Final Thoughts
How Much Does it Cost?
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 Processor 6-core 12-thread CPU with Wraith Stealth CPU cooler is priced at just £167 right now (£175 MSRP). The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 8-core 16-thread CPU with Wraith Spire RGB Cooler is £248.50 also, and for two fewer cores, the Ryzen 5 is a huge bargain. With the lower TDP, the stock cooler will be more than capable for most too, saving you even more money.
Overview
This is by far one of my favourite Ryzen CPUs ever, and for a good reason too. While it may not be clocked quite as high as the X series of CPUs, it comes with a drastically lowered max TDP. For those building compact gaming systems or slim workstations, HTPCs and more, less heat is a huge perk. You can easily survive with the stock cooler or other low-profile solutions that would be unsuitable for the higher TDP of the X processors. However, despite the much lower temperatures and TDP, the performance is still very competitive.
Work, Play, Create
When it comes to processor intensive applications, the 2600 is certainly no slacker. Yes, there are CPUs on our charts that are faster than it, many of them from AMD too, not just Intel. However, with 6 cores and 12 threads, it makes light work of video rendering and heavy-duty number crunching that would have been unthinkable in this price range just a few years ago. When it comes to gaming, it’s not the fastest, but it’s far from the slowest too, with enough left over for streaming and video capture software on top.
Should I Buy One?
I can see the Ryzen 5 2600 and the 2600X fast becoming the most popular chips of the second generation Ryzen launch. They’re fast, they’re affordable, and they’re easy to keep cool and overclock. I mean, if you’re just doing a massive amount of rendering and number crunching, then the Ryzen 7 series is going to be a real time saver. However, if you do a bit of gaming, a bit of streaming, a bit of video editing, etc., the Ryzen 5 is the best balance of price and performance for you. At just £167 it’s a bargain and some of the most robust competition for the i5-8400 and 8600K we’ve seen.
