The world of CPUs has been notoriously busy the past few years and we've been keeping this buying guide up to date with the latest releases as a complement to our day-one reviews and follow up benchmark comparisons. Since our last update new CPUs have hit the market from both sides, though AMD still dominates our recommendations. Most notably, AMD’s 3rd generation Ryzen and Intel Cascade Lake-X parts. So let’s get into it.
After all the extensive testing you are familiar with, TechSpot's CPU buying guide means to answer that question for you in a few easy recommendations you can trust and follow. Of note, we've also put together lists for picking Intel and AMD motherboards, including AMD X570, B450 and Intel Z390 platforms.
For just $179, the Ryzen 5 3600 is a direct upgrade over the 2600, our previous best all-around, bang-for-your-buck CPU. With 6 cores, 12 threads, and the included Wraith Stealth cooler, this CPU will handle just about any task you can throw at it with ease; whether you use it for gaming or productivity.
Clock for clock, the Zen 2 architecture brings noticeable improvements at the same price which is great. For those looking to upgrade, if two years ago you bought an affordable B350 motherboard and say a Ryzen 5 1600, you now have the option of slotting in the R5 3600 for up to a 35% performance boost in games and at least a 45% boost in applications, though as we saw in WinRAR it can be over a 100%. This is why we’ve been big proponents of AMD’s AM4 platform.
Versus Intel
In an effort to remain competitive Intel has dropped the Core i5-9400F down to $150 and it’s a pretty compelling part at that price. The Core i5-9400F and the Core i5-9600K (both 6 core and 6 thread chips) are the closest blue team competitors, but with twice as many threads and superior single core performance, the R5 3600 offers a lot more bang for your buck.
In head to head benchmark comparisons, against the i5-9400F, the Ryzen 5 3600 destroys it in core-heavy games and applications. It costs a little more, but it was often 50% faster in applications and provided roughly 30% gains in modern games. Then the i5-9600K trades blows on gaming titles, but it got smoked in every single application benchmark we ran in our review.
Ryzen alternatives
We've seen the Ryzen 5 3600X going for around $200. If the difference is that small, feel free to grab it for the better cooler. Granted you could pocket that money and put it towards buying a $30 Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, but we think for the small investment the 3600X is probably worth it at that price. In other regions where the X is costs more, simply go for the vanilla 3600.
For maximum value, the previous-gen Ryzen 5 2600 remains a great choice when it goes for as little as $120. If your budget is tight then the 2600 remains a very capable part.
After all the extensive testing you are familiar with, TechSpot's CPU buying guide means to answer that question for you in a few easy recommendations you can trust and follow. Of note, we've also put together lists for picking Intel and AMD motherboards, including AMD X570, B450 and Intel Z390 platforms.
For just $179, the Ryzen 5 3600 is a direct upgrade over the 2600, our previous best all-around, bang-for-your-buck CPU. With 6 cores, 12 threads, and the included Wraith Stealth cooler, this CPU will handle just about any task you can throw at it with ease; whether you use it for gaming or productivity.
Clock for clock, the Zen 2 architecture brings noticeable improvements at the same price which is great. For those looking to upgrade, if two years ago you bought an affordable B350 motherboard and say a Ryzen 5 1600, you now have the option of slotting in the R5 3600 for up to a 35% performance boost in games and at least a 45% boost in applications, though as we saw in WinRAR it can be over a 100%. This is why we’ve been big proponents of AMD’s AM4 platform.
Versus Intel
In an effort to remain competitive Intel has dropped the Core i5-9400F down to $150 and it’s a pretty compelling part at that price. The Core i5-9400F and the Core i5-9600K (both 6 core and 6 thread chips) are the closest blue team competitors, but with twice as many threads and superior single core performance, the R5 3600 offers a lot more bang for your buck.
In head to head benchmark comparisons, against the i5-9400F, the Ryzen 5 3600 destroys it in core-heavy games and applications. It costs a little more, but it was often 50% faster in applications and provided roughly 30% gains in modern games. Then the i5-9600K trades blows on gaming titles, but it got smoked in every single application benchmark we ran in our review.
Ryzen alternatives
We've seen the Ryzen 5 3600X going for around $200. If the difference is that small, feel free to grab it for the better cooler. Granted you could pocket that money and put it towards buying a $30 Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo, but we think for the small investment the 3600X is probably worth it at that price. In other regions where the X is costs more, simply go for the vanilla 3600.
For maximum value, the previous-gen Ryzen 5 2600 remains a great choice when it goes for as little as $120. If your budget is tight then the 2600 remains a very capable part.