AMD Ryzen 5 3600X vs AMD Ryzen 5 5500
The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is the faster chip for gaming by roughly 4%. Here is the full spec-by-spec breakdown.
| Specification | AMD Ryzen 5 3600X | AMD Ryzen 5 5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming score | 56/100 | 58/100 |
| Tier | C | C |
| Manufacturer | AMD | AMD |
| Cores | 6 | 6 |
| Threads | 12 | 12 |
| Base clock | 3.8 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Boost clock | 4.4 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| Power draw (TDP) | 95 W | 65 W |
| Release year | 2019 | 2022 |
Which should you buy?
For gaming specifically, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is the better buy — it holds a 4% lead in our index, which shows up most at 1080p and in CPU-bound titles like strategy and simulation games. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 runs 30W cooler, meaning a cheaper cooler and less case heat. Either way, pair it with a graphics card of similar standing — check the bottleneck calculator before you buy.