AMD Ryzen 5 3500 Review

Mid-range Desktop processor released in 2019 with 6 cores and 6 threads. With base clock at 3.6GHz, max speed at 4.1GHz, and a 95W power rating. Ryzen 5 3500 is based on the Matisse 7nm family and part of the Ryzen 5 series.
Price 62.8%
Speed %
Productivity %
Gaming %
Category Desktop
Target mid-range
Socket Compatibility AM4
Integrated Graphics None
Cooler Included Yes
Overclock Potential 0 %
Year 2019 Model
Price 240.76 USD
Number of Cores 6 Cores
Number of Threads 6 Threads
Core Frequency 3.6 GHz
Boost Frequency 4.1 GHz
Max Stable Overclock 4.1 GHz
Power Consumption 95 W
Manufacturing Process 7 nm
L3 Cache 32 MB
Maximum Supported Memory 128 GB
Price-Value Score 62.8 %
Speed Score 0 %
Productivity Score 0 %
Gaming Score 0 %
Max 1080p Bottleneck 26.4 %
Max 1440p Bottleneck 13.2 %
Max 4K Bottleneck 6.6 %
Overall Score 40/100

Presenting the Ryzen 5 3500! This Desktop processor is a powerhouse in AMD's mid-range series. Launched in 2019, it packs 6 cores and 6 threads. It runs at a base clock speed of 3.6GHz, can accelerate to 4.1GHz, and has a power requirement of 95W, making it an ideal choice for your gaming system. The Ryzen 5 3500 is a product of the advanced Matisse 7nm technology and is a part of the distinguished Ryzen 5 series.

And guess what? The Ryzen 5 3500 is the ultimate successor to AMD's previous-gen gaming champion, the Ryzen 5 2400G. The Ryzen 5 2400G was based on the legendary Zen and 14nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2018. But now, it's time for the Ryzen 5 3500 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 3500 totally wins this game.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3rd Generation boasts the Zen 2 architecture, which brings 7nm 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!

So, the switch to 7nm silicon is pretty epic! This lets AMD cram a ton more cache into the CPU. We're talking a combined L2 and L3 cache of 6 x 512 kB and 32. Since the cores are on separate chiplets, they were able to fit way more in – a whopping 6 x 512 kB and 32! This means much faster performance, especially when you're chasing those sweet high FPS in 1080p games. You'll especially notice the difference in classics like Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Git gud noobs!

AMD just unleashed its Zen 2 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!

The Ryzen 5 3500 takes the best parts of the Zen 2 architecture, which gives you 15% more instructions processed per cycle (IPC) on average, and shrinks it down to a 7nm 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

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500, like all the other CPUs in AMD's Matisse family, is built on a tiny 7nm manufacturing process – the smallest you can find right now. This means it uses less power and runs much faster than previous CPUs.

Shrinking down to a 7nm process gives the Ryzen 5 3500 a whopping 15% boost in IPC (instructions per clock). Basically, compared to a similar CPU from the last generation (Ryzen 5 2 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 AMD Ryzen 5 3500 is another impressive addition to AMD's 3 Gen of Ryzen 5 processors. It boasts 6 cores and 6 threads, with a boost clock of up to 4.1 GHz. While the specs might not look super top-of-the-line on paper, the real-world performance you get for your $240.76 is fantastic.

Heads up! If you already have a Ryzen 5 2400G, this new generation doesn't offer a huge jump in performance. You might be better off waiting a year to upgrade or spending more on a higher-end CPU.

For gamers, both the Core i5-9400 and Ryzen 5 3500 are great choices. They're neck and neck, with a slight edge to the Intel CPU if you don't overclock it. The Ryzen 5 3500's base performance can be achieved with cheaper RAM (around $90), whereas the Core i5-9400 needs faster RAM ($110-$120) to hit the frame rates we showed. The price difference is small though, and with anything less than an RTX 2070 or Vega 64 graphics card, your GPU will bottleneck your performance anyway. BottleneckAtPlay

Today's review is on the AMD Ryzen 5 3500, a 6-core desktop processor launched in Oct 2019. AMD sells the Ryzen 5 3500 without integrated graphics, making it perfect for systems with a dedicated graphics card. It costs $240.76 and is a great option for those who already have a GPU.

One of the best things about the AMD Ryzen 5 3500 is that it comes with a free CPU cooler! You can grab the Ryzen 5 3500 for $240.76 without having to spend extra on cooling.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500 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 gaming tests with an RTX 2080 Ti were surprising! The budget-friendly AMD Ryzen 5 3500 (only 240.76)managedtooutperformthemoreexpensiveCore i5-9500(207) in three games we tested. We know three games aren't everything, but it shows that even a 6 core CPU can still hold its own today. You can even play modern games and stream to Twitch on the Ryzen 5 3500 (playable results, not amazing). As games get more demanding, a 6 core CPU might not be ideal, but the Ryzen 5 3500 can hold its own for now in a pinch.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500 is a decent performing chip for $240.76. The main competitor at this price point is the Core i5-9400, a 6-core unlocked processor with integrated graphics, which costs $166.

For a 6-core CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 3500 is a steal at $240.76! It seems crazy cheap compared to its main competitor, the 6-core Intel Core i5-9400 which costs $166. Basically, you get extra cores for almost nothing.

With Ryzen 5, AMD brings new innovation with its new architecture and a 7nm manufacturing process. Similar to Ryzen 5, Ryzen 5 is built for the AM4 platform with support for all the latest features like DDR4 RAM, super-fast NVMe SSDs, and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

The Ryzen 5 3500 boosts up to the advertised 4.1 GHz, and with AMD's software you can push one core even higher to 4.1+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 3500!

Building on the success of mainstream Ryzen 5 CPUs, AMD is now attacking the mid-range market with the Ryzen 5 3500 processors, available since Oct 2019.

The included cooler with the Ryzen 5 3500 is rated for 95W and doesn't have fancy features like a copper base or LED lights. But it keeps the CPU cool enough to reach its XFR-boosted speeds, which is an extra 200 MHz! We were even able to overclock it to 4.1 GHz + 0.2 GHz without overheating. The cooler fan also blows down onto the motherboard, providing extra cooling around the CPU socket. If you want more RGB bling, you can buy a separate LED cooler from AMD.

Which GPU to Pick for AMD Ryzen 5 3500

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 3500.

Graphics Card Price Cost Per Frame Avg 1080p Avg 1440p Avg 4K
AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3.4 118.3 FPS
104.8 FPS
66.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT 16GB $ 1,099 $ 5.1 217.1 FPS
192.4 FPS
119.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7600 8GB $ 269 $ 2.3 117.4 FPS
104.2 FPS
65.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB $ 899 $ 3.8 239 FPS
211.7 FPS
131.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB $ 999 $ 3.8 262.8 FPS
232.8 FPS
144.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB $ 1,999 $ 9.4 213.5 FPS
192.6 FPS
131.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 8GB $ 200 $ 2 102.4 FPS
90.9 FPS
60.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB $ 299 $ 2.5 117.5 FPS
105.3 FPS
69.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB 8GB $ 399 $ 3 131.3 FPS
117 FPS
77.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 12GB $ 599 $ 3.1 190.9 FPS
167.9 FPS
113.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB $ 799 $ 3.3 242.5 FPS
218.6 FPS
149 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB $ 1,199 $ 4.8 252.4 FPS
227.6 FPS
155.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 2.9 271.7 FPS
245.3 FPS
167.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB $ 1,599 $ 5.5 291.2 FPS
262.8 FPS
179.2 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB $ 149 $ 6 24.9 FPS
19.4 FPS
12.6 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB $ 279 $ 8.5 32.7 FPS
28.2 FPS
16.7 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 285 2GB $ 249 $ 7.4 33.8 FPS
28.8 FPS
17.4 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 4GB $ 1,499 $ 17.3 86.5 FPS
73.6 FPS
49.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB $ 149 $ 6.7 22.2 FPS
16.6 FPS
10.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK 6GB $ 999 $ 17.2 58 FPS
48.8 FPS
32.3 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB $ 149 $ 6 25 FPS
20.1 FPS
13 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380 2GB $ 199 $ 5.9 33.5 FPS
28.5 FPS
17.4 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380X 4GB $ 229 $ 6.1 37.6 FPS
32 FPS
20.5 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390 8GB $ 329 $ 6.5 50.8 FPS
43.5 FPS
26.2 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390X 8GB $ 429 $ 7.9 54.4 FPS
47.6 FPS
30.4 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY 4GB $ 549 $ 9.7 56.5 FPS
49.7 FPS
31.5 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY X 4GB $ 649 $ 9.9 65.7 FPS
59 FPS
38.2 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 Nano 4GB $ 649 $ 10.9 59.8 FPS
52.8 FPS
33.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 2GB $ 159 $ 6.2 25.5 FPS
21.3 FPS
13.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB $ 199 $ 6.2 32.3 FPS
27.4 FPS
17 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB $ 329 $ 6.3 52.6 FPS
44 FPS
28.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB $ 549 $ 8.8 62.1 FPS
52.7 FPS
33.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB $ 649 $ 9 72.4 FPS
62.1 FPS
39.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X 12GB $ 999 $ 12 83.2 FPS
70.9 FPS
44.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 460 4GB $ 140 $ 6.1 23 FPS
19.3 FPS
12 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB $ 179 $ 4 44.7 FPS
38.5 FPS
24.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB $ 400 $ 7.8 51.1 FPS
44.4 FPS
28.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB $ 399 $ 4.9 80.9 FPS
70.7 FPS
44.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB $ 499 $ 5.8 86.3 FPS
75.6 FPS
47.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2GB $ 79 $ 4.6 17.3 FPS
14.6 FPS
8.7 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN V 12GB $ 2,999 $ 25.5 117.6 FPS
105.7 FPS
69.6 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN Xp 12GB $ 1,199 $ 11.2 106.6 FPS
94 FPS
61.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 550 2GB $ 79 $ 4.3 18.2 FPS
15.3 FPS
9.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB 8GB $ 199 $ 3.2 62.3 FPS
52.2 FPS
32.1 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB 4GB $ 169 $ 3 55.9 FPS
46.9 FPS
28.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB $ 99 $ 3.8 26 FPS
21.8 FPS
13.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB $ 279 $ 3.1 89.7 FPS
77.9 FPS
49 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB $ 169 $ 3.4 50.1 FPS
42.9 FPS
26.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 8GB $ 349 $ 3.7 95.1 FPS
83.3 FPS
52.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3.8 103.8 FPS
90.9 FPS
57.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB $ 229 $ 3.8 60.8 FPS
50.8 FPS
31.1 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 590 8GB $ 279 $ 4.1 68.5 FPS
57.4 FPS
35.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 3GB $ 169 $ 6 28.1 FPS
23.8 FPS
14.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB $ 169 $ 5.1 33 FPS
28.3 FPS
17.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB $ 254 $ 4.5 56.3 FPS
47.5 FPS
30 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB $ 170 $ 3.2 53.5 FPS
45.2 FPS
28.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB $ 399 $ 5.1 78.8 FPS
67.3 FPS
42.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB $ 409 $ 4.8 85.5 FPS
73.8 FPS
46.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB $ 499 $ 5.4 92.3 FPS
79.7 FPS
50.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB $ 759 $ 7 108.7 FPS
97.4 FPS
62.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB $ 149 $ 3.1 47.9 FPS
41 FPS
25.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB $ 160 $ 2.5 62.9 FPS
54.1 FPS
34 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB $ 220 $ 3 72.2 FPS
62.3 FPS
39.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6GB $ 229 $ 3 76.7 FPS
66.3 FPS
41.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB $ 279 $ 3.4 81.4 FPS
70.2 FPS
44.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB $ 350 $ 3.8 91.2 FPS
75.2 FPS
47.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB $ 400 $ 4.1 96.9 FPS
81.8 FPS
52.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB $ 499 $ 4.9 102.4 FPS
87.9 FPS
57.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB $ 499 $ 4.6 108 FPS
94 FPS
60.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB $ 699 $ 6 116 FPS
102.1 FPS
65.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB $ 699 $ 5.7 122.7 FPS
109.2 FPS
70.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB $ 1,299 $ 9.6 135.2 FPS
121.5 FPS
78.5 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN RTX 24GB $ 2,499 $ 18 138.9 FPS
124.8 FPS
80.6 FPS
AMD Radeon VII 16GB $ 699 $ 6.6 106.6 FPS
93.4 FPS
58.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT 8GB $ 379 $ 3.4 111.1 FPS
97.9 FPS
61.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB $ 479 $ 3.6 133.5 FPS
117.7 FPS
73.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 16GB $ 579 $ 3.7 158.6 FPS
138.8 FPS
87.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB $ 649 $ 3.2 200.2 FPS
175.2 FPS
110.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB $ 999 $ 4.7 212.6 FPS
186.1 FPS
117.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 6GB $ 249 $ 3 83.7 FPS
71.7 FPS
46 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB $ 329 $ 3.2 101.6 FPS
88.7 FPS
57.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB $ 399 $ 3.2 123.9 FPS
110.7 FPS
72.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB $ 499 $ 3.3 151.2 FPS
131.6 FPS
84.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 10GB $ 599 $ 3.5 169.6 FPS
148.8 FPS
97.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB $ 699 $ 3.5 197.7 FPS
172.1 FPS
110.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 4 197.7 FPS
175.5 FPS
116.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24GB $ 1,499 $ 6.6 226.9 FPS
197.4 FPS
126.7 FPS
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