In this video, Steve benchmarks the Ryzen 5600X, 5700X, and 5800XT gaming performance, finding that the six-core 5600X delivers comparable performance to higher-core-count models and often outperforms or matches Intel’s 12th and 13th gen Core i5 CPUs, especially when paired with DDR4 memory. He highlights the significant performance boost from the Windows 11 24H2 update for Ryzen CPUs, making the 5600X an excellent, cost-effective choice for gamers seeking strong performance on the AM4 platform.
In this video, Steve revisits gaming performance benchmarks for three popular AMD Zen 3 processors: the Ryzen 5600X, 5700X, and 5800XT. Although the Ryzen 7 5800X3D was the most requested CPU for updated testing, Steve postpones its review to focus on these three models due to their continued availability and relatively scarce benchmarking data. Using a suite of 14 modern games tested at 1080p with an RTX 5090 GPU, Steve compares performance across different quality presets and contrasts these AMD CPUs against Intel’s 12th and 13th generation Core i5 processors, using both DDR4 and DDR5 memory configurations.
The results show that the Ryzen 5600X holds up remarkably well against more recent Intel CPUs, often outperforming the Core i5-12400F when both use DDR4 memory and matching or closely trailing it when the Intel CPU is paired with DDR5. Performance differences between the 5600X and the higher-core-count 5700X and 5800XT are minimal, with the six-core 5600X delivering gaming performance within 4-5% of the eight-core models in most titles. This suggests that the per-core efficiency of Zen 3 architecture remains highly competitive, even years after release.
Steve highlights that many games tested show only marginal gains from additional cores beyond six, reinforcing the value proposition of the 5600X as a cost-effective gaming CPU. Furthermore, AMD’s Zen 3 processors continue to excel in gaming titles that favor AMD’s architecture, such as Counter-Strike 2 and ACC, often outperforming Intel’s offerings despite the latter’s newer architecture and DDR5 memory support. The video also notes that some games become GPU-limited at higher settings, reducing CPU performance differences.
A key factor behind the strong showing of these older Ryzen CPUs is the Windows 11 24H2 update, which has significantly boosted Ryzen performance by around 10-15% in gaming workloads, according to both Steve’s testing and independent sources like Hardware Unboxed. This update disproportionately benefits AMD processors compared to Intel’s, narrowing or even reversing previous performance gaps. Combined with the much lower cost of DDR4 memory compared to DDR5, this makes the AM4 platform and Zen 3 CPUs like the 5600X especially attractive for budget-conscious gamers.
In conclusion, Steve emphasizes the excellent value and longevity of the Ryzen 5600X, priced around $190 AUD and bundled with a cooler, making it the best buy among the three tested CPUs. Although availability varies by region, the 5600X remains a compelling choice for gamers looking for strong performance without the premium cost of newer platforms. Steve plans to follow up with updated benchmarks for the highly anticipated 5800X3D and encourages viewers to subscribe and support his channel for more detailed tech content.
