Best AMD processors: With the launching of its Ryzen 5000 series CPUs based on the Zen 3 architecture last year, AMD established a stronghold on the CPU industry. Indeed, the range handily outperformed Intel’s 11th-generation series of CPUs in terms of performance and efficiency, and it remains one of the best processors for gaming in our opinion.
Intel may have the upper hand with its newly released 12th-generation Alder Lake CPUs, but AMD’s offering is still a fantastic choice if you are in the market for a new PC.
In that vein, we have compiled a list of some of the greatest processors that Team Red has to offer in 2022 for anyone wishing to build a new PC or invest in a powerful laptop.
The Best AMD Processor for Gaming: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
The Ryzen 5 5600X, which costs roughly $230, is our recommendation for the best overall processor for gaming. While it is one of the most affordable CPUs in AMD’s current Ryzen 5000 family, the 5600X is aimed squarely at the mainstream.
For the money, you get six cores and twelve threads, as well as a base clock of 3.7GHz and a turbo clock of 4.6GHz. This processor has 35MB of combined L2 and L3 cache, which is just 1MB less than the $550 CPU, the 5800X. AMD’s Zen 3 architecture is used in the CPU, which improves instructions per clock (IPC) and memory management. The IPC benefits are most visible in workloads with a limited number of threads, such as gaming.
The 5600X can compete with CPUs that cost twice as much, sitting near and sometimes passing the 5800X, 5900X, and even certain Intel alternatives. If all you care about is gaming, the 5600X is the processor for you. In comparison, higher-end processors don’t provide nearly enough performance benefits to justify the extra expense.
In terms of productivity, the 5600X begins to fall short. Although still topping the market in single-threaded performance, the 5600X falls behind the last-gen 3700X and the newly introduced Intel i7-12700K in single-threaded as well as multi-threaded benchmarks. Because of and despite its low price, the 5600X is a very outstanding processor.
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AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
The Ryzen 9 5950X, which sits at the top of the tier, is a powerhouse and an over-powered chip for most users. It has 16 cores and 32 threads with a clock speed of up to 4.9GHz and 72MB of combined L2 and L3 cache. The 5950X’s power is obvious from the specs, as it is with most high-end components, but it takes a little more digging to appreciate its performance benefit in real-world application.
While it may provide a minor advantage over the 5900X while running CPU-intensive apps, the 5950X shines when it comes to multithreaded performance.
As for the pure core-heavy workloads, like hardware encryption or 3D graphics, the 5950X plows ahead and will decidedly outpace the 5900X. Compared to the 5900X, less of a boost is seen in workloads that use one dominant core.
As for gaming, while the 5950X will be able to make minor improvements in select titles, the vast majority of games cannot use the full horsepower of the processor. It’s overkill even in CPU-intensive games like Hitman 2 and Microsoft Flight Simulator. It is an extremely powerful gaming CPU, also benchmarking higher than any Ryzen 5000 processor. Because of that fact, if you’re going to use your PC for little else outside of gaming, this processor simply isn’t worth the extra expense.
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Best Ryzen CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
If you still don’t have a graphics card, a processor with integrated graphics is your best bet. The good news is that these processors are widely available. The Ryzen 7 5700G is AMD’s greatest desktop APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) right now, thanks to its strong Zen 3 architecture and Vega-based graphics.
The CPU, which is based on the same 7nm process, has 8 cores and 16 threads and runs at a base frequency of 3.8GHz with a boost frequency of 4.6GHz. At the same time, it maintains a relatively low TDP of 65W. In terms of integrated graphics, it is regarded as the best in class, however, the Vega architecture is clearly showing its age. It has eight compute units in total, 512 GCN cores, and clock frequencies of up to 2GHz.
Other prominent features of the 5700G include 16MB of L3 cache and DDR4-3200 memory capability. Even though most aftermarket coolers offer higher thermal performance, AMD bundles its Wraith Stealth cooler, which is a terrific value addition.
Unfortunately, there is no PCIe 4.0 support, so you won’t be able to experience the incredible speeds offered by some of the fastest NVMe solid-state drives. The Ryzen 7 5700G isn’t cheap at roughly $300, but if you don’t plan on investing in a dedicated graphics card anytime soon, this is actually a good price.
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AMD Ryzen 5 5600G: best AMD processors
If you’re looking for the best AMD CPU with integrated graphics on a budget, we’d recommend the Ryzen 3 3200G or the Ryzen 5 3400G. The chipset shortage, on the other hand, has had a considerable impact on the pricing of older AMD APUs.
Thankfully, AMD released the Ryzen 5 5600G in 2021, resolving a major issue for PC manufacturers. The chip has the same Zen 3 architecture as other AMD Ryzen 5000 processors, as well as 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock speed of 3.9GHz that can be increased to 4.4GHz. The 5600G, like the 5700G, has 16MB of L3 cache, a 65W TDP, and an air cooler included.
As previously said, the integrated Vega GPU is not the fastest, but it does the job. It runs at 1.9GHz and has 448 stream processors. In terms of gaming performance, AMD claims that the 5600G can achieve 79 frames per second (fps) in Civilization VI, 33 fps in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and 98 fps in Fortnite at 1080p with low settings.
For an extra $90, you can upgrade to the Ryzen 7 5700G, which has more cores and threads and a slightly faster-integrated GPU. If you’re on a tight budget, this is your best option.
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AMD Athlon 3000G: best AMD processors
The AMD Athlon 3000G rounds out as a would-be CPU under $100 for an ultra-low-budget, very basic build. It comes as a dual-core processor with a base clock of 3.5GHz and the very first unlocked Athlon CPU, meaning you can get a smidge more out of it by overclocking.
If you don’t, it is still a relatively efficient CPU with a TDP of only 35W, and with the cooler in the box, you won’t have to invest in an aftermarket solution. Besides, it has integrated Vega graphics that let you enjoy some lightweight gaming at medium settings and 720p resolution, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and* Rainbow Six: Siege*.
Athlon 3000G is quite affordable for ~$70 US and runs on most, if not all, motherboards based on the AM4 socket. That said, for people who want to buy it, it is best to check their motherboard compatibility since some high-end boards do not support the Athlon series. The only downside this processor sees is that Intel does have significantly better competitive processors in this price tier with a higher core and thread count.
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Most Powerful AMD Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX
AMD introduced the Ryzen 6000-series processors for notebooks at the beginning of 2022, and while there is no desktop counterpart yet, it is a significant range of CPUs for notebooks this year. These processors are not just powerful for work and entry-level gaming, but they are also fairly efficient, thanks to the new Zen 3+ architecture, which includes TSMC’s new 6nm production node, greater clock speeds, and RDNA2 integrated graphics.
The Ryzen 9 6980HX leads the range, but the highest performing mobile chipsets that prospective purchasers can get their hands on right now are the 6900HX and the 6900HS.
Both have the same combination of 8 cores, 16 threads, 3.3GHz base clock speeds, and 4.9GHz peak clock speeds. The sole difference is that the 6900HX is an unlocked chip, which means it may be overclocked, and it has a higher TDP of 45W versus 35W on the 6900HS.
The update to RDNA 2 integrated graphics also implies the possibility of improved graphics performance over the older Vega series. RDNA 2 features 12 compute units with faster clock speeds, wider memory bandwidth, and a larger L2 cache, according to AMD.
There is also support for PCIe Gen 4, USB 4, Wi-Fi 6e, and DDR5 memory. While support for the new memory standard sounds promising, it’s worth noting that DDR5 is extremely pricey and has limited availability at the time of writing. Currently, the new Razer Blade 14 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 are the only laptops available with the latest Ryzen 6000 series mobile processors.
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