We compare two 6-core desktop CPUs: the 3.4 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 2600 against the 3.2 GHz Ryzen 5 1600. We did a proper research and compare both according to Speed, Overclocking, and Gaming performance features .
Ryzen 5 2600
Critic Reviews
“Ryzen 5 bring AMD back into the game as they deliver high-performance multi-threaded computing at prices that will be a major disruption to the competition.”by Vortez
Ryzen 5 1600
Critic Reviews
“AMD Ryzen 5 2600 delivers excellent performance when it comes to games and productivity applications. It is also a great choice if you are building your own PC in a compact case since it has a 65W TDP. The Ryzen 5 2600 is more than just a quality gaming CPU; with its multi-threaded chops, it also has a good value chip.”by TheStreamingBlog
Full technical specification of AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 1600
General
| Vendor | AMD | AMD |
| Released | September 11, 2018 | April 11, 2017 |
| Launch price | 199 USD | 219 USD |
| Type | Desktop | Desktop |
| Codename | Zen+ | Zen |
| Socket | AM4 | AM4 |
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
Performance
| Cores | 6 | 6 |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base Frequency | 3.4 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Turbo Boost Frequency | 3.9 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Bus frequency | 100 MHz | 100 MHz |
| Multiplier | 34x | 32x |
| L1 Cache | 96K (per core) | 96K (per core) |
| L2 Cache | 512K (per core) | 512K (per core) |
| L3 Cache | 16MB (shared) | 16MB (shared) |
| Unlocked Multiplier | Yes | Yes |
Power
| Transistors | 4.8 billions | 4.8 billions |
| Fabrication process | 12 nm | 14 nm |
| TDP | 65 W | 65 W |
| Max. temperature | 95°C | 95°C |
Memory support
| Memory types | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2666 |
| Memory Size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Max. Memory Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Max. Memory Bandwidth | 43.71 GB/s | 39.74 GB/s |
| ECC Support | Yes | Yes |
Misc
| Official site | AMD Ryzen 5 2600 official page | AMD Ryzen 5 1600 official page |
| PCI Express Version | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| PCI Express Lanes | 20 | 20 |
Advantages of buying Ryzen 5 2600
- Better fabrication process-12nm vs 14nm
- Better Turbo Boost frequency- 3.9GHz vs 3.6GHz
- Best theoretical memory bandwidths
- Superior RAM type
Contents
Ryzen 5 2600 Features
The Ryzen 5 2600 is one of the most efficient and reasonably priced processors released by AMD over the past years. It offers excellent performance in both gaming and multitasking. Its higher-core count and multi-threading support make sure to handle heavy workloads without any hassle and provide a competitive gaming performance.
The Ryzen 2600 is built on a 12nm manufacturing process based on AMD’s Zen+ architecture that features 6 exceptional multi-threaded cores. Each core executes two threads at a time, making a total of 12 threads.
The six multi-threaded cores help it clock up to 3.4GHz on the Base frequency and 3.9GHz on Turbo boost frequency. It also features unlocked multipliers, which means that you can overclock it to squeeze out more performance, but the bundled Wraith Stealth stock cooler won’t let you overclock it too much.
The bundled cooler isn’t that much great compared to its X-sibling, so there’s isn’t that much room for overclocking, although you can still overclock it with safety measures to squeeze out better frequencies. It also features a superb 65W TDP that ensures to keep the temperatures down, be more power-efficient and offer better performance.
The Ryzen 5 2600 features a DDR4-2933 RAM with 64GB size and maximum bandwidths up to 43.71GB/s, that too with ECC support. Its 3MB of L2 and a shared 16MB of L3 Cache size also ensure better performance by fetching data more quickly.
For a processor that offers excellent gaming and multitasking performance, consuming relatively less power and with a price tag under $200 is quite a bargain for me.
Ryzen 5 1600 Features
The Ryzen 5 1600 is another excellent processor released by AMD that features a higher-core count than Intel’s Kaby-Lake lineup and offers more value for money. The Ryzen 5 1600, which will cost you less than $200, features 6 multi-threaded cores, each core executing two threads at a time, making a total of 12 threads.
The higher number of cores and multi-threading support enables the Ryzen 1600 to handle serious workloads, whether gaming or multitasking. It is based on AMD’s Zen architecture built on a 14nm manufacturing process that pulls ahead of most of Intel’s Kaby-Lake lineup chipsets.
The Ryzen 5 1600 clocks up to 3.2GHz on the Base frequency and up to 3.6GHz on Turbo Boost frequency with unlocked multipliers, which means that you can overclock your processor for better frequencies.
It features the Wraith Spire bundled cooler with no LED lighting, which in our opinion, isn’t going to let you overclock the Ryzen 1600 that much. You’ll need to get your hands on a better aftermarket cooler to squeeze out more frequencies. This processor also comes with the DDR4-2666 RAM type with 64GB size and memory bandwidths up to 39.74GB/s.
This processor packs a 3MB of L2 and a shared 16MB of L3 cache size, which is quite decent than Intel’s Kaby-Lake’s Cache sizes. The larger Cache size helps the processor to execute actions more quickly and offers better performance. The bundled Wraith Spire cooler and a 65W TDP make sure to keep the temperatures down and consume comparatively less power.
The Ryzen 5 1600 or Ryzen 5 2600?
The Ryzen 5 2600, which was released over a year later after the Ryzen 5 1600, therefore the Ryzen 2600 features better architecture, better RAM, higher-clocked frequencies, and overall superior performance. It is, without a doubt, a better processor than the Ryzen 1600, offering an improved gaming and multitasking performance.
After running some of the latest games on both the processors, the results proved that the Ryzen 2600 offers way superior performance than the Ryzen 1600. The Ryzen 5 2600 leaves the 1600 behind in both single-core and multi-core performance.
But, the enhanced performance of the Ryzen 2600 does not make the 1600 a mediocre processor; both the processors feature the same number of cores with multi-threading support, and the Ryzen 1600 made sure to offer solid performance on both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads.
The only thing that gives an edge in performance to the Ryzen 2600 is its new, improved architecture, known as Zen+, which has allowed AMD to reduce its fabrication process and clock more frequencies with improved memory types. The only advantage of the Ryzen 1600 over the 2600 is its price tag; the 1600 is cheaper than the 2600, making it a better option for people with tight budgets.
Result
The result is crystal clear; the Ryzen 2600 is a superior processor when compare to the Ryzen 1600, offers way better performance on single-core and multi-threaded workloads. Thanks to its new and improved Zen+ architecture, the 2600 clocks higher frequencies, better manufacturing process, and enhanced memory types.
So if you’re a gaming fan or a serious multitasker, you should buy the Ryzen 2600 because it offers better performance than the Ryzen 1600. The Ryzen 2600 runs almost every game without any difficulty and can also handle heavy workloads with ease.
While the Ryzen 1600 also offers excellent performance, running the latest games and handling heavy workloads, but it struggles against the Ryzen 2600. So, the Ryzen 5 2600 is a much better choice.
However, if you’re on a tight budget or want to save some bucks for further aftermarket upgrades, you should buy the Ryzen 5 1600, as it also offers solid performance and more value for money.
Related:
Ryzen 5 1600 vs Ryzen 3 1200
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AMD Ryzen 7 3800x vs Intel i7 9700k
