’s more, about a year ago, in order to optimize production orders, AMD moved the Ryzen 5 1600 from 14nm to a 12nm Zen+ die. After such an update, the “veteran” actually differs from the Ryzen 5 2600 only in the standard frequency formula. In good times, the Ryzen 5 1600 was very pleased with a great selling price (~$110), but now they have risen in price to ~$135. In addition, from time to time they completely disappear from sale, but eventually reappear on the shelves, allowing you to save a little for those who focus on chips from this price category.

The base version of the 6-core Intel processor with activated graphics — Core i5-10400 (6/12; 2.9 / 4.3 GHz) — was in 9th position in the rating. For a number of tasks, the presence of discrete graphics is not necessary, so there is no need to spend money on a separate video card. Just for such cases, Intel offers versions of chips with a connected video core.

Given the relatively small difference in price (~$15–20) with the modification without integrated graphics, this choice is quite justified. Moreover, even a simple “installation” can come in handy during the next upgrade, when the old video card is no longer available, and the purchase of a new one has dragged out in time. For some, this may be an opportunity to wait out difficult times, but for some, the capabilities of the Intel UHD 630 will be enough.

Rounding out the top ten most popular processors is the new Ryzen 7 5800X (8/16; 3.8/4.7 GHz). The fastest 8-core processor on the market with high single-thread and multi-thread performance. However, it is also the most expensive model in its class. Having increased the efficiency of chips with the Zen 3 architecture, AMD has also increased the recommended cost of its processors along the way, and the poor availability situation additionally affects the final price tags. As a result, an 8-core CPU already costs about $500, which does not allow an unconditionally interesting model to rise higher in the user interest rating.

In addition, we note that retail (BOX) versions of the Ryzen 7 5800X chips, as in the case of the Ryzen 9 5900X, are offered without a bundled cooler, so you should initially count on the purchase of a cooling system. Given a TDP of 105 W, in this case, you need a fairly efficient CO.

Results

The popularity rating of desktop processors has noticeably changed compared to what we could observe in the middle of autumn. The appearance on sale of new AMD chips with Zen 3 architecture has fundamentally changed user preferences. At the same time, for three months now, Vermeer family processors have been offered only as high-end solutions, which affects the overall popularity of these CPUs. The developer skillfully closes the entry-level and middle-level positions with the help of models of previous generations.

While the AMD chips add an unpleasant price tag, the Intel processors look like an island of stability. Aggressive pricing policy, in which Intel has never been strong, is now paying off. The manufacturer managed not only to return the seemingly lost attention of users in the desktop self-assembly, but also to bring the most popular 4/6-core models to the top of the popularity rating. Well, they can, when they want. Recall that these are 14-nanometer processors with age architecture and not the best performance per clock. However, the overall user qualities of these models are still good, and the proposed price / performance ratio automatically raises them to the top of the presented list.

In the near term, we expect Intel to update the LGA1200 platform with Rocket Lake-S processors. Despite the fact that they will also be released on 14nm technology standards, this time we will get a CPU with a new Cypress Cove microarchitecture with a promised increase in IPC by 10+%, support for PCI Express 4.0 and integrated Intel Xe graphics for older processor lines. Official support for DDR4-3200 is also expected and… keep your fists… the ability to overclock memory on boards with Intel B560. In the top version, even Core i9will be presented only with the functional formula 8/16, but, as we can see, it is these processors that are most in demand on the market now. In any case, it will be very interesting to evaluate the real capabilities of the new Intel chips. The announcement of the CPU is expected at the already starting CES 2021, but the processors are unlikely to be available for sale before March.

As for AMD, we really hope that the developer will diversify the Vermeer line by adding more affordable chips in each of the series. First of all, I would like to see the conditional Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 7 5700X / 5800, and 4-core models based on Zen 3 would not be superfluous. We are also looking forward to new hybrid processors with improved integrated graphics and processing power of CPU units. Models with a relatively powerful video core can be especially in demand during the next cryptocurrency fever. The currently proposed model Ryzen 5 PRO 4650G of the Renoir family got close, but still did not hit the top ten most popular processors. However, against the background of the rapid growth in the cost of video cards, it is possible that in 2021 the most demanded graphics will be the integrated one.

How to choose a processor for the motherboard: 3 important points

The central processor and the motherboard are inseparable, therefore, almost the most important point when assembling a PC on your own is their compatibility. How to choose these components correctly will be discussed in the article.

What are the processors

INTEL and AMD are two leaders that produce CPUs. Previously, Intel’s «stones» outperformed competitors in terms of computing operations, and AMD’s options were preferable for those who focused on graphics tasks. But since the RYZEN line appeared, this line has practically disappeared and now both giants are approximately on the same level.

Both manufacturers make processors for different tasks. There are powerful models in their lines, created for resource-intensive programs, demanding games. There are options for multimedia, and there are the simplest ones: for typing and web surfing. It all depends on the purpose of a particular user.

In addition, there are models that can be overclocked to increase their performance. There are some that work only on factory settings.

Topic: Which processor is better for gaming, AMD or INTEL — choose from 2 manufacturers

Socket

A socket on the motherboard that connects the CPU. In the characteristics of both devices, it should be identical. Otherwise, the computer will not work.

In order for the performance of a PC to be decent, you need to choose a motherboard and CPU with modern sockets.

Power

This parameter is determined by the number of cores, threads. For office tasks, high power is not needed. A dual or quad core CPU with the same number of threads will do.

But for resource-demanding programs, you need to select a more productive option: at least a quad-core and eight-thread, like the Ryzen 5 2400G. In general, the rule applies here: more is better.

It’s worth noting that multithreading is only important when it comes to the CPU for:

complex graphics tasks;
professional audio recording use;
video editing and rendering;
games with massive open world.

The reserve of resources will not load the computer system to the limit, which means that the components will be able to work in a comfortable mode.

Important in high-performance CPUs and clock speed. This indicator indicates the number of calculations that the device is capable of doing per unit of time. The higher it is, the faster the processor runs.

Some models adjust the speed automatically based on the level of processor load: when it increases, the speed also increases. This provides the CPU with stable performance. This technology is called Turbo: Intel has Boost, and AMD has Core.

There are devices with unlocked multipliers — their frequency can be adjusted manually, increasing the speed. However, the compatibility rule also works here. More on this in the last section.

Read more: How to choose a laptop processor: 6 characteristics

Types of motherboards

Devices from the same manufacturer come in different types, even if they have the same connectors.

Motherboard chipsets

This is a chipset. It is a controller that is responsible for the interaction of all components connected to the board.

At a minimum, this controller determines:

maximum RAM;
CPU overclocking option.

This also affects the cost of the system card.

How to find out what chipset is in the motherboard? It is not hard. It is written on the component itself, on the website and on the box in its characteristics. The designation allows you to check whether the device is suitable for the intended purpose of the PC.

Supplement: How to find out the motherboard chipset — 3 ways

Useful: Which motherboard to choose — 8 key criteria But the selection of components for self-assembly requires taking into account all the points given in the article.