Introduction
In today’s performance comparison review, we are going to test the Ryzen 5 7600 head-to-head versus the Ryzen 5 7600X. This is an all-out Ryzen 5 7600 vs Ryzen 5 7600X performance comparison, to find out the performance differences between each CPU. Does losing the “X” on the Ryzen 5 7600 really make it that much slower? Or will it be able to stay within an acceptable distance of the Ryzen 5 7600X? Or, will the Ryzen 5 7600X blow the Ryzen 5 7600 out of the water because it has a higher power limit and clock speeds? Is it ok to save a buck on the Ryzen 5 7600 instead of the Ryzen 5 7600X?
In order to find out the real difference in performance between the Ryzen 5 7600 and Ryzen 5 7600X, we are going to use several synthetic benchmarks testing system performance, multi-core performance, and single-core performance. We are also going to test content creation performance between both CPUs and to top it off we have seven games we are testing at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K for the complete big picture of gaming performance. In this way, you will be able to see where the CPUs matter for gaming performance, and if the difference between them even matters at all.
To go even one step further, we are also going to enable AMD Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) on the Ryzen 5 7600 and see how close to the Ryzen 5 7600X it can perform when running PBO overclocking! Will it enable the Ryzen 5 7600 to reach Ryzen 5 7600X performance? We will find all of this out in this Ryzen 5 7600 vs Ryzen 5 7600X Review. These CPUs were tested with new fresh data in the summer of 2023 with new motherboard BIOS using AGESA 1.0.0.7a and the latest chipset drivers, software, and game versions. This is an updated fresh review of how the CPUs perform.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Specs
On January 10th, 2023 AMD introduced a new line of power-efficient 65W processors in its new Ryzen 7000 CPU series lineup. These three new CPUs are based on the same Zen 4 architecture and AM5 socket platform as the rest of the Ryzen 7000 series CPUs but differ in that they all have a power-efficient new TDP of 65W.
These Non-X variants of the Ryzen 9 7900, Ryzen 7 7700, and Ryzen 5 7600 offer more efficient power consumption, and lowered clock speeds (versus their “X” counterparts), but retain the same cache and core and thread count. They also offer lower pricing to fit the new SKUs. They all still support DDR5 memory and PCI-Express 5.0 and operate on the AM5 platform. The table below details the main differences between the Ryzen 5 7600 and Ryzen 5 7600X that we are directly comparing in this review.
| Ryzen 5 7600 | Ryzen 5 7600X | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Zen 4 | Zen 4 |
| Cores/Threads | 6/12 | 6/12 |
| Cache (L2+L3) | 38MB | 38MB |
| Base Clock | 3.8GHz | 4.7GHz |
| Turbo Clock | 5.1GHz | 5.3GHz |
| TDP | 65W | 105W |
| Cooler | AMD Wraith Stealth | Not Included |
| Launch MSRP | $229 | $299 |
The MSRP at the launch of the Ryzen 5 7600 was $229 while the Ryzen 5 7600X was $299 at launch. Prices are different now, so make sure to check the latest retail pricing. That would put the launch MSRP pricing about $70 apart, and thus the Ryzen 5 7600 offered savings for a CPU that has the same core and thread count with the same cache. However, you can find these parts for lower prices today online. As always, check the latest prices on Amazon and Newegg to see what they are going for online, they can change over time. With prices more competitive today, it is important to know how the two CPUs differ in performance. The Ryzen 5 7600 also uniquely comes with an AMD Wraith Stealth cooler in the box, something you do not get with the Ryzen 5 7600X and would require an added cost.
As you can see from the specifications, the Ryzen 5 7600 can boost up to 5.1GHz, while the Ryzen 5 7600X boosts up to 5.3GHz. However, due to the difference in TDP, the lower power 65W Ryzen 5 7600 may not realistically boost as high when all cores are being used. That is also its benefit, however, the fact that it can run at a much lower TDP for very efficient builds. The base clock is also much different, at 3.8GHz with the Ryzen 5 7600 and 4.7GHz with the Ryzen 5 7600X. Both have the same 6-core/12-thread core count and cache, the biggest difference is the TDP.
Installing Ryzen 5 7600
Installing the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 went flawlessly in our ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO AM5 platform-based motherboard based on the AMD X670E chipset. We updated the BIOS to the latest BIOS at the time of testing, which was BIOS 1415 based on AGESA 1.0.0.7.a We combined it with 32GB of G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo DDR5 F5-6000J3038F16GX2-TZ5N (32GB 6000MHz @ 30-38-38-96) memory. The Ryzen 5 7600 was cooled by an MSI MEG CORELIQUID S360 AIO Cooler. You can see the CPU-Z and HWiNFO64 readouts below.
