In Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D averaged 301.4 fps. That puts it just below the (much more expensive) Core i9-13900K, which hit 304 fps. Three AMD chips are topping the scoreboard: the Ryzen 9 7950X with 305 fps; the Ryzen 7 5800X3D with 332 fps, and finally, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D with 385 fps. Every single one of those processors costs a whole lot more than the 5600X3D. Though I could have included more Ryzen 5000 Series processors in this comparison, I opted to mostly compare with more current processors that will actively compete with the Ryzen 5 5600X3D on the open market. This includes the Ryzen 5 7600 and the Intel Core i5-12600K, both of which have similar prices. I did include the Ryzen 7 5700X, which uses the same platform as the Ryzen 5 5600X3D and has an even lower street price. Processor Tests: A Depressing Display

For as long as I can remember, I've had love of all things tech, spurred on, in part, by a love of gaming. I began working on computers owned by immediate family members and relatives when I was around 10 years old. I've always sought to learn as much as possible about anything PC, leading to a well-rounded grasp on all things tech today. In my role at PCMag, I greatly enjoy the opportunity to share what I know. You’ll need to carefully assess your common usage and workloads if you’re upgrading to a 5600X3D, and plan accordingly. While you gain tremendously in gaming performance, you will lose quite a bit of performance in applications. If you’re upgrading an existing AM4 system and looking for a more balanced performer, you should give the eight-core Ryzen 7 5700X a close look. This chip is great a value at its current retail pricing.The two cores missing on the Ryzen 5 5600X3D are still physically present on the processor, but they have been disabled. This could be because they are entirely dysfunctional, but more likely the two disabled cores simply aren’t able to operate fast enough to keep pace with the other cores. Permanently disabling them enables the processor to run without issue, and it enables AMD to take a processor that would otherwise be headed to the recycling bin and turn it into a marketable product. The continued success of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has found many AMD users upgrading older systems instead of making the jump to Zen 4 and the pricier new AM5/DDR5 platform, which obviously could lead one to think that AMD is cannibalizing its own flagship product line with a superior lower-cost chip. In most cases, this has actually kept early Ryzen adopters on an AMD platform instead of them jumping ship to Intel’s newer Raptor Lake platforms. Primarily, this is a gaming-focused chip, so I spent the most time looking at its gaming performance. In this case, I played several games on it, as well as using my standard battery of built-in benchmark tests to get comparable numbers. As with all of AMD’s other X3D models, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D doesn’t have an iGPU or bundled cooler. We haven’t been told of any specific cooler recommendations, but given the TDP rating, it likely requires a 240mm liquid cooler (or air equivalent) like the 105W Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

The ongoing popularity of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has led to a significant trend among AMD users, who are opting to upgrade their existing systems with this processor rather than transitioning to the more expensive Zen 4 and the new AM5/DDR5 platform. At first glance, one might assume that AMD is undermining its own flagship product line by introducing a superior, lower-cost chip. In essence, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D represents a grand finale for AMD’s AM4 platform, extending its relevance and value even as we move towards newer technologies. This CPU embodies the spirit of the AM4 generation – offering high performance at a reasonable cost – and takes it a step further. The full story of the Ryzen 5 5600X3D will likely remain shrouded in secrecy for some time, but we’ve pieced together information from multiple sources. AMD hasn’t provided an official comment, but sources close to the matter tell us these chips were “purpose-built” to be launched as Ryzen 5 5600X3D parts. As such, they aren’t made of defective Ryzen 7 5800X3D processors.In a sea of praise, one complaint appears — Gamers Nexus found that the chip is unable to hit its advertised max frequency. It only misses by about 50MHz, but it’s still a worrying sign for AMD if this kind of result will be consistent across the board. Aside from that, the chip seems to be performing excellently. You don’t need a beefy PSU, but … mryeester / YouTube Can we please stop perpetuating this. The 5800X3D does NOT need a 240mm AIO, neither will the 5600X3D. Nearly any basic tower air cooler rated for the TDP will be more than sufficient.Guess it depends on what you expect, but with an 280mm AIO running at 100% fans and getting 80 degrees, going with anything less might not be everybody's cup of tea. The added 3D V-Cache is likely to help performance in just a limited number of scenarios. Only tests that respond strongly to a large amount of cache will benefit, and gaming tests tend to be some of the most responsive to changes in cache.

Its standout feature, the 3D V-Cache technology, brings a considerable performance boost that gamers are likely to appreciate. While not every game or application will benefit from this technology, the overall gains are substantial enough to make this CPU a game-changer in its price range. Creating microchips is an imperfect process. You always get some partially defective parts that can’t quite operate as expected, and this undoubtedly happened when AMD was producing the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, too. These imperfect chips may not quite have been fast enough to pass for Ryzen 7 5800X3D processors, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t functional enough to be marketed as something else, like the Ryzen 5 5600X3D.

As mentioned above, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D is available exclusively at Micro Center. This means that if you’re outside of the U.S. or don’t live close to a Micro Center, you’ll probably be forced to skip this CPU. This is an interesting launch strategy for AMD, and it might have something to do with the low availability of the chip. After all, launching so late in the AM4 lifecycle, it’s probably the last Zen 3 desktop CPU to ever be released — that is, unless AMD manages to surprise us yet again. So far, reviewers are praising it for its gaming capabilities. Although it lags behind in productivity tasks, this isn’t the kind of CPU you’d be buying for non-gaming purposes anyway. Let’s see how it fares in the environment it was built for. No one expected the Ryzen 5 5600X3D to even exist, but now that it’s here, it might take over the entire budget gaming segment of the market — or it could have done, if not for the fact that it’s a limited edition chip. I put this chip through our standard battery of tests, but given the limited availability and the fact that this is a last-gen chip, I only compared it to the best AM4 chip of the last-gen (and the one I'd still broadly recommend to those who can't find the Ryzen 5 5600X3D), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. The 5600X3D is a new entry in the older Ryzen 5000 series, so it comes with the Zen 3 architecture, 7nm process node, and drops into last-gen AM4 motherboards. In contrast, AMD's newest Ryzen 7000 chips come with the faster Zen 4 architecture etched on the 5nm process and drop into newer AM5 motherboards. However, those chips carry a premium and require more expensive DDR5 memory, while the 5600X3D supports more economical DDR4, giving it an easy win in terms of total system cost.

The Ryzen 5 5600X3D removes Intel’s pricing advantage for DDR4-equipped Core i5-13400 systems, but, alas, only for a limited time. Micro Center’s 5600X3D bundle is an exceptional deal that slightly undercuts the overall pricing for the DDR4-equipped Core i5-13400 configuration, but it offers significantly more performance than the Intel setup, thus yielding better cost-per-fps metrics.In this article, we’ll dive into the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D specs, price, release date, and everything you need to know about this game-changing processor. We’ll provide an insightful guide on AMD’s newest addition to its range of innovative CPUs, specifically designed to elevate your PC gaming experience. We haven’t been told of any specific cooler recommendations, but given the TDP rating, it likely requires a 240mm liquid cooler like the 105W Ryzen 7 5800X3D." Don’t let the age of the AM4 platform fool you, though. Despite being six years old, it continues to offer exceptional value at an affordable price, making it a strong choice for budget-conscious setups. A lot of this comes down to its compatibility with reasonably priced DDR4 memory. AMD has pledged to continue supporting this platform for budget-tailored systems, which is reassuring. Overall, Gamers Nexus found that the chip was 39% faster than the Ryzen 5 5600X in the Tomb Raider benchmark, but 10% slower than the 5800X3D. Gamers Nexus / YouTube Things are different when Gamers Nexus talks about Far Cry 6. The 5600X3D has a slew of processors ahead of it in the ranking, including chips like the Ryzen 7 7700X and the Intel Core i9-12900K. Still, the only CPU with a comparable price tag remains the 5800X3D. The new Zen 3 part averaged 163 fps, while the 5800X3D hit 175.5 fps.