As the new entry-level processor, AMD Ryzen 5 9600X has big boots to fill, tasked with balancing an affordable price tag with enough of an uplift to warrant the upgrade. This immediately becomes a tougher ask when the Ryzen 5 7600X it’s replacing still stands tall to this day.
To help you find your footing with Zen 5, I’ve chucked a bunch of fresh application and game benchmarks at both CPUs, then crunched the numbers to gauge value so you get the best bang for your buck. The good news is that the newcomer does cast a shadow over its predecessor, but it’s small enough to wonder whether it’s really worth it.
Specs
| Model | Cores / Threads | TDP | L3 Cache | Base Clock | Boost Clock | Launch MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 9600X | 6 / 12 | 65W | 32MB | 3.9GHz | 5.4GHz | $279 / £270 |
| Ryzen 5 7600X | 6 / 12 | 105W | 32MB | 4.7GHz | 5.3GHz | $299 / £299 |
AMD sticks to a template with Zen 5, carrying over many of the same elements from Zen 4. You’ll see six cores and 12 threads, as well as 32MB L3 cache in both chips. These similarities echo throughout our benchmarks as they both carry an identical topology.
Fortunately, Ryzen 5 9600X has three things going for it. As efficiency is the mantra for the entire 9000 Series, it consumes 40W less than its forebear. This doesn’t come at the sacrifice of clock speeds, as it also carries a wider frequency range between a 3.9GHz base and 5.4GHz boost. And, finally, Team Red serves it up $20 / £30 cheaper right out the gate at $279 / £270.
However, after two years of knocking around the block, Ryzen 5 7600X has already experienced several discounts. Currently, you can grab the previous generation mid-range CPU for $195 / £204, shining a very different light on value.
Performance
To put Ryzen 5 9600X and 7600X head to head, we performed a clean sweep of new tests using a fresh platform. All benchmarks are conducted in the same environment to limit variables so that we can put the generational uplift under the magnifying glass. Do note that all our tests were conducted before Windows 11 24H2 and its retroactive Windows 11 23H2 booster shot, which can bolster performance.
Both AMD chips use their recommended TDPs only on top of an MSI MEG X670E Ace motherboard with the latest BIOS update. Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 keeps them cool while be quiet! Straight Power 13 1,300W feeds them. Zotac GeForce RTX 4090 handles the visuals, and 64GB (2x32GB) Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 CL36 fills out the memory slots.
Productivity
Zen 5 doesn’t particularly impress in 7-Zip Compression tests, as Ryzen 5 9600X is less than 1% quicker than its predecessor. However, steering the course with the same performance as 7600X isn’t a bad thing when the new chip has 38% less total power draw.
The first signs of life from the new foundations come from Y-Cruncher. Zen 5 runs away with a computation time that’s 18% quicker than Zen 4, allowing it to blast through mathematical equations with ease.
Despite housing the same six-core arrangement, Ryzen 5 9600X has nearly 13% more muscle in Geekbench 6 single-core tests and lifts 8% more in multi-core. Some might consider this incremental, but it’s a testament to the new architecture that this comes with a 38% slimmer power requirement.
With AI creating such a commotion, it stands to reason AMD has prepared its Ryzen 9000 Series appropriately. Smashing through Geekbench 6 machine learning tests, AMD Ryzen 5 9600X runs away with a 43% lead over the former mid-range champ. If you want to fly through float32, float16, and int8 data types, this one’s a no-brainer.
Rendering
It’s a much closer affair when it comes to 3D rendering, as there is just 8.6% in it between both CPUs running Blender. AMD usually uses the program as a bit of a playground, so you can’t go wrong no matter which generation you opt for.
Zen 5 expectedly takes the lead in Cinebench 2024 scores, but the mid-range chip does contain some surprises. As seen in our other Zen 5 vs. Zen 4 comparisons, high-end newcomers accel in single-core tests with a more middling multi-core improvement. However, Ryzen 5 9600X reverses this, with a higher 12.9% multi-core improvement over a 10.2% single-core leap.
Time is money when it comes to productivity, and AMD Ryzen 5 9600X will save you up to 15.6% in Corona 10 and 13.2% in Adobe Photoshop. Much like all our other 9000 Series tests, this lead dips to just 4.3% in Adobe Premiere Pro video rendering workloads.
Memory
There was never going to be a great difference in AIDA benchmarks, as both platforms feature near-identical memory subsystems. It is the first time we see Zen 4 flip the script on its successor, though, featuring slightly faster write speeds and latency. Granted, it’s only a 1% difference in all tests, meaning you’d be hard-pressed to spot the difference in real-world applications.
Gaming
Armed with Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, all chips we tested in 3DMark Speed Way performed remarkably consistently to the point you won’t spot a difference. This includes previous-gen flagships and a bunch from Intel. Of course, the devil is in the details, as frame rates beg to differ.
With an average of 4fps difference in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, both chips are mostly on par. Ryzen 5 9600X does take the consistency cake with up to 8% better minimums, which could make a small difference in busier areas.
You’d need a freeze frame finish to determine who crosses the line first in Cyberpunk 2077, but 9600X takes the podium by 3fps at 1440p. Otherwise, there’s a single frame between both chips.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail views AMD’s new line-up a bit more favourably, affording 9600X more frames at all resolutions. It’s diminishing returns, with a 6.8% improvement at 1080p, 4.8% lead at 1440p, and 3% difference at 4K, but there’s still a clear winner on every front.
The mid-range Zen 5 handles Forza Motorsport with grace, offering up to 5% more performance at 1080p and 1440p. 4K resolutions are a little tamer, with just a 3% difference between the two.
Real-time strategy (RTS) games are always a good challenge for CPUs, putting them through their paces and having to deal with plenty of moving parts. You’ll get a fairly healthy frame rate in Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord no matter which way you go, with a shockingly tiny 1.5% distinction between 9600X and 7600X. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, gamers should take the cheapest path or wait for Ryzen 9000X3D.
Efficiency
Credit where it’s due, Ryzen 5 9600X is as efficient as the rest of the new line-up, demanding 10.8% less power under load. Naturally, this shines a better light on the otherwise middling performance gains, but the gap is far smaller than the 38% TDP reduction would lead you to believe. Most of the time, this won’t matter unless you’re pushing the CPUs to their limit, as both have the same idle draw.
It’s worth mentioning that AMD has released a 105W update for its entry-level and mid-range processors, which could turn these results on their head.
Siphoning less power has a domino effect in keeping the operating temperatures down. While Ryzen 5 7600X runs at 79.7°C when under load, Ryzen 5 9600X is 23.5% cooler at 61°C. Neither should heat the room up too much, mind you, but we’re all about keeping it chill.
Value
To calculate Club386’s CPU Efficiency Rating, we divide a processor’s Cinebench 2024 multi-core score by its power draw under load. Since this is Zen 5’s speciality, 9600X storms ahead, being 26.6% more efficient than its predecessor.
Similarly, we get the Club386 CPU Value Rating by swapping out power draw for launch price. At first glance, 9600X runs away with it since it’s $20 cheaper and performs a little better, but there’s more to the story. Ryzen 5 7600X has seen several discounts over the years, placing its current value rating at 4.42, trouncing its replacement.
Conclusion
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is clearly the best CPU of the two if all you want is performance regardless of cost, particularly if you’re gunning for machine learning on a budget. It’s also decently efficient if not a little underwhelming compared to its TDP promises. Otherwise, there’s not enough baked into the $299 / £299 price tag to draw you away from other options.
When it comes to gaming, AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is nearly 35% cheaper for largely the same frame rates in games. Even Ryzen 7 7700X is nearly $50 cheaper and offers more performance in most games, particularly at UHD. The only exception is Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, which is something of a cakewalk for Ryzen 9000 Series. Considering both CPUs use the same AM5 platform as the latest bunch, and AMD plans to support it for years to come, there’s a clear upgrade path even if you stick with the previous generation.
If you’re not in a hurry to upgrade any time soon, then you might as well wait for Ryzen 9000X3D, which could offer more bang for your buck. Originally, these were supposed to land in September 2024, but rumours suggest delays have pushed the processors towards a CES 2025 release next January. Otherwise, the pendulum swings more in Ryzen 7000 Series’ favour.
To see how other Zen 5 chips stack up against their predecessors or the competition, check out our other comparisons:
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X vs. Intel Core i9-14900K
- AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs. Intel Core i7-14700K
- AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs. Intel Core i5-14600K
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AMD Ryzen 5
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