Today we’re lastly taking our first take a look at the Ryzen 5 5500. Surprisingly sufficient, this CPU was launched about three months in the past and it is the most cost effective Ryzen 5000 collection half you possibly can have, so that you’d assume we would be throughout it, however for a number of causes we have missed that protection.
The quick model is that the R5 5500 was quietly launched again in April and AMD did not pattern media in time for a day-one overview, as a substitute we bought our pattern per week after they hit cabinets. At that time it was type of outdated information, so we moved on to different issues.
Recently although, after evaluating the Ryzen 5 3600 and 5600 we had been requested by many for a comparability with the 5500, given it may be snapped up for $140. That’s a $40 low cost from the Ryzen 5 5600, which is not a lot, however then going purely by the identify it would not sound like there’s a lot distinction between these two chips both… and that is what makes the 5500 a sneaky transfer by AMD.
The Ryzen 5 5500 and 5600 are vastly totally different merchandise. Surely, they’re each Zen 3 based mostly, 6-core/12-thread processors, however they’re based mostly on totally different designs. Whereas the 5600 is a Vermeer mannequin, the 5500 makes use of the APU design codenamed Cezanne. In quick, the 5500 is a 5600G with the iGPU eliminated and which means when in comparison with the 5600 you are getting half the L3 cache at 16MB and solely PCIe 3.0 assist.
The L3 cache downgrade alone is an enormous one as we have seen it result in underwhelmight gaming efficiency for the 5600G and 5700G when in comparison with full fledged Zen 3 elements. It seems like lots of you utilizing older Ryzen 5 elements wish to know if the 5500 is a worthwhile improve, or do you have to simply go for the 5600 or greater, so at the moment we’ll discover out.
For this one we have a 21 recreation benchmark at 1080p and 1440p utilizing each the Radeon RX 6950 XT and 6600 XT, with SAM enabled. The motherboard used for testing is the outdated MSI B350 Tomahawk utilizing the most recent BIOS revision based mostly on the AGESA 1.2.0.7 microcode, which permits Resizable BAR together with assist for Ryzen 5000 processors. Then we’ve 32GB of DDR4-3200 CL14 dual-rank dual-channel reminiscence, and this similar configuration was used for testing all Ryzen processors.
With these particulars out of the best way, let’s go over a number of of the video games after which we’ll check out the 21 recreation common.
Benchmarks
Starting with ACC, we discover that the 5500 is barely slower than the outdated 3600, trailing it by a 5-8% margin relying on the configuration and which means the 5600 is as much as 35% quicker, seen when utilizing the Radeon 6600 XT, which is a bit odd because the CPU bottleneck was stronger than what we noticed with the 6950 XT.
What is not odd is the truth that the 5500 is slower than the 3600 on this title. We know from testing with the 5800X3D that ACC is extraordinarily delicate to cache capability and with the 3600 packing a 32MB L3 cache, even whether it is 16MB per CCX, it has an actual benefit over the 5500 which has a complete of 16MB. So a disappointing begin for the entry-level Zen 3 half.
The 5500 appears extra competent in Battlefield V, edging out the older 3600 by round an 8% margin with the 6950 XT. When in comparison with the 5600 the common body charge wasn’t that a lot decrease, simply 9% separated them at 1080p with the 6950 XT. However, it was the 1% lows that offered as the most important subject for the cutdown Zen 3 half, dropping by nearly 30% when in comparison with the 5600. That stated, this subject was far much less noticeable with a extra mid-range GPU such because the 6600 XT the place efficiency was comparable between all three CPUs.
Cyberpunk 2077 is primarily GPU restricted, even with the dialed down top quality preset. Even so the 5500 was capable of simply edge out the 3600, however general all three CPUs result in an analogous gaming expertise as a result of graphics card efficiency being the first body charge limitation right here.
Next up we’ve Rainbow Six Extraction and we see that for essentially the most half any one in all these CPUs will ship a firstclass expertise as we’re not operating right into a CPU certain state of affairs till body charges stand up over 250 fps. Still it is the 5500 that is the primary CPU to hit the wall, seen when utilizing the Radeon 6950 XT at 1080p, in order that’ll be disappointing information for 3600 house owners hoping for an inexpensive improve.
Performance in F1 2021 is analogous between the 3600 and 5500. This time the funds Zen 3 mannequin was slightly quicker, however we’re solely speaking about as much as an 8% enchancment for the common body charge and nearly no change to the 1% lows. Meanwhile, in our most CPU restricted testing, the 5600 is sort of 40% quicker which is a loopy distinction given how comparable the 5500 and 5600 sound.
Moving on to Forza Horizon 5, we discover as soon as once more that the 5500 is delivering 3600-like efficiency. This signifies that the 5500 is ~20% slower than the 5600 in our most CPU certain testing for this title.
Hitman 3 is one other instance of the 5500 delivering 3600-like efficiency, although once more in our most CPU restricted testing it was a number of p.c slower. There’s not an enormous distinction between these three CPUs for Hitman although and for this kind of title over 100 fps always is completely acceptable.
The Riftbreaker CPU benchmark is rather more demanding than Hitman, so right here these 1% lows will matter and fortunately the 5500 is quicker than the 3600, if solely by an 8% margin. The 5600 was as much as 15% quicker, and did handle to maintain the 1% lows above 60 fps with the 6950 XT at 1080p.
Dying Light 2 is an efficient instance of a typical fashionable single participant recreation within the sense that it is closely GPU certain utilizing present era processors. Basically it would not matter which of those CPUs you utilize for this kind of recreation, you may all the time be restricted by your graphics playing cards.
The final recreation that we’ll take a look at individually, Watch Dogs Legion reveals but once more the 5500 ship 3600-like efficiency. The 5600 is about 16% quicker at finest, which isn’t an enormous distinction, nevertheless it’s unlikely Zen 2 house owners shall be within the 5500.
21 Game Average
Looking at our 21 recreation common, we see that general the Ryzen 5 5500 is delivering 3600-like efficiency, actually fairly remarkably the 2 had been equivalent, for all take a look at configurations. For our most CPU certain take a look at configuration with the Radeon 6950 XT at 1080p, the 5600 was 17% quicker, which isn’t an enormous margin, however nonetheless large enough as we’d see a smaller margin evaluating the 5600 with the 5900X or 5950X on gaming duties.
Since the 5500 and 3600 are principally equivalent, this is a per recreation comparability with the 5600. The 5500 was 14% slower on common at 1080p utilizing the 6950 XT knowledge, and we see 4 examples the place the margin exceeded 20% and even one the place it grew as massive as 32%.
Still there’s these closely GPU restricted titles comparable to Dying Light 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 the place we noticed little to no distinction between the 5500 and 5600, and this can occur in a whole lot of video games, notably single participant titles the place players usually prioritize visuals over body charges.
With the slower Radeon 6600 XT the margin was diminished and now the Ryzen 5 5500 was simply 7% slower on common. The overwhelming majority of the video games examined noticed single-digit margins, so for these utilizing a present era mid-range GPU that will not be operating each recreation utilizing aggressive high quality settings, the R5 5500 shall be simply advantageous, however in the end you’re higher off spending that little bit further on the 5600.
Budget Zen 3, What We Learned
The Ryzen 5 5500 definitely works effectively, however realistically if you happen to’re on a funds but stay a performance-minded fanatic, this CPU needs to be prevented even at $140. At that value, the R5 5500 is about 20% extra reasonably priced than the 5600, and we solely discovered it to be 14% slower below excessive circumstances, however we’re additionally speaking about $40, and naturally, there are different concerns comparable to the dearth of PCIe 4.0 assist.
Assuming you are constructing a brand new system or finishing up a platform improve, including a $100 motherboard to the equation reduces the fee saving of the 5500 to 14%, add in reminiscence and no matter else you want and it should be a really small saving.
Then for these already on the AM4 platform, the 5500 may seem to be a sexy possibility, given it is a very reasonably priced Zen 3 processor. But once more, it needs to be considered extra as a Ryzen 5 3600 and you’ll repeatedly snap these up for below $100 on eBay. We know, new vs. used, is a little bit of an apples to oranges comparability, however the level is if you happen to’re after an affordable AM4 improve you possibly can obtain the identical stage of efficiency for lots much less on the second hand market.
This begs the query, if you happen to’re already on the AM4 platform, what sort of CPU do it’s a must to personal to ensure that the Ryzen 5 5500 as an improve to make sense, as a result of it is definitely not the 3600, and also you would not improve from the 2600 to the 3600, so it is not 2600 house owners both. You’d most likely should be utilizing a quad-core Ryzen processor — assume the Ryzen 3 1200, 1300X, Ryzen 5 1400, 1500X or perhaps the Ryzen 3 3100 or 3300X — although only a few folks purchased these elements as a result of restricted inventory.
That’s the place we see the Ryzen 5 5500 type of making any sense, however even then we would advocate you to attempt to lengthen your funds for the 5600.
If you are constructing a brand new PC from scratch, the Ryzen 5 5500 is a tough move, do not even think about it. For $35 much less, the Core i3-12100F will simply beat the 5500 because it was 14% quicker than the Ryzen 5 3600 in our day-one overview, even when restricted to the 58W TDP. So assuming you are taking a look at constructing essentially the most reasonably priced gaming PC attainable, the Ryzen 5 5500 at $140 is mindless when you possibly can snap up the 12100F for $105 and throw it on a high quality B660 board just like the MSI B660M Bazooka for $140, or a middling entry-level B660 board for $100, the place it should work simply advantageous, however that can restrict your improve path.
The Core i3-12100F will on the very least assist PCIe 4.0 gadgets on funds boards and has the flexibility to make the most of PCIe 5.0 in addition to DDR5 reminiscence, so not solely is it quicker for gaming and cheaper, it additionally helps newer applied sciences.
Bottom line, Core i3-12100F for funds builders or the Ryzen 5 5600 for these already on the AM4 platform on the lookout for an reasonably priced Zen 3 processor. As famous all through this overview, it is a disgrace the 5500 is so much like the 5600 in identify as a result of they’re very totally different elements particularly due to the distinction (or lack thereof) that huge 32MB L3 cache.
