Ryzen 7 2700x vs Ryzen 5 3600x – Which CPU Should I Buy

Are you done with your decision and finally go for AMD Ryzen and want to compare Ryzen 7 2700x and Ryzen 5 3600x. But choosing the best one might a bit confusing for you. Right?

So you going for any of the Ryzen processor for Gaming need or as a developer. You have come to the right spot, we review both of Ryzen processor in term of compatibility, Performance, Processor features and Overclock features. And we also differentiate their features to choose which the best and you should go for it.

Ryzen 7 2700x vs Ryzen 5 3600x

General

Vendor	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600x
Released	April 19, 2018	July 7, 2019
Launch price	329 USD	249 USD
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Codename	Zen+	Zen 2
Socket	AM4	AM4
Integrated GPU	No	No

Performance

Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Base Frequency	3.7 GHz	3.8 GHz
Turbo Boost Frequency	4.3 GHz	4.4 GHz
Bus frequency	100 MHz	100 MHz
Multiplier	37x	38x
L1 Cache	96K (per core)	64K (per core)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	512K (per core)
L3 Cache	16MB (shared)	32MB (shared)
Unlocked Multiplier	Yes	Yes

Power

Transistors	4.8 billions	4.8 billions
Fabrication process	12 nm	7 nm
TDP	105 W	95 W
Max. temperature	85°C	95°C

Memory support

Memory types	DDR4-2933	DDR4-3200
Memory Size	64 GB	128 GB
Max. Memory Channels	2	2
Max. Memory Bandwidth	43.71 GB/s	47.68 GB/s
ECC Support	Yes	Yes

Misc

Official site	AMD Ryzen 7 2700X official page	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X official page
PCI Express Version	3.0	4.0
PCI Express Lanes	20	20

Ryzen 7 2700x Features

The new Ryzen 7 2700x is an 8-core, 16-thread part based on the same Zen core architecture as its predecessors. It also includes six cores disabled, which are effectively identical to the last generation of processors but with half the L3 cache (or 4MB). We compared our benchmark results for single and multi-threaded applications across various games and benchmarks using both stock clocks and overclocked performance.

The Ryzen 7 2700x is a good, but not great overclocker. It’s slower than the previous generation in our tests and it was also limited by the BIOS in terms of what we could overclock. For example, if you want to go higher than 4.2GHz on all cores and 2.8GHz on all threads, your best option remains to use an unlocked multiplier which will allow you to adjust your own settings rather than relying on the BIOS or AMD itself.

The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is an excellent processor for streaming and gaming. It has a 3.7GHz base clock speed and a 4.3GHz boost clock speed. The 2700X also offers 16MB of cache memory, which makes it ideal for multitasking and using applications at once simultaneously. The 2700X has a TDP of 95W, which makes it ideal for gaming and streaming.

Ryzen 5 3600X Features

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is also built on a 7nm process node from TSMC, made up of 6 CPU Cores and a 12-thread processor designed on  Zen 2 architecture. The 3600X clocks up to 3.8GHz on the base frequency and up to 4.4GHz on the boost clock.

The Ryzen 3600X features a thermal design power of 95W and a Wraith Spire stock cooler, which helps keep the temperature down and generate higher performance for your system.  The stock cooler makes the 3600X a terrific processor for your computer. The 3600X features up to 4.8bn transistors across the 7nm process node that ensure excellent performance for your system.

The 3600X also features the excellent DDR4-3200 memory type with 128GB memory size and ECC support; it also supports the PCI Express 4.0. These amazing features come with a reasonable price tag, making it one of the best processors in the market.

Differences between Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 3600X

The Ryzen 2700X was launched in 2018 and is based on the company’s Zen+ technology, while the 3600X was launched a year later, which is based on Zen 2 technology. The 2700X has two extra cores than the 3600X, it features eight cores, and each core executes two threads, making a total of 16 threads. While the 3600X features six cores and 12 threads, so the 2700X overtakes the 3600X by two cores and four threads.

However, if we look at the clocked frequency, you can notice that the 3600X surpasses the 2700X both on-base and turbo boost frequency. The 3600X boasts up to 3.8GHz on base, and up to 4.4GHz on turbo boost, compared to 2700X’s 3.7GHz on base and 4.3GHz on turbo boost.  The 3600X also features more L3 Cache data, i.e. 32MB, compared to 2700X’s 16MB of Cache data. 

The Ryzen 5 3600X is built on a 7nm process node, while the 2700X is built on a 12nm manufacturing process. The 3600X features a lesser TDP of 95W, compared to 2700X’s 105W, which means that the 3600X consumes about 10% less power and offers much better performance.

The 3600X also features better memory support featuring a DDR4-3200 memory type with 128GB size, while the 2700X features a DDR4-2933 memory type with 64GB size. The Ryzen 5 3600X again overtakes the 2700X in PCI Express Version featuring PCI 4.0, compared to 2700X’s PCI 3.0.

After running different tests on both the processors, we noticed that the Ryzen 5 3600X was a superior processor when it comes to gaming. The 3600X showed better performance than the 2700X on different benchmark tests. 

The 3600X’s outstanding performance in gaming is because of its excellent single-threaded performance. On the other hand, we noticed that the 2700X edged the 3600X in performance when handling severe workloads. The 2700X efficiently handled several demanding applications as compared to the 3600X.

Ryzen 3600x versus Ryzen 2700x – FPS test, latest & old games tested (1080p)

Conclusion

In our opinion, the 3600X is a better and superior processor than the 2700X. Its excellent single-core performance ensures to provide an outstanding gaming experience. So, if you’re a gaming enthusiast and you want to buy a processor exclusively for gaming. You should go for the Ryzen 5 3600X as it offers much better performance when handling demanding games.

But, if you are using your computer for more than just gaming, like running intensive applications like video-editing and other demanding applications, then the 2700X would be a better choice because it can easily handle the workload with those extra cores and also satisfy your gaming needs.

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