If you are trying to improve from an older Ryzen or constructing a brand new PC, the 2 most tasty choices for players proper now are arguably the Ryzen 5 5600 for ~$200 or the Ryzen 7 5700X for ~$300. A fast and easy price per core calculation will inform you that the 5700X is coming in at a 13% value premium, leading to a 50% value hike total, so is it price it and at what level ought to players take into account the 5700X over the 5600?
In this text we’ll reply these questions and extra, so let’s go over the take a look at system specs, bounce into the outcomes, after which break all of it down.
For this one we have got a 24 recreation benchmark overlaying the 1080p and 1440p resolutions utilizing each the Radeon RX 6950 XT and 6600 XT, with SAM enabled.
The motherboard used for testing is the previous MSI B350 Tomahawk utilizing the most recent BIOS revision primarily based on the AGESA 1.2.0.7 microcode, which allows Resizable BAR help together with help for Ryzen 5000 sequence processors. Please be aware as proven beforehand efficiency is inside a couple of p.c of what we see with the most effective X570 boards.
Then we now have 32GB of DDR4-3200 CL14 dual-rank dual-channel reminiscence, and this identical configuration was used for testing all Ryzen processors. With that out of the best way, let’s go over a few dozen of the video games examined after which we’ll check out the 24 recreation common…
Benchmarks
Starting with Fortnite utilizing aggressive high quality settings, we discover that the 5700X provides a slight efficiency benefit, although I would not be too fast to chalk that one as much as the truth that we’re evaluating 6 vs. 8 cores.
We’re speaking a few small 4% to five% efficiency distinction and the 5700X usually clocks 5% larger than the 5600, so we might say that is the place the majority of the efficiency discrepancy comes from, which is smart given Fortnite is not a heavy core person.
It’s the same story when testing ACC, we’re a 4-6% distinction between these two CPUs and with the medium high quality settings the sport is closely CPU sure, notably at 1080p.
Again, it is the clock pace benefit of the 5700X that’s key to the efficiency discrepancy, however with each being unlocked CPUs, you need to be capable of obtain the identical stage of efficiency by merely overclocking.
Out of the 24 video games we benchmarked, the one title to indicate greater than a ~10% margin between the 5600 and 5700X was Call of Duty Vanguard. Here the 5700X was as much as 25% sooner when paired with the 6950 XT and nonetheless 22% sooner at 1440p, although the 1% lows had been related, resulting in an indistinguishable expertise total.
Using the 6950 XT at 1080p, CPU utilization of the Ryzen 5 5600 by no means dipped beneath 80% in our take a look at, usually hovering round 90 – 95%. Despite that although, body time efficiency was wonderful with no stuttering, however with extra headroom the 5700X was in a position to push body charges larger.
This is an instance the place the additional 2 cores did end in considerably extra efficiency, although to not a level anybody would discover given the extent of efficiency the 5600 already allows.
Cyberpunk 2077 leans on the CPU fairly closely, although the identical can be true of the GPU and it is usually the graphics facet of issues the place efficiency is most restricted on this recreation.
At 1080p utilizing the 6950 XT we did discover that 1% lows had been 10% stronger with the 5700X and that margin goes past the 5% clock pace benefit. The expertise with the 5600 was just about indistinguishable although.
Moving on, we now have Counter-Strike Global Offensive although there’s not a lot to see right here. We love aggressive shooters, however with fashionable CPUs and GPUs in a position to push previous 300 fps, it is arduous to say how related this recreation is for testing fashionable {hardware}.
The 5600 and 5700X are the first system bottleneck on this take a look at with the 6600 XT and 6950 XT delivering the identical stage of efficiency. There’s solely a 4% margin between the 2 CPUs, which may be attributed to the distinction in clock pace.
Rainbow Six Extraction is one other aggressive shooter however this one is solely GPU sure utilizing the 5600 or 5700X, even with the high-end Radeon 6950 XT.
We’re utilizing the second highest high quality preset for testing, besides the 6950 XT was good for over 300 fps at 1080p. For most of you that is doubtless greater than sufficient efficiency.
F1 2021 is one other recreation that performs at tons of of frames per second utilizing the most recent and best {hardware}, although it isn’t almost as CPU restricted as CS:GO.
The Ryzen 5600 and 5700X had been neck and neck with the RX 6600 XT, after which with the 6950 XT we see as much as a 6% margin favoring the 5700X.
Forza Horizon 5 is form of light-weight on the CPU, so these outcomes are as anticipated, principally the identical stage of efficiency is seen utilizing both CPU, and with the Radeon RX 6600 XT the sport is solely GPU restricted.
Hitman 3 is way extra CPU demanding than Forza, however we’re nonetheless GPU restricted with the 6600 XT. The recreation begins to turn into ever so barely CPU restricted with the 6950 XT at 1080p, however we’re nonetheless speaking a few 5% benefit for the 5700X.
Now, The Riftbreaker may be very CPU demanding. The 5700X was as much as 21% sooner than the 5600, seen when 1% lows with the 6950 XT at 1080p, although we noticed a milder 10% uplift for the typical body charge. Those margins are diminished at 1440p and no distinction was seen with the 6600 XT.
The final recreation that we’ll take a look at the person information for is Watch Dogs: Legion, and this can be a very demanding recreation on each CPU and GPU fronts. We’re utilizing barely dialed-down high quality settings, besides we’re restricted to ~100 fps at 1080p with the 6950 XT utilizing both CPU.
The 5700X was 10-11% sooner when CPU sure in our testing, so these additional cores are serving to to barely enhance efficiency past the 5% improve in frequency.
24 Game Average
For these working high-end GPUs such because the Radeon RX 6950 XT at low resolutions like 1080p, we’re not more than a 5% efficiency benefit for the Ryzen 7 5700X over the Ryzen 5 5600, so total it largely got here all the way down to the distinction in clock frequency.
That margin was lowered to 4% at 1440p, which means there’s little or no distinction between the 6-core and 8-core Zen 3 processors. Then after all, should you’re utilizing a slower, mid-range GPU just like the Radeon RX 6600 XT, for probably the most half there’s going to be no efficiency distinction to talk of…
Looking on the Radeon 6950 XT’s margins at 1080p, the Ryzen 5700X was as much as 25% sooner, seen in Call of Duty Vanguard which is an outlier in our testing, with a typical margin of simply 5%.
There had been simply 5 titles the place the margin exceeded that of the clock frequency discrepancy between these two CPUs: The Riftbreaker, Watch Dogs: Legion, Death Stranding, Far Cry 6, and Call of Duty.
Then with the Radeon RX 6600 XT, the outcomes get a bit combined up as video games like Call of Duty Vanguard turn into virtually solely GPU sure. Games the place this wasn’t the case embody Far Cry 6, ACC and Fortnite, with the remainder of the margins inside 5%.
6 Cores or 8 Cores for Gaming?
For probably the most half, there’s little or no distinction between the Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 7 5700X for PC players. This in all probability will not be information to lots of you, however it’s good to see this as clear as day on a devoted take a look at.
A number of months again, we revealed a Zen 3 CPU scaling function that in contrast the 5600X, 5800X, 5900X and 5950X utilizing a variety of video games, high quality settings, and graphics playing cards. The margins we noticed then with the RTX 3090 are much like what we have seen immediately utilizing the 6950 XT with a wider vary of video games, many titles of that are fairly new.
Now to the query, must you spend the additional $100 on the Ryzen 7 5700X? That will after all rely upon the video games you play, the way you play them, and the way doubtless you suppose it’s that future video games would require the additional processing energy the extra two cores of the 5700X supply.
As it stands proper now, there’s solely a handful of video games the place you possibly can justify buying the 5700X, past the truth that you might afford it and also you simply needed it (productiveness? good day). But should you’re in search of examples of video games that clearly justify shopping for an 8-core Zen 3 processor over a 6-core mannequin, you are going to wrestle to give you many.
Conversely, should you’re after current-gen PC gaming efficiency, however wish to spend as little cash as doable, the Ryzen 5 5600 goes to take advantage of sense. Save the $100 now and put it in direction of an improve later, or in direction of a sooner GPU.
Spending $300 on the 5700X continues to be an amazing possibility total. If you additionally use your PC for tackling core-heavy productiveness workloads then the selection turns into a lot simpler. For that type of person, the 5700X or maybe even the 5900X can be extra what you would be .
It’s additionally price noting that should you’re not simply upgrading from an older Ryzen processor, so that you’re conducting a whole platform improve or constructing a brand new PC, the worth equation is extra favorable to the 5700X.
We typically see the argument made that though an element just like the 5700X is 50% dearer, should you’re constructing a whole PC which could price $1,200 with the 5600, rising that price range to $1,300 to accommodate the 5700X is simply an 8% improve. But should you make use of that mindset each step of the best way, you find yourself with extra reminiscence, storage, a greater energy provide, the following tier in GPU efficiency, and so forth, and earlier than lengthy that $1,200 price range blows out to $2,200.
If you possibly can afford to try this, that is superior, however you are not precisely in search of sound tech recommendation, you are simply shopping for the most effective factor you possibly can afford. If you are extra interested by getting probably the most bang on your buck now, the Ryzen 5 5600 can be the smarter selection. Once once more, if you’re solely enjoying video games, that additional 33% processing energy supplied by 5700X will make little noticeable distinction for players throughout the life like lifespan of those merchandise, outdoors of some outliers.
