Civilization VI AI Test
Civilization's AI test measures performance in a turn-based strategy game and tends to favor per-core performance.
A recent game update added several new features to Civilization VI, but it also invalidated our previous benchmark results. Average turn times increased marginally, and we noticed a few changes to overall hierarchy. This test continues to favor Intel's architectures.
Considering the relatively narrow differences between processors, Ryzen 5 1600 lagged the rest of the field by a significant margin. But Ryzen 5 2600 helped rectify the situation at stock settings, going so far as to beat AMD's Ryzen 5 1600X.
Civilization VI Graphics Test
Ryzen 5 2600 averaged almost 7 FPS higher than the previous-gen 1600 thanks to optimized multi-core boost frequencies and lower memory latency. Again, our overclocked Ryzen 5 2600 even beat the tuned 2600X. Meanwhile, Core i5-8400 reminded us that it's plenty fast, despite a locked ratio multiplier preventing meaningful overclocking.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
The overclocked Ryzen 5 2600 only trailed Core i7-8700K by 2 FPS, which is impressive given the -8700K's $160-higher price tag. Meanwhile, a stock Ryzen 5 2600 beat the Ryzen 5 1600 by an average of 10.4 FPS, quantifying AMD's generational improvements.
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