AMD has released the Ryzen 5 7400F desktop CPU for its AM5 platform. Likely to become the entry point, this low-range iGPU-less model should still pack a punch for its price.
Based on Zen 4 Raphael architecture, Ryzen 5 7400F is a six-core 12-thread processor clocked at 3.7GHz base and 4.7GHz boost, manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm node. As indicated by its F suffix, this CPU is deprived of any kind of iGPU portions, not even the basic dual RDNA 2 CUs found on regular Ryzen 7000 and 9000 chips.
This puts it at the bottom of AMD’s AM5 stack, just behind the Ryzen 5 7500F, at least when it comes to non-APU solutions. Ryzen 5 7400F is 300MHz slower than the 7500F but packs the same 6MB of L2 and 32MB of L3 caches. Likewise, the TDP remains at 65W, which is understandable as the core layout is unchanged.
As usual with the Ryzen series, this CPU is also unlocked, allowing core and memory frequency overclocking on supported 600 and 800 series chipsets. That said, if you plan on pushing it above its original state, you may want to invest in a better cooler since the bundled Wraith Stealth will only suffice for default operation.
While AMD only lists support for up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM in speeds topping at 5,200MT/s, we don’t see any reason why this CPU would be lower than its peers. Thus, we expect real-world support to reach up to 192GB of RAM, alongside a 6,000MT/s speed sweet spot. Just note that the latter will depend on the type of module – single or dual rank – plus the number of DIMM slots in use. But hey, even if 128GB is the max, it’s still more than enough for this budget chip.
Talking of which, Ryzen 5 7400F in all logic should be set below the 7500F’s $162. $150 or $140 seems about right, making it a compelling value-driven CPU. With entry-level motherboards available as low as $76, 7400F would be a great deal for many gamers since its main Gen 5 PCIe slot won’t be a bottleneck.
