It is no secret that AMD’s AM5-based CPUs aresome of the hottest players in the business, offering a mix of productivity, performance, and power efficiency that makes the competition look like they have lost the plot. Both its Ryzen 9000 and 7000 series CPUs as well asits lesser-known 8000 series APUscurrently command leads in their respective areas of focus.
That doesn’t mean that one can count AMD’s mature, but significantly older AM4 socket out yet, which still offers support for PCI-E 4.0, DDR4 RAM, and a plethora of peripherals across multiple chipsets. The longevity and the versatility of AMD’s AM4 socket saw it achieve legendary status as both an upgrade-friendly and value-centric play, even as the competition changed sockets every two years.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
AMD, playing its part, has also kept things rolling, throwing in newer AM4 CPUs including both, its recently announced XT CPU lineup in 2024 and sporadic X3D CPU launches including the Microcenter exclusive hexacore 5600X3D and the more readily available octa-core 5700X3D CPUs.
This, coupled with the fact that there are millions of AM4 motherboards (and therefore users) out there that need a CPU for an upgrade or a completely new build makes it a very relevant set of hardware to keep apprised about, especially for system builders. It does however raise the obvious question: Which AM4-based CPUs are good for one’s gaming needs currently?
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
Budget-Friendly Octa-Core X3D Play
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D extends the lifespan of the AM4 platform through its 3D V-Cache technology that helps it perform equally well in games as the latest Ryzen 7000 CPUs. With 8 Cores/16 threads configuration, it is somewhat equivalent to the more expensive 5800X3D and is perfect for both gaming and CPU-intensive workloads
The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is essentially a lower-clocked Ryzen 7 5800X3D that delivers similar performance while being as much as $150 cheaper than AMD’s AM4 gaming flagship. It comes with the same L3 cache offering as the CPU that kicked off AMD’s for-gaming CPU lineup while retaining all of its advantages sans the core clock speeds, whereas Team Red’s higher-end option offers a 400MHz higher boost clock.
While the sub-10% clock speed directly corresponds to an 8-10% performance increase for the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the Ryzen 7 5700X3D wins in the pricing department, trading at a much more value-centric ask, offering ~90% of the performance for ~55% of the price tag, something that is bound to raise a few eyebrows especially considering AM4’s positioning as a budget-friendly platform for new and existing PC owners looking to upgrade.
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 8-Core 16-Thread Processor
The Fastest AM4 CPU For Gaming
The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D launched just over a year ago and still holds its own against AMD’s and Intel’s best-in-class CPUs when it comes to gaming. That alone speaks volumes about the PC gaming heavyweight processor that has simply refused to die versus subsequent iterations of Intel CPUs.
For users needing the fastest possible experience when it comes to gaming while leveraging the AM4 platform, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D remains unbeaten currently in terms of raw performance while delivering higher clocks than other X3D-based CPUs on the AM4 socket and maxing out its gaming gains.
The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a surprisingly pricey affair, however, rivaling the faster AM5-based Ryzen 7 7800X3D which delivers a significant performance uplift in addition to a newer platform (AM5), PCI-E 5.0 support and newer DDR5 memory as well as a much-touted upgrade path.
This does make the Ryzen 7 5800X3D a harder upgrade to consider relatively, but for those users who are, for compatibility issues stuck to the AM4 platform in the near future without wanting to gimp on performance meaningfully, it might be the only choice for their gaming needs on the aging socket.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500
A Budget-friendly compromise
The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core 12-thread processor that is an entry-level 5000 series AMD Ryzen-based processor, featuring Zen 3 cores, but a relatively crippled PCI-E 3.0 interface at the processor level. This makes it an appealing choice over the 5600/5600X based on price alone.
AMD’s Ryzen 5 5500 is an entry-level hexacore CPU that shaves off half the L3 cache on offer to the faster 5600/5600X CPUs while limiting its PCI-E speeds to PCI-E 3.0 standards as it lowers clock speeds to stay well under $100.
This is why many would be quick to dub it a poor man’s 5600X given its positioning, underlying hardware, and limitations that come with it. Despite that, it is an excellent value-centric CPU offering in 2024 for users unwilling to spend more than they need to on the AM4 platform while aiming to get as much bang for their buck currently.
While its PCI-E 3.0 support might be a deal-breaker for some, it does allow the CPU to pair with most entry-level to mid-range GPUs fairly well, something that works in its favor for gamers building or upgrading from an older AM4 CPU on a very strict budget.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU
Hexacore Allrounder
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a mid-range CPU, excellent for gaming setups. This is the fastest six-core AM4-based processor from AMD and features 12 processing threads. According to the company, the processor can deliver 100-plus FPS performance in the world’s most popular games. The processor supports DDR4 memory with a sweet spot of 3600MHz.It offers 4.6 GHz boost clock speeds out of the box with overclocking potential in tow, coupled with 35 MB of cache. This model comes bundled with a quiet and capable AMD Wraith Stealth cooler.
For users needing a capable unlocked AM4 CPU without splurging past the $150 mark, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 makes a compelling case for gamers and power users alike. The 6-core, 12-thread CPU comes with a stock cooler much like the Ryzen 5 5500 above but with a beefier L3 cache offering, higher clocks, and support for PCI-E 4.0, all of which make it a much more viable and future-proof buy - as future-proof as one can get on the AM4 socket currently.
The added stock cooler offering makes for a $20-50 haircut versus similar hardware which generally ships without a thermal solution. The 5600X does lag behind current-generation CPUs when it comes to single-core performance, but given its pricing, it competes with quad-core Intel CPUs and has no Ryzen 7000 series competition currently (the closest is the iGPU-less Ryzen 5 7500F), the 5600X holds its own in 2024 as a viable upgrade and build options for users looking to go with AM4 this time around.
Zen 3 Married To A Capable iGPU
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is the perfect way to build a budget PC without sacrificing performance. Users get integrated graphics, a low-power draw, and an included cooler, all while still having the option to overclock. Users will be able to handle gaming, everyday workloads, and even more without needing to buy a dedicated graphics card right away.
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a capable APU that offers both, Zen 3 cores and a viable iGPU that comes close to the competing Ryzen 7 5700G APU in terms of graphics prowess at a much better price. AMD also throws in a capable Wraith Stealth cooler into the mix, making it a viable option to consider especially for gamers already pushing budgets at its sub-$150 ask.
Much like the Ryzen 5 5500 above, it lowers its clocks, trims its L3 cache and cuts down on its available PCI-E lanes to only support PCI-E 3.0, albeit with the full 16 on offer (equivalent to 8 PCI-E 4.0 lanes) which means that it will clock in slower than a 5600X in all productivity tests and might bottleneck bandwidth hungry PCI-E 4.0 GPUs.
However, given its positioning and pricing, the 5600G caters to gamers or users with the need for an entry-level discrete GPU that gets the job done without breaking the bank, and it does deliver unquestioned value in this department with relative ease, making it worth consideration, despite its shortfalls.
16 Cores Of Zen
The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is technically three generations old at this point but it still delivers excellent performance. The CPU is made up of 16 cores and 32 threads with clock speeds of up to 4.9 GHz. It features 64MB of L3 cache and a fairly low 105W TDP.
For gamers looking to get a productivity-centric CPU that also meets their performance needs, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is the king of the hill when it comes to socket AM4 options. Unlike its newer sibling, the Ryzen 7 7950X, it does not have an X3D offering, making it arguably the best play for creators, given the extra cores, the higher clock speeds, and the relatively efficient performance that its Zen 3 cores offer currently.
This allows it to excel in productivity tasks and deliver excellent gaming performance, lagging behind only AMD’s X3D CPUs that come with a much larger L3 cache per core component that scales better with most modern titles. It also trades at a sizeable discount versus its older MSRP, which, when combined with its core count, makes for one of the cheapest modern CPUs in the market core for core.
The Ryzen 9 5950X isn’t for everyone, but for those who need the extra cores and the multi-core performance it offers, it trades at an attractive valuation with no competing products from AMD on the AM4 socket, making it a great productivity pick in 2024.
Choosing the Best AM4 Gaming CPU
Picking the best CPU for gaming when it comes to a socket AM4 option boils down to considering multiple factors, including but not limited to the following:
Gaming Performance:Some AM4-based CPUs come with newer cores, larger L3 caches, and higher boost clocks, all of which directly affect performance in games. AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which offers 96MB of L3 cache, three times that of its non-X3D predecessor is considered one of the fastest for gaming CPUs that continues to age well in 2024, for example.
Value For Money:Given that the AM4 socket is aging and users building on or around it either are on a strict budget or alternatively have invested heavily in the platform with a higher-end motherboard or copious amounts of RAM to keep it going, defining one’s budget and sticking to it is a key requirement to get value for money and performance alike. Thankfully, AM4 CPUs cater to a wide variety of budgets, making this a relatively easier choice.
Productivity Performance:While as the title suggests, the focus of this guide is on performance in games, gaming PCs also double as very capable productivity machines, making it an important metric to consider, especially since many games are also content creators and/or have workloads that directly benefit from non-gaming performance on their CPUs.
FAQ
Q: What is the best AM4 processor for gaming?
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is currently the most powerful AM4 CPU for gaming. With the additional L3 cache memory and 8 core/16 thread configuration, this CPU comes pretty close to the latest Zen 4 based CPUs
Q: Will AMD still make AM4 CPUs?
AMD may be preparing more CPUs for the AM4 platform even though it’s now been replaced by the AM5 platform for new PC builders. We could also see more X3D editions in the future. This assumption is supported by the recently released 16-coreRyzen 9 5900XTand the 8-coreRyzen 7 5800XTearlier this year.
Q: What is the best Ryzen CPU for budget gaming?
If talking specifically about the AM4 platform, Ryzen 5600X is the best budget Ryzen CPU that offers 6 cores and 12 threads with overclocking support.
