AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Review

Mid-range Desktop processor released in 2018 with 6 cores and 12 threads. With base clock at 3.6GHz, max speed at 4.2GHz, and a 95W power rating. Ryzen 5 2600X is based on the Pinnacle Ridge 12nm family and part of the Ryzen 5 series.
Price 82.2%
Speed 65%
Productivity 46%
Gaming 83%
Category Desktop
Target mid-range
Socket Compatibility AM4
Integrated Graphics None
Cooler Included Yes
Overclock Potential 2 %
Year 2018 Model
Price 229 USD
Number of Cores 6 Cores
Number of Threads 12 Threads
Core Frequency 3.6 GHz
Boost Frequency 4.2 GHz
Max Stable Overclock 4.3 GHz
Power Consumption 95 W
Manufacturing Process 12 nm
L3 Cache 15.99 MB
Maximum Supported Memory 64 GB
Price-Value Score 82.2 %
Speed Score 65 %
Productivity Score 46 %
Gaming Score 83 %
Max 1080p Bottleneck 34.9 %
Max 1440p Bottleneck 17.5 %
Max 4K Bottleneck 8.7 %
Overall Score 43/100

Presenting the Ryzen 5 2600X! This Desktop processor is a powerhouse in AMD's mid-range series. Launched in 2018, it packs 6 cores and 12 threads. It runs at a base clock speed of 3.6GHz, can accelerate to 4.2GHz, and has a power requirement of 95W, making it an ideal choice for your gaming system. The Ryzen 5 2600X is a product of the advanced Pinnacle Ridge 12nm technology and is a part of the distinguished Ryzen 5 series.

And guess what? The Ryzen 5 2600X is the ultimate successor to AMD's previous-gen gaming champion, the Ryzen 5 1600X. The Ryzen 5 1600X was based on the legendary Zen and 14nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2017. But now, it's time for the Ryzen 5 2600X to take the throne and conquer the gaming world!

The best CPUs are the ones that slay frames at a price that won't make you ragequit. The Ryzen 5 2600X totally wins this game.

Can the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X finally dethrone the king of mainstream CPUs, the Core i5-8600K? It's a maybe. The Ryzen 5 2600X doesn't quite reach the same single-core performance as its rival, but more games are starting to use all those threads, so who cares!

The AMD Ryzen 5 2nd Generation boasts the Zen+ architecture, which brings 12nm processors to the mainstream for the first time. But there's more to this story than just a smaller size. Get ready for some serious performance upgrades!

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X flexes its muscles when it comes to multi-threaded tasks. In Geekbench and Cinebench R15, this 6-core monster scored a whopping 22745 and 1380 respectively. Compared to the Core i5-8600K with scores of 20638 and 1040 in the same tests, it's a total blowout. For pretty much the same price, the Ryzen 5 2600X crushes the Core i5-8600K in multi-threaded workloads. Boom!

AMD just unleashed its Zen+ architecture, raising the stakes in the high-stakes battle for desktop PC dominance against Intel. This new lineup of chips pushes core counts and raw power to crazy high levels, threatening Intel's reign for the first time in a decade. Buckle up, it's about to get intense!

Introducing the Ryzen 5 2600X, the high-performance counterpart to the award-winning Ryzen 5 2500X. Both are built on the same 12nm Zen+ platform, but the Ryzen 5 2600X cranks the power up to a toasty 95W for those extra cores and threads. We're expecting big things from this one, just like its lower-powered sibling! 'sChoiceHype

The Ryzen 5 2600X takes the best parts of the Zen+ architecture, which gives you 15% more instructions processed per cycle (IPC) on average, and shrinks it down to a 12nm process. This creates a super powerful chip that performs awesome in all our tests, especially considering the competitive price, compatibility with most existing AM4 motherboards, ability to overclock, and included cooler. Basically, it's a win-win!

Alright, listen up. When it comes to pure gaming performance, Intel still holds the crown. If squeezing out every last frame per second is your top priority, then a Intel CPU might be the better choice. But here's the thing: that advantage shrinks at higher resolutions or if you pair the CPU with a less powerful graphics card. mattersToo

But for most gamers who also do other stuff on their PC besides gaming, the Ryzen 5 2600X is a better overall choice. It offers double the threads compared to the similarly priced Core i5-8600K, and those extra threads come in handy for tasks like editing and encoding videos. The Ryzen 5 chips have always been great for these workloads, and AMD's recent improvements to AVX performance are super impressive.

For gamers on a budget who aren't afraid of a little overclocking and have decent cooling, the Ryzen 5 2500X is a solid option. You can get pretty much the same performance as the Ryzen 5 2600X (especially for gaming) by overclocking it a bit. Plus, it's cheaper! This is why we gave the Ryzen 5 2500X an Editor's Choice award.

Straight out of the box, the Ryzen 5 2600X is a better all-rounder than the Core i5-8600K. It offers slightly better performance than its cheaper sibling, the Ryzen 5 2500X, and comes with a free cooler which saves you money on the build. Plus, there are tons of motherboards compatible with it, so you have plenty of options to choose from.

The wait is finally over! The AMD Ryzen 5 2 Gen is here, and the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X might just be the perfect example of what this new generation brings to the table. It keeps the same core and thread count (6 cores and 12 threads) as its predecessor, the Ryzen 5 1600X. But thanks to the new, smaller 12nm manufacturing process, it delivers significantly better performance while using less power.

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X launched on Apr 2018 for $229, which is pretty much the same price as the last-generation Ryzen 5 1600X. At least there's no crazy price hike this generation!

Things get interesting when you compare the Ryzen 5 2600X to its main rival, the Intel Core i5-8600K. The Core i5-8600K costs $257 and has 6 cores, but no HyperThreading. That means the Ryzen 5 2600X gives you double the processing threads for less money! Sure, Intel still holds the crown for single-core performance, but when it comes to using all the cores at once (multi-core), the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is the king.

Shrinking down to a 12nm process gives the Ryzen 5 2600X a whopping 15% boost in IPC (instructions per clock). Basically, compared to a similar CPU from the last generation (Ryzen 5 1 Gen) clocked at the same speed, you'll get 15% better performance. It might not be a huge difference in everyday tasks, but it's still something.

The high number of threads (over 7!) in the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X makes it a monster for tasks that use all the cores at once (multi-threaded workloads), especially for the price. If you edit a lot of videos or work with giant spreadsheets, the Ryzen 5 2600X will give you a noticeable performance boost.

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is another impressive addition to AMD's 2 Gen of Ryzen 5 processors. It boasts 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of up to 4.2 GHz. While the specs might not look super top-of-the-line on paper, the real-world performance you get for your $229 is fantastic.

Today's review is on the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, a 6-core desktop processor launched in Apr 2018. AMD sells the Ryzen 5 2600X without integrated graphics, making it perfect for systems with a dedicated graphics card. It costs $229 and is a great option for those who already have a GPU.

One of the best things about the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is that it comes with a free CPU cooler! You can grab the Ryzen 5 2600X for $229 without having to spend extra on cooling.

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X comes with a basic heatsink cooler, nothing fancy. But it gets the job done for this low-power CPU (TDP of 95W). You won't need a fancy aftermarket cooler unless you want to overclock it.

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is a decent performing chip for $229. The main competitor at this price point is the Core i5-8600K, a 6-core unlocked processor with integrated graphics, which costs $257.

For a 6-core CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is a steal at $229! It seems crazy cheap compared to its main competitor, the 6-core Intel Core i5-8600K which costs $257. Basically, you get extra cores for almost nothing.

Can you game on AMD's Ryzen 5 CPU? Absolutely! We got a solid 83% score in our gaming benchmarks.

The Ryzen 5 2600X is a great choice for both gaming and content creation, thanks to its high performance (1.035%) and at least 12 threads. Live streaming, eSports, and uploading gameplay videos are becoming increasingly popular, and this CPU can handle it all.

The Ryzen 5 2600X boosts up to the advertised 4.2 GHz, and with AMD's software you can push one core even higher to 4.2+0.1 GHz. But don't expect much beyond that without a serious cooler upgrade and manual voltage tweaks.

Looking for an affordable powerhouse CPU for work and play? Look no further than the Ryzen 5 2600X!

Building on the success of mainstream Ryzen 5 CPUs, AMD is now attacking the mid-range market with the Ryzen 5 2600X processors, available since Apr 2018.

Which GPU to Pick for AMD Ryzen 5 2600X

Below is a comparison of all graphics cards average FPS performance (using an average of 80+ games at ultra quality settings), combined with the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X.

Graphics Card Price Cost Per Frame Avg 1080p Avg 1440p Avg 4K
AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3.8 104.7 FPS
99.6 FPS
65 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT 16GB $ 1,099 $ 5.7 192 FPS
182.9 FPS
116.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7600 8GB $ 269 $ 2.6 103.9 FPS
99 FPS
64.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB $ 899 $ 4.3 211.4 FPS
201.2 FPS
128.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB $ 999 $ 4.3 232.5 FPS
221.3 FPS
141.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB $ 1,999 $ 10.6 188.9 FPS
183.1 FPS
128.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 8GB $ 200 $ 2.2 90.6 FPS
86.4 FPS
58.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB $ 299 $ 2.9 103.9 FPS
100.1 FPS
68.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB 8GB $ 399 $ 3.4 116.1 FPS
111.2 FPS
75.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 12GB $ 599 $ 3.5 168.8 FPS
159.6 FPS
110.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB $ 799 $ 3.7 214.5 FPS
207.8 FPS
145.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB $ 1,199 $ 5.4 223.2 FPS
216.3 FPS
151.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 3.3 240.4 FPS
233.1 FPS
163.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB $ 1,599 $ 6.2 257.6 FPS
249.8 FPS
175.2 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB $ 149 $ 6.8 22 FPS
18.4 FPS
12.3 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB $ 279 $ 9.7 28.9 FPS
26.8 FPS
16.3 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 285 2GB $ 249 $ 8.3 29.9 FPS
27.4 FPS
17 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 4GB $ 1,499 $ 19.6 76.5 FPS
69.9 FPS
48.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB $ 149 $ 7.6 19.6 FPS
15.8 FPS
10.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK 6GB $ 999 $ 19.5 51.3 FPS
46.4 FPS
31.5 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB $ 149 $ 6.7 22.1 FPS
19.1 FPS
12.7 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380 2GB $ 199 $ 6.7 29.7 FPS
27.1 FPS
17 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380X 4GB $ 229 $ 6.9 33.3 FPS
30.4 FPS
20.1 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390 8GB $ 329 $ 7.3 44.9 FPS
41.3 FPS
25.6 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390X 8GB $ 429 $ 8.9 48.1 FPS
45.3 FPS
29.7 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY 4GB $ 549 $ 11 50 FPS
47.2 FPS
30.8 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY X 4GB $ 649 $ 11.2 58.2 FPS
56.1 FPS
37.3 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 Nano 4GB $ 649 $ 12.3 52.9 FPS
50.1 FPS
33.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 2GB $ 159 $ 7 22.6 FPS
20.3 FPS
13.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB $ 199 $ 7 28.6 FPS
26 FPS
16.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB $ 329 $ 7.1 46.5 FPS
41.8 FPS
28.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB $ 549 $ 10 54.9 FPS
50.1 FPS
32.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB $ 649 $ 10.1 64 FPS
59 FPS
38.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X 12GB $ 999 $ 13.6 73.6 FPS
67.4 FPS
43.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 460 4GB $ 140 $ 6.9 20.3 FPS
18.3 FPS
11.8 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB $ 179 $ 4.5 39.6 FPS
36.6 FPS
23.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB $ 400 $ 8.8 45.2 FPS
42.2 FPS
28 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB $ 399 $ 5.6 71.5 FPS
67.2 FPS
43.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB $ 499 $ 6.5 76.3 FPS
71.9 FPS
46.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2GB $ 79 $ 5.2 15.3 FPS
13.8 FPS
8.5 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN V 12GB $ 2,999 $ 28.8 104 FPS
100.5 FPS
68.1 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN Xp 12GB $ 1,199 $ 12.7 94.3 FPS
89.4 FPS
60.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 550 2GB $ 79 $ 4.9 16.1 FPS
14.6 FPS
9.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB 8GB $ 199 $ 3.6 55.1 FPS
49.6 FPS
31.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB 4GB $ 169 $ 3.4 49.4 FPS
44.6 FPS
28.1 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB $ 99 $ 4.3 23 FPS
20.7 FPS
13.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB $ 279 $ 3.5 79.3 FPS
74.1 FPS
47.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB $ 169 $ 3.8 44.3 FPS
40.8 FPS
25.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 8GB $ 349 $ 4.1 84.1 FPS
79.2 FPS
51.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 4.3 91.8 FPS
86.4 FPS
56 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB $ 229 $ 4.3 53.7 FPS
48.3 FPS
30.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 590 8GB $ 279 $ 4.6 60.6 FPS
54.5 FPS
34.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 3GB $ 169 $ 6.8 24.9 FPS
22.6 FPS
14.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB $ 169 $ 5.8 29.2 FPS
26.9 FPS
17.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB $ 254 $ 5.1 49.8 FPS
45.2 FPS
29.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB $ 170 $ 3.6 47.3 FPS
43 FPS
27.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB $ 399 $ 5.7 69.7 FPS
64 FPS
41.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB $ 409 $ 5.4 75.7 FPS
70.1 FPS
45.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB $ 499 $ 6.1 81.7 FPS
75.7 FPS
49.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB $ 759 $ 7.9 96.1 FPS
92.6 FPS
61.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB $ 149 $ 3.5 42.4 FPS
39 FPS
25.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB $ 160 $ 2.9 55.6 FPS
51.4 FPS
33.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB $ 220 $ 3.4 63.9 FPS
59.2 FPS
38.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6GB $ 229 $ 3.4 67.8 FPS
63 FPS
40.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB $ 279 $ 3.9 72 FPS
66.7 FPS
43.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB $ 350 $ 4.3 80.7 FPS
71.5 FPS
46.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB $ 400 $ 4.7 85.7 FPS
77.7 FPS
51 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB $ 499 $ 5.5 90.6 FPS
83.5 FPS
55.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB $ 499 $ 5.2 95.6 FPS
89.4 FPS
58.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB $ 699 $ 6.8 102.6 FPS
97.1 FPS
63.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB $ 699 $ 6.4 108.5 FPS
103.8 FPS
68.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB $ 1,299 $ 10.9 119.6 FPS
115.5 FPS
76.7 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN RTX 24GB $ 2,499 $ 20.4 122.8 FPS
118.6 FPS
78.8 FPS
AMD Radeon VII 16GB $ 699 $ 7.4 94.3 FPS
88.7 FPS
57.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT 8GB $ 379 $ 3.9 98.2 FPS
93 FPS
60.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB $ 479 $ 4.1 118 FPS
111.8 FPS
71.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 16GB $ 579 $ 4.1 140.3 FPS
131.9 FPS
85.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB $ 649 $ 3.7 177.1 FPS
166.6 FPS
108.1 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB $ 999 $ 5.3 188.1 FPS
176.9 FPS
114.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 6GB $ 249 $ 3.4 74 FPS
68.1 FPS
44.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB $ 329 $ 3.7 89.9 FPS
84.3 FPS
56.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB $ 399 $ 3.6 109.6 FPS
105.2 FPS
70.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB $ 499 $ 3.7 133.7 FPS
125.1 FPS
82.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 10GB $ 599 $ 4 150 FPS
141.4 FPS
95.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB $ 699 $ 4 174.8 FPS
163.5 FPS
107.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 4.6 174.9 FPS
166.8 FPS
114.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24GB $ 1,499 $ 7.5 200.7 FPS
187.6 FPS
123.9 FPS
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