Both AMD Ryzen 7 2700x and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 come with their perks and features. They are competitive and closely similar to one another. Therefore, at times, it becomes hard for one to choose between either one of them. Both desktop CPUs are great and have their individual approaches.
If you want to find out which one amongst the two would be the better choice for you, based on your needs and requirements, continue reading. This article is based on a thorough comparison between the two. The comparison is drawn based on different performance benchmarks and tests to determine the strengths as well as the weaknesses of both of these processors.
Major Differences
As already mentioned, both desktop CPUs share some similarities. However, there are a couple of differences between the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700x has eight cores, desktop processors, 155 GBP while the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has six cores desktop processors 175 GBP. Whereas the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a newer release and has a higher turbo boost frequency.
The construction and design of the Ryzen 5 3600 are also better. Therefore, when it is paired with the best GPU for Ryzen 5, 3600, the visual experience is amplified by a significant factor.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has a higher IPC (Instruction per cycle) because of the upgraded architecture of the chip.
Specifications
This detailed comparison table will help you to find the major differences between AMD Ryzen 7 2700x vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600.
| Process Name | Ryzen 7 2700x | Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Vendor | AMD | AMD |
| Socket | AM4 | AM4 |
| Type | Desktop | Desktop |
| Cores | 8 | 6 |
| Treads | 16 | 12 |
| Turbo Frequency | 4.3 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
Performance Comparison
Cores
The Ryzen 7 2700x features a total of 8 cores. Whereas the Ryzen 5 3600 has a total of 6 cores. So the Ryzen 7 2700x might be a better choice as more cores mean that the users can efficiently multitask and run several programs at once without encountering any issue.
Threads
With a total of 16 threads, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x takes the lead. The Ryzen 5 3600 has 12 threads which are quite impressive, but the Ryzen 7 2700x has two extra threads that indeed make it a lot more efficient and amplify its speed.
The games run smoothly on both of these processors, but massive programs and software will do better when used with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x.
Cache
The L1 and L2 level cache is the same for both of these processors. The L1 cache is 96k per core whereas the L2 cache is 512K per core. The L3 cache of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is better as it is 32MB (shared) whereas for the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x it is 16MB (shared). Both processors support unlocked multiplier, but the L3 cache improvement gives the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 an upper hand.
Memory
If you are someone who is looking for a desktop that has better memory support, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 will be the better choice. It has the DDR4-3200 memory type and comes with a memory size of 128 GB.
It offers a maximum memory bandwidth of 47.68 GB/s. The memory channels for both the desktops are the same. But if you find the best RAM for Ryzen 7 2700x, you can amplify the memory as desired.
Price
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700x is an older processor and is priced at around USD 299. Whereas the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has a price tag of approximately USD 199 and is a recent release.
Note: Prices may vary due to time.
Therefore, speaking in terms of an economical choice, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is not only newer, but it is affordable and economical as well. It was released in July 2019 whereas the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x was launched in April 2018. So they are almost a year apart.
Conclusion
Both the AMD Ryzen 7 2700x, as well as the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, are a popular choice amongst customers. However, a detailed comparison between the two makes it evident that Ryzen 5 3600 is better in terms of performance, memory, and price as well.
