AMD Ryzen 5 2600?

CaolanD

Honorable
Sep 26, 2015
30
1
10,535
I was wondering if this was a decent CPU to buy for a gaming pc and how is it in comparison with the Intel i5 8400. Thanks in advance :)
 
Solution
simple answer yes it very good cpu 8400 is slightly better in performance but 2600 i more future proof plus with new intel chips you have to buy a z mobo which are expensive so no overclocking with intel until you get a z board

rigger922

Reputable
Dec 7, 2018
167
3
4,765
simple answer yes it very good cpu 8400 is slightly better in performance but 2600 i more future proof plus with new intel chips you have to buy a z mobo which are expensive so no overclocking with intel until you get a z board
 
Solution

CaolanD

Honorable
Sep 26, 2015
30
1
10,535


Thanks so much for the answer and the quick reply. :D
 


You don't need a Z370 for an i5 8400, a cheaper B360 also works just fine.

Coming to the question, I would also suggest the Ryzen 5 2600, simply because of its better upgradability(or at least that's what AMD claims - all Ryzen CPU's till 2020 should be compatible with previous AM4 motherboards). Plus, the stock cooler is better, and the 'better' gaming performance of the i5 8400 isn't really noticeable on a 60 Hz monitor, but if you have 144 Hz monitor then perhaps the i5 makes more sense(although then you should go with the i5 8600K or i7 8700K, if budget allows).
 
At 1080p the 8400 will give you about 5% better fps in games than the 2600.

https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/Ryzen_5_2600/13.html

Both are very good CPUs, but in most places the 8400 is more expensive and you get a lot with the 2600 as it has 12 threads vs the 8400's 6 threads. The additional threads dont help much with gaming, but will help with multitasking.

As for the motherboards, you do not have to buy a "Z" board to run the 8400. A b360 motherboard will run the 8400 just fine and they are fairly cheap.

For me, I would go with the 2600 over the 8400 because it is cheaper and the performance difference is so small that you wont be able to see a difference.
 
A budget option might be too look okay the ryzen 7 1700x. You get more threads. It is slightly slower in single core performance, but should still do well. Plus, you can overclock it, just like you can do with the 2600. They run about the same price I think as well.

I personally have a ryzen 1600, my friend had upgraded this year from a ryzen 1700x to a 2700x and he just sold me his 1700x for 75, hard to pass on. But my 1600, with a small overclock, has been pretty decent. Really it would have probably been fine stock, but hey free performance lol.

If all you are doing is gaming, Intel is better. No question. If you are multitasking, streaming, Photoshop, just lots of simultaneous tasks, the ryzen is better imo. Plus, more games are starting to take advantage of multiple threads. So in a couple of years, the i5 may be a minimum.