Summary of AMD's New $230 Ryzen 5 7600 CPU | Review & Benchmarks (ft. PBO)
Product Review Summary: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU
Key Information:
- Product: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (non-X variant)
- Price: $230
- Release Date: January 10, 2023
- Cores/Threads: 6 cores, 12 threads
- TDP (Thermal Design Power): 65 Watts (actual power consumption measured at 88 Watts)
- Cooler Included: Wraith Stealth cooler
Main Features:
- Fully unlocked for overclocking with Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO).
- Lower TDP compared to the X-class CPUs, making it more power-efficient.
- Performance closely matches the Ryzen 5 7600X in gaming benchmarks.
- Competes effectively against Intel's i5-12600K and i5-13600K.
User Experience:
- The 7600 performs similarly to the 7600X in gaming scenarios, showing only minor differences in frame rates.
- In gaming benchmarks, it averaged 155 FPS in Far Cry 6, just 3 FPS behind the 7600X.
- PBO did not significantly enhance performance beyond stock settings.
- Offers good performance improvements over the previous generation Ryzen 5 5600X.
Pros:
- Excellent value for performance, especially at $230.
- Comparable gaming performance to more expensive CPUs.
- Efficient power consumption, making it suitable for builds with limited cooling solutions.
- Fully unlocked for enthusiasts who want to overclock.
Cons:
- Limited performance uplift over the 7600X for a lower price, making the choice between the two less distinct if the price difference is minimal.
- Motherboard costs for AM5 remain high, which can affect overall value.
- Not the best choice for heavy production workloads compared to higher-tier Intel CPUs.
Comparisons:
- Intel i5-12600K: Slightly better performance in production tasks but higher power consumption and cost.
- Intel i5-13600K: Significantly faster in most scenarios but also more expensive (around $320).
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600X: Offers a minor performance boost for a higher price, but the 7600 is deemed a better value unless the price gap is negligible.
Overall Recommendation:
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is recommended as a strong entry point into the AM5 platform, especially for gamers and casual users looking for great performance at a reasonable price. For enthusiasts willing to overclock, the 7600 offers flexibility and efficiency without sacrificing much performance compared to the X variant. However, potential buyers should consider motherboard costs and the fluctuating pricing of competing Intel CPUs.
Unique Points Mentioned:
- The 7600 is a power-limited version of existing 7000 series CPUs.
- The stock cooler included is less capable than the Wraith Spire used with other models.
- Gaming performance is largely unaffected by TDP limits due to the nature of gaming workloads.
- The importance of tuning and overclocking for maximizing performance.
- AMD's marketing around TDP is criticized for being misleading.
Different Speaker Contributions:
- The reviewer emphasizes the value proposition of the 7600 against the X variant and Intel counterparts.
- Critiques of AMD's marketing strategies regarding TDP and power consumption were highlighted.
- Insights into gaming performance versus production workload performance were discussed, illustrating the 7600's strengths and weaknesses in different scenarios.
Notable Quotes
— 10:33 — « First of all, CPUs don't consume TDP. AMD, they consume electricity power. »
— 11:40 — « AMD, let's just stop with the slimy bullsh*t petty marketing and use real numbers. »
— 13:14 — « The 7600 is relatively well behaved out of the box and won't put a preachable strain on any halfway decent VRM or cooler. »
— 20:04 — « The R5 7600 is a meaningful entry point to the AM5 platform that doesn't give up a whole lot versus the X alternative. »
— 24:54 — « For most enthusiasts, we think you should probably just save the money, buy the non-X, if you really care then tune it. »
Category
Product Review