With Black Friday approaching and a slew of deals on the horizon, prospective PC builders and DIY enthusiasts alike are bargain-hunting for the best deals possible on their PC upgrades this year.
Some of these are straightforward,such as discounted SSDs, which are easy to compare. Others, however, tend to be a lot more complicated, like whencomparing 2 CPU offeringswith each other, since their specifications do not necessarily translate to performance, thanks to architectural differences, upgrade potential, and even cache sizes.
For most users on the fence about an upgrade, finding a current-generationGPU at a discountis an endeavor that is particularly challenging, even as the next generation continues to close in. Thankfully, a certain portion of that task just became easier, especially for users looking to upgrade or build from scratch on a budget.
AMD’s Hexacore Ryzen 7000 Series CPU Offerings
AMD Ryzen 5 7600
The Ryzen 5 7600 is the entry-level, yet very capable, gaming CPU from AMD that features 6 cores, 12 threads, and 32MB of L3 cache. It has a base clock speed of 3.8GHz and a boost clock speed of 5.1GHz. The Ryzen 5 7600 is an unlocked processor with a default TDP of 65W. It also has integrated RDNA 2 graphics and is the cheapest offering in the lineup with an iGPU.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Gamers interested in upgrading to a newer CPU from Team Red will find the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X to be of spectacular value thanks to its high single-core performance, efficient hexacore architecture, and compatibility with newer technology such as PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5 memory. It also abandons AMD’s AM4 design, going for a pin-less processor offering by moving them to the motherboard instead.
Amazon is running limited-time deals on both the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, which are 21% and 35% off versus their respective MSRPs on-site currently. Both CPUs offer 6 Zen 4-based CPU cores, support for PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5 RAM, as well as AMD’s latest AM5 sockets, making them an easy entry-level CPU that one can upgrade from in the near future.
Should You Get the Ryzen 5 7600 or the Ryzen 5 7600X?
While the Ryzen 5 7600X is generally a more expensive SKU, offering a higher TDP (requiring a discrete cooler that does not come in the box), a higher base clock, and a higher boost clock speed, a large discount brings it down quite a bit. It is currently only 10% more than the AMD Ryzen 5 7600, making both viable choices.
The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 comes with a stock cooler, a lower TDP, lower base clocks, and lower boost clocks, even as it matches its higher-end sibling in its configuration otherwise. Many advanced users also state being able to overclock the 7600 (which comes unlocked out of the box) fairly easily, taking it to the 7600X’s stated performance levels. This only makes it an even tougher choice though, given the two capable contenders.
All in all, both CPUs are excellent deals at their current Amazon prices, and are worth considering while below the $200 mark, especially considering their excellent mix of upgradeability, performance, and value-for-money in play.
