Hardware leaker TUM_APISAK, who has an impeccable track record, has leaked the core configuration and operating clocks for AMD's unannounced Ryzen 5 3500 processor.
The Ryzen 5 3500 first appeared last month in a EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission) listing with a bunch of other unannounced Ryzen 3000-series (codename Matisse) processors. TUM_APISAK has shed some light on the chip's specifications. The Ryzen 5 3500 is reportedly equipped with six cores and six threads, making it the first Ryzen 3000-series part to arrive without SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading). According to the leak, this AMD hexa-core processor has a 3.6 GHz base clock and 4.1 GHz boost clock. The previous EEC listing has the Ryzen 5 3500 with a 65W TDP (thermal design power).
| Model | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Boost Clock | L3 Cache | TDP | PCIe Lanes | Memory Support | MSRP |
| Core i5-9600 | 6 / 6 | 3.1 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 9MB | 65W | PCIe 3.0 x 16 | Dual DDR4-2666 | $213 - $224 |
| Core i5-9500 | 6 / 6 | 3.0 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 9MB | 65W | PCIe 3.0 x 16 | Dual DDR4-2666 | $192 - $202 |
| Core i5-9400 | 6 / 6 | 2.9 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 9MB | 65W | PCIe 3.0 x 16 | Dual DDR4-2666 | $182 |
| Ryzen 5 3500* | 6 / 6 | 3.6 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 16MB | 65W | PCIe 4.0 x 24 | Dual DDR4-3200 | ? |
*Specifications in the table are unconfirmed
There's a good chance that the Ryzen 5 3500 could be an OEM-only part similar to the Ryzen 5 2500X. However, it would be a shame if that happens, considering that the Ryzen 5 3500 has the necessary attributes to be an awesome budget processor. Judging from the chip's specifications, it's evident that the Ryzen 5 3500 was developed to compete against Intel's hexa-core, HyperThreading-less processors, such as the Core i5-9400, Core i5-9500 or Core i5-9600.
The Ryzen 5 3500 shares the same core and thread count and TDP as the trio of Intel Core i5 parts. In terms of operating clocks, the Ryzen 5 3500 is right in between the Core i5-9400 and Core i5-9500. However, we know that operating clocks can be deceptive, and you can't judge which chip is better without real-world testing. The Ryzen 5 3500 has more features in its favor like more cache and support for the PCIe 4.0 interface and DDR4-3200 memory modules.
The Ryzen 5 3500 should have the upperhand in pricing. For reference, the Ryzen 5 3600 six-core, 12-thread part has a $199 MSRP so we can expect the Ryzen 5 3500 to have a considerably lower price tag. The rival Core i5-9400 has a $182 MSRP. If AMD can price the Ryzen 5 3500 between $150 and $185, the chip will undoubtedly disrupt the budget CPU market.
