AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Review

Mid-range Desktop processor released in 2019 with 6 cores and 12 threads. With base clock at 3.6GHz, max speed at 4.2GHz, and a 65W power rating. Ryzen 5 3600 is based on the Matisse 7nm family and part of the Ryzen 5 series.
Price 100%
Speed 63%
Productivity 47%
Gaming 89%
Category Desktop
Target mid-range
Socket Compatibility AM4
Integrated Graphics None
Cooler Included Yes
Overclock Potential 2 %
Year 2019 Model
Price 167 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 65 W
Manufacturing Process 7 nm
L3 Cache 32 MB
Maximum Supported Memory 128 GB
Price-Value Score 100 %
Speed Score 63 %
Productivity Score 47 %
Gaming Score 89 %
Max 1080p Bottleneck 22.6 %
Max 1440p Bottleneck 11.3 %
Max 4K Bottleneck 5.7 %
Overall Score 51/100

Get to know the Ryzen 5 3600! This Desktop processor is a beast in AMD's mid-range series. Launched in 2019, it's armed with 6 cores and 12 threads. It runs at a base frequency of 3.6GHz, can boost up to 4.2GHz, and has a power requirement of 65W, ready to power up your gaming rig. The Ryzen 5 3600 is a product of the Matisse 7nm process and is a part of the acclaimed Ryzen 5 series.

And guess what? The Ryzen 5 3600 is the ultimate successor to AMD's previous-gen gaming champion, the Ryzen 5 2600. The Ryzen 5 2600 was based on the legendary Zen+ and 12nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2018. But now, it's time for the Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600 totally wins this game.

Can the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 finally dethrone the king of mainstream CPUs, the Core i5-9600? It's a maybe. The Ryzen 5 3600 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 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!

Finally, shrinking down to 7nm means the CPU sips power like a pro! Thanks to the Zen 2 architecture, AMD Ryzen 5 3 Gen processors like the Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 5 3500 can be up to 58% more efficient than their Intel counterparts. Not the biggest deal, but hey, lower electricity bills are always welcome, especially these days. Every penny counts!

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 3600 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

But for most gamers who also do other stuff on their PC besides gaming, the Ryzen 5 3600 is a better overall choice. It offers double the threads compared to the similarly priced Core i5-9600, 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 3500 is a solid option. You can get pretty much the same performance as the Ryzen 5 3600 (especially for gaming) by overclocking it a bit. Plus, it's cheaper! This is why we gave the Ryzen 5 3500 an Editor's Choice award.

Straight out of the box, the Ryzen 5 3600 is a better all-rounder than the Core i5-9600. It offers slightly better performance than its cheaper sibling, the Ryzen 5 3500, 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 3 Gen is here, and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 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 2600. But thanks to the new, smaller 7nm manufacturing process, it delivers significantly better performance while using less power.

Things get interesting when you compare the Ryzen 5 3600 to its main rival, the Intel Core i5-9600. The Core i5-9600 costs $213 and has 6 cores, but no HyperThreading. That means the Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600 is the king.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600, 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 3600 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 high number of threads (over 7!) in the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600 will give you a noticeable performance boost.

Heads up! If you already have a Ryzen 5 2600, 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.

AMD has been struggling lately to keep up with the new Core i5 processors. This has forced them to get creative with their existing lineup. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 isn't exactly new - it's basically a Ryzen 5 2600 with a higher clock speed. But there's one more twist...

For gamers, both the Core i5-9600 and Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600's base performance can be achieved with cheaper RAM (around $90), whereas the Core i5-9600 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 3600, a 6-core desktop processor launched in Jun 2019. AMD sells the Ryzen 5 3600 without integrated graphics, making it perfect for systems with a dedicated graphics card. It costs $167 and is a great option for those who already have a GPU.

One of the best things about the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is that it comes with a free CPU cooler! You can grab the Ryzen 5 3600 for $167 without having to spend extra on cooling.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 comes with a basic heatsink cooler, nothing fancy. But it gets the job done for this low-power CPU (TDP of 65W). You won't need a fancy aftermarket cooler unless you want to overclock it.

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a decent performing chip for $167. The main competitor at this price point is the Core i5-9600, a 6-core unlocked processor with integrated graphics, which costs $213.

For a 6-core CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a steal at $167! It seems crazy cheap compared to its main competitor, the 6-core Intel Core i5-9600 which costs $213. Basically, you get extra cores for almost nothing.

Can you game on AMD's Ryzen 5 CPU? Absolutely! We got a solid 89% score in our gaming benchmarks.

The Ryzen 5 3600 is a great choice for both gaming and content creation, thanks to its high performance (1.23%) 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 3600 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 3600!

Building on the success of mainstream Ryzen 5 CPUs, AMD is now attacking the mid-range market with the Ryzen 5 3600 processors, available since Jun 2019.

The included cooler with the Ryzen 5 3600 is rated for 65W 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 4.2 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 3600

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 3600.

Graphics Card Price Cost Per Frame Avg 1080p Avg 1440p Avg 4K
AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3.2 124.4 FPS
107.1 FPS
67.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT 16GB $ 1,099 $ 4.8 228.3 FPS
196.6 FPS
120.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7600 8GB $ 269 $ 2.2 123.5 FPS
106.4 FPS
66.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB $ 899 $ 3.6 251.3 FPS
216.3 FPS
132.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB $ 999 $ 3.6 276.4 FPS
237.9 FPS
146 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB $ 1,999 $ 8.9 224.5 FPS
196.8 FPS
132.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 8GB $ 200 $ 1.9 107.7 FPS
92.8 FPS
60.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB $ 299 $ 2.4 123.6 FPS
107.6 FPS
70.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB 8GB $ 399 $ 2.9 138 FPS
119.5 FPS
78.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 12GB $ 599 $ 3 200.7 FPS
171.6 FPS
114.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB $ 799 $ 3.1 255 FPS
223.4 FPS
150.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB $ 1,199 $ 4.5 265.4 FPS
232.6 FPS
156.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 2.8 285.8 FPS
250.6 FPS
168.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB $ 1,599 $ 5.2 306.2 FPS
268.6 FPS
181 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB $ 149 $ 5.7 26.1 FPS
19.8 FPS
12.7 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB $ 279 $ 8.1 34.4 FPS
28.8 FPS
16.9 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 285 2GB $ 249 $ 7 35.5 FPS
29.5 FPS
17.6 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 4GB $ 1,499 $ 16.5 91 FPS
75.2 FPS
50 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB $ 149 $ 6.4 23.3 FPS
17 FPS
10.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK 6GB $ 999 $ 16.4 61 FPS
49.9 FPS
32.6 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB $ 149 $ 5.7 26.3 FPS
20.5 FPS
13.1 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380 2GB $ 199 $ 5.6 35.3 FPS
29.2 FPS
17.6 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380X 4GB $ 229 $ 5.8 39.6 FPS
32.7 FPS
20.7 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390 8GB $ 329 $ 6.2 53.4 FPS
44.4 FPS
26.4 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390X 8GB $ 429 $ 7.5 57.2 FPS
48.7 FPS
30.7 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY 4GB $ 549 $ 9.2 59.4 FPS
50.8 FPS
31.9 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY X 4GB $ 649 $ 9.4 69.1 FPS
60.3 FPS
38.6 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 Nano 4GB $ 649 $ 10.3 62.9 FPS
53.9 FPS
34.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 2GB $ 159 $ 5.9 26.8 FPS
21.8 FPS
13.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB $ 199 $ 5.9 34 FPS
28 FPS
17.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB $ 329 $ 5.9 55.3 FPS
44.9 FPS
29.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB $ 549 $ 8.4 65.3 FPS
53.8 FPS
33.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB $ 649 $ 8.5 76.1 FPS
63.5 FPS
39.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X 12GB $ 999 $ 11.4 87.5 FPS
72.4 FPS
45.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 460 4GB $ 140 $ 5.8 24.2 FPS
19.7 FPS
12.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB $ 179 $ 3.8 47 FPS
39.3 FPS
24.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB $ 400 $ 7.4 53.8 FPS
45.3 FPS
28.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB $ 399 $ 4.7 85.1 FPS
72.2 FPS
44.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB $ 499 $ 5.5 90.7 FPS
77.3 FPS
48 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2GB $ 79 $ 4.3 18.2 FPS
14.9 FPS
8.8 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN V 12GB $ 2,999 $ 24.2 123.7 FPS
108 FPS
70.3 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN Xp 12GB $ 1,199 $ 10.7 112.1 FPS
96.1 FPS
62.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 550 2GB $ 79 $ 4.1 19.1 FPS
15.7 FPS
9.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB 8GB $ 199 $ 3 65.5 FPS
53.3 FPS
32.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB 4GB $ 169 $ 2.9 58.7 FPS
47.9 FPS
29 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB $ 99 $ 3.6 27.3 FPS
22.3 FPS
13.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB $ 279 $ 3 94.3 FPS
79.6 FPS
49.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB $ 169 $ 3.2 52.7 FPS
43.9 FPS
26.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 8GB $ 349 $ 3.5 100 FPS
85.2 FPS
53 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3.7 109.1 FPS
92.8 FPS
57.8 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB $ 229 $ 3.6 63.9 FPS
51.9 FPS
31.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 590 8GB $ 279 $ 3.9 72.1 FPS
58.6 FPS
35.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 3GB $ 169 $ 5.7 29.6 FPS
24.3 FPS
14.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB $ 169 $ 4.9 34.7 FPS
28.9 FPS
17.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB $ 254 $ 4.3 59.3 FPS
48.6 FPS
30.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB $ 170 $ 3 56.2 FPS
46.2 FPS
28.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB $ 399 $ 4.8 82.8 FPS
68.8 FPS
42.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB $ 409 $ 4.5 90 FPS
75.4 FPS
46.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB $ 499 $ 5.1 97.1 FPS
81.4 FPS
50.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB $ 759 $ 6.6 114.3 FPS
99.5 FPS
63.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB $ 149 $ 3 50.4 FPS
41.9 FPS
26 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB $ 160 $ 2.4 66.1 FPS
55.3 FPS
34.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB $ 220 $ 2.9 75.9 FPS
63.7 FPS
39.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6GB $ 229 $ 2.8 80.7 FPS
67.7 FPS
42.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB $ 279 $ 3.3 85.6 FPS
71.7 FPS
44.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB $ 350 $ 3.6 95.9 FPS
76.9 FPS
47.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB $ 400 $ 3.9 101.9 FPS
83.6 FPS
52.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB $ 499 $ 4.6 107.7 FPS
89.8 FPS
57.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB $ 499 $ 4.4 113.6 FPS
96.1 FPS
60.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB $ 699 $ 5.7 121.9 FPS
104.4 FPS
65.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB $ 699 $ 5.4 129 FPS
111.6 FPS
70.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB $ 1,299 $ 9.1 142.2 FPS
124.2 FPS
79.2 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN RTX 24GB $ 2,499 $ 17.1 146 FPS
127.5 FPS
81.4 FPS
AMD Radeon VII 16GB $ 699 $ 6.2 112.1 FPS
95.4 FPS
59.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT 8GB $ 379 $ 3.2 116.8 FPS
100 FPS
62.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB $ 479 $ 3.4 140.4 FPS
120.2 FPS
74 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 16GB $ 579 $ 3.5 166.8 FPS
141.8 FPS
88.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB $ 649 $ 3.1 210.5 FPS
179.1 FPS
111.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB $ 999 $ 4.5 223.6 FPS
190.2 FPS
118.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 6GB $ 249 $ 2.8 88 FPS
73.2 FPS
46.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB $ 329 $ 3.1 106.9 FPS
90.7 FPS
58 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB $ 399 $ 3.1 130.3 FPS
113.1 FPS
73.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB $ 499 $ 3.1 159 FPS
134.5 FPS
85.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 10GB $ 599 $ 3.4 178.4 FPS
152.1 FPS
98.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB $ 699 $ 3.4 207.9 FPS
175.8 FPS
111.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 3.8 207.9 FPS
179.4 FPS
118 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24GB $ 1,499 $ 6.3 238.6 FPS
201.7 FPS
127.9 FPS
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