Introduction

The next-generation from AMD is here. In this review we’re testing the Ryzen 5 7600X, AMD’s new “Zen 4” processor that helps you build a lean, mean gaming machine, and aims to be a well-rounded desktop processor unless you have heavy productivity workloads. With it, AMD wants to re-establish dominance in the mid-segment space that recently saw the Ryzen 5 5000 series lose competitiveness to the 12th Gen Core i5. AMD’s return to the top is riding on the new “Zen 4” architecture, with which it promises another round of IPC uplifts. The new 5 nm foundry node these CPU cores are built on, comes with high clock-speed headroom, and it delivers. All of the Ryzen 7000 series processor models launching today boost well above the 5 GHz-mark. The “Zen 4” cores also provide a hefty 13% IPC uplift, which when combined with the generationally-increased clock-speeds, aim to increase single-threaded performance by up to 29%.

The Ryzen 5 7600X is still a 6-core/12-thread classic multi-core processor, and doesn’t have any exotic “hybrid” tech that the competing Core i5-12600K does, being a 6P+4E processor. This is probably a good thing in this segment, as all six of the “Zen 4” cores are what Intel would consider “performance cores,” and located in the same chiplet (CCD). Each of these comes with 1 MB of dedicated L2 cache, double the size over the previous-gen “Zen 3,” and share a large 32 MB L3 cache. The processor ticks at a base frequency of 4.70 GHz, and a decent 5.30 GHz boost. AMD has given this chip a TDP of 105 W, and around 140 W package power tracking, Which means the six cores have ample power budget in which to sustain boost frequencies.

The new “Zen 4” architecture introduces next-gen connectivity, including a DDR5 memory interface, and PCI-Express Gen 5. AMD goes a step further than Intel with its PCIe implementation, and offers Gen 5 not just for the x16 PEG slot, but also two CPU-attached x4 interfaces, besides the chipset bus. This means motherboard designers can have up to two Gen 5 NVMe slots wired to the CPU, without eating into the x16 PEG lanes.

The most noteworthy feature addition with the Ryzen 7000 series is the availability of integrated graphics across the lineup. This doesn’t make the 7600X an “APU” (a processor with a large, gaming-capable iGPU), but a processor with graphics that’s good enough to do all of the things the the one of the Core i9-12900K does. It also makes the Ryzen 7000 series more palatable to businesses, who don’t need discrete graphics, but want the processing power these chips have to offer.

In this review, we take the Ryzen 5 7600X for a ride to find out how it measures up to Intel, particularly the i5-12600K. We have re-tested every processor before this review with our latest selection of benchmarks and game-tests, which are up-to-date software. The vast selection of processors we’re comparing the 7600X with, dates all the way back to the very first generation of Ryzen, so you know if it’s time for you to upgrade.