The Ryzen 5600 is a cheaper alternative to the popular Ryzen 5 5600X that launched in 2020 with 200MHz slower base and boost clock frequencies; everything else is the same. Both processors have the same quantity of six-core 12-thread design, 65W power rating and compataibility with the same DDR4 memory amd AM4 motherboards. Hilariously, between the pair, the 5600X offers two percent more performance for a 23 percent higher price, making the 5600 by far the better value processor. Given the strides that AMD made with Ryzen 5000, vastly increasing single-core performance in order to pull ahead of Intel’s 11th-gen and even some 12th-gen parts, this is a super-affordable option for anyone that wants to take advantage of the exceedingly good value AM4 ecosystem, including inexpensive high-spec X570 and B550 motherboards, better value DDR4 RAM and a wide range of cooler options - although the AMD Wraith cooler that comes bundled here is actually very effective for a free air cooler! There is still the spectre of AMD’s next-gen processors, expected to at the end of September following an announcement last week. These should offer better performance, but require a move to new AM5 motherboards and expensive DDR5 memory - as well as significantly higher prices for the chips themselves. If you’re more interested in value, then this Ryzen 5600 deal is a great place to start, but if all-out performance is the name of the game, waiting a few weeks seems like the prudent choice.
