AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D Review: New Mid-Range Gaming Champ Is a Micro Center Exclusive

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D Gaming Benchmarks — The TLDR

Here we have the geometric mean of our gaming tests at 1080p and 1440p, with each resolution split into its own chart. We're testing with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 to reduce GPU-imposed bottlenecks as much as possible, and differences between test subjects will shrink with lesser cards or higher resolutions and fidelity. You'll find further game-by-game breakdowns below. We have the particulars of the test setups on page four.

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The first two slides are simplified without the overclocking configs, while the remainder of the slides in the album covers the full roster of tested configurations.

The $210 Intel Core i5-13400 is a popular chip due to its impressive gaming-per-dollar metrics and support for DDR4 memory, and while it does cost $20 less than the 5600X3D, it can’t keep up in either gaming performance or value. In our cumulative measurement of our 1080p game suite, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D is 19% faster than the Core i5-13400.

As we’ll detail a bit further below, the 56000X3D holds a sizeable advantage in fps-per-dollar metrics, too. You could arm the 13400 with overclocked DDR5 to gain slightly faster gaming performance, but that isn’t worth the hefty upcharge in this price class. However, remember that you'll also need an aftermarket heatsink with AMD's X3D chips as well as Intel's K-series parts like the 13600K.

You’ll have to step up to the Core i5-13600K to find an Intel chip with faster gaming performance than the 5600X3D. The 13600K is 5% faster than the 5600X3D, but you’ll pay 35% more for the privilege — not to mention the big increase in power consumption.

As you can see, the $289 Ryzen 7 5800X3D is a mere 5% faster than the $229 Ryzen 5 5600X3D in 1080p gaming, but costs 26% more.

The 5600X3D comes with the previous-gen Zen 3 architecture, but it's no slouch in gaming against Zen 4 comparables; the 5600X3D is 7% faster than the Zen 4-powered $249 Ryzen 5 7600X, but costs $10 less. The 5600X3D also drops into more affordable AM4 socket motherboards that support relatively inexpensive DDR4 memory, while the 7600X requires an AM5 motherboard and pricier DDR5 memory.

If you step up to a Zen 4 X3D chip, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D currently represents the least expensive model at $438, and it also happens to be the fastest Zen 4 chip for gaming. The 7800X3D is 19% faster than the 5600X3D but resides in an entirely different price class.

The Ryzen 5 7600X3D doesn’t support direct voltage or frequency overclocking, and unlike the Ryzen 7000X3D models, the auto-overclocking Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) feature is also off-limits. The chip does support memory overclocking, but as we’ve seen with all other X3D chips, memory overclocking generates almost no return — in this case, we gained 0.55% at 1080p. On the plus side, you can buy an inexpensive memory kit and unlock the chip's full potential. In contrast, the Core i5-13400 gains 4% from overclocking the memory.

The Ryzen 5 5600X3D removes Intel’s pricing advantage for DDR4-equipped Core i5-13400 systems, but, alas, only for a limited time. Micro Center’s 5600X3D bundle is an exceptional deal that slightly undercuts the overall pricing for the DDR4-equipped Core i5-13400 configuration, but it offers significantly more performance than the Intel setup, thus yielding better cost-per-fps metrics.

The Micro Center bundle deal is obviously solid with an included B550 motherboard — it would be difficult to cobble together your own system separately at the same price point. This kit is a no-brainer if you’re buying a Ryzen 5 5600X3D for a new system.

The AMD vs Intel contest can vary in different game titles, with some clearly favoring one architecture over another. The 3D V-Cache tech also doesn't accelerate all games. As such, you should peruse the individual game benchmark results below for a closer look at the test results. Also, while the Ryzen 5 5600X3D provides explosive gaming performance, it isn’t nearly as adept in productivity workloads as shown on the following page.

Cyberpunk 2077 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

Cyberpunk currently has an issue with AMD processors — if you disable SMT (threading), you will actually gain performance. We can see indirect signs of this condition in the above results. For instance, the eight-core Ryzen 7 5800X3D is slower than the six-core Ryzen 5 5600X3D, and the eight-core Ryzen 7 5700X is slower than the six-core Ryzen 5 5600X and 5600. We’re unsure when or if this will be corrected, but recent news coverage of the issue may spur a fix sooner rather than later. We’ll continue retesting as newer patches come out.

Far Cry 6 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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The Ryzen 5 5600X3D essentially ties the Ryzen 5 7600X and edges past the 7600, but the Core i5-13400 is four percent faster at 1080p. Notably, the 5600X3D and 13400 nearly tie at 1440p. Meanwhile, the 5800X3D is eight percent faster than the 5600X3D, reminding us that it is the next step up the Ryzen gaming totem pole.

F1 2021 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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F1 2021 simply loves 3D V-Cache. The three X3D models top the chart at both 1080p and 1440p resolutions, taking a sizeable lead over all other competitors. At 1080p, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D is 17% faster than the Core i5-13600K and 41% faster than the Core i5-13400.

Hitman 3 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

Hitman typically scales well with increased core counts, but 3D V-Cache is obviously the silver bullet for the 5800X3D and 7800X3D. However, the 5600X3D is limited by its six cores in this very core-limited title, so it falls in line with the six-core 7600X while still being 15% faster than the Core i5-13400.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2021 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2021 is another title that prizes the capacious 96MB of L3 cache on the X3D processors. Once again, the three X3D models top the chart at both resolutions. The Zen 4-powered Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the pinnacle of gaming CPUs, taking a 26% lead over the 5600X3D. The 5800X3D is no slouch, either, as it notches a 6% lead over the 5600X3D.

However, all other chips can’t come close to the 5600X3D, which is anywhere from 17% faster than the Core i5-13600K to 41% faster than the Core i5-13400.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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While the deltas aren’t as pronounced as we’ve seen in the previous two titles, the X3D processors also lead the Red Dead Redemption 2 charts. Here the 5600X3D carves out a 35% win over the Core i5-13400, and a still-solid 14% lead over the Core i5-13600K.

Warhammer 3 Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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Some titles can’t take as much advantage of the X3D cache as others, and Warhammer 3 is a good example of a title that sees less-than-stellar acceleration. Here the six-core Ryzen 5 7600 beats the 5600X3D by a slim margin, while its full-featured 7600X counterpart is 9% faster than the 5600X3D. Meanwhile, the Core i5-13400 scores a rare win against the 5600X3D with a 9% lead.

Watch Dogs Legion Benchmarks on AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D

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Once again, the Ryzen 5 5600X3D lands within a stone’s throw of its bigger brother, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Here the 5700X3D is only 2.6% faster than the 5600X3D.