The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is designed with budget-conscious users in mind, promising a lot. Targeted at those who want good performance while gaming, at a reasonable price, the Ryzen 5 9600X aims to offer reliable processing power while maintaining low power consumption. In this review, I’ll share this processor’s technical specifications and I’ll also show you what benchmarks have to say about it. All in order to help you decide if this processor is the right fit for you. Without further ado, here’s what to expect from AMD’s new Ryzen 5 9600X:

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X: Who is it good for?

This processor is an excellent choice if:

• You’re looking for great performance, especially in gaming
• Power efficiency and thermal management are some of your utmost priorities
• You’re upgrading from an older Ryzen 5000 series processor

Pros and cons

This is what I like about the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X:

• It offers good performance in both gaming and daily activities
• Energy-efficient, with low power consumption
• Reasonably priced
• Runs at low temperatures, even with an air cooler
• It has an integrated graphics chip

As for the negatives:

• Performance gains over the Ryzen 5 7600X are modest
• Doesn’t include a cooler in the box

Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a solid choice for those building or upgrading a budget or even a mid-range desktop computer. It provides good performance and impressive power efficiency, thanks to AMD's new Zen 5 architecture, which reduces heat and energy use compared to previous generations. However, the performance improvements over its predecessor, the Ryzen 5 7600X, are what you may call incremental. I can recommend the Ryzen 5 9600X to users looking to upgrade from older Ryzen 5000 series processors or an equivalent from Intel, and people building a power-efficient gaming system that doesn’t require expensive cooling solutions. I find this processor even more appealing to users who are not into gaming and can use the integrated AMD Radeon Graphics to keep their costs low.

Unboxing the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X arrives in a small cardboard box colored in black, gray and orange, similar to the other Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen 7000 series processors. It has a minimalist design with the Ryzen 5 branding, and a small window offers a glimpse of the CPU inside.

The box of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

Inside the packaging, you’ll find the processor, an AMD Ryzen 5 sticker, an installation manual, and warranty information.

What's inside the box

The packaging looks good and is practical. Unfortunately, AMD doesn’t include a cooler, which means you’ll have to make an additional purchase and that will add to the overall cost.

Hardware specifications

The Ryzen 5 9600X is part of the newest series of desktop processors made by AMD, namely the Ryzen 9000 series. These leverage the new Zen 5 architecture, which promises up to 16% more Instructions Per Clock (IPC) compared to the previous Zen 4 architecture. The main benefit of this change should be superior performance at similar clock speeds, a critical factor for users who want more performance without a substantial increase in energy consumption. A key element for this is the transition to a more advanced 4 nm manufacturing process, which replaces the 5 nm process used for the previous Ryzen 7000 desktop processors.

A closeup of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

The Ryzen 5 9600X has six cores and 12 threads, offering a base clock speed of 3.9 GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 5.4 GHz - an increase of 100 MHz over the previous Ryzen 5 7600X. Despite these higher clock speeds, the processor maintains a remarkably low TDP (Thermal Design Power) of just 65W, a significant reduction from the 105W TDP of its predecessor. This lower TDP is particularly impressive, as power consumption had a clear tendency of increasing with each new generation of CPUs. The reduced power requirements also mean that even a modest air cooler should be sufficient to keep the Ryzen 5 9600X operating within optimal temperature ranges.

The CPU has six cores and 12 threads

When it comes to memory support, the Ryzen 5 9600X offers support for up to 192 GB of DDR5 RAM at speeds of 5600 MT/s. It also includes AMD EXPO support for easy overclocking in case you want to use higher-speed memory. In terms of cache memory, the CPU comes with 480 KB of L1 cache memory, 6 MB of L2 cache, and 32 MB of L3 cache.

RAM details shown by Task Manager

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor works on the AM5 socket, which is the same socket used by the previous Ryzen 7000 series. This also ensures broad compatibility with a wide range of motherboard chipsets: A620, X670E, X670, B650E, B650, X870E, and X870. In terms of connectivity, the Ryzen 5 9600X supports PCI Express 5.0, offering a total of 28 PCIe lanes, 24 of which are usable for high-speed data transfer and expandability. The exact number of additional PCIe lanes available also depends on the specific chipset used by your motherboard.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X specs in CPU-Z

Additionally, the Ryzen 5 9600X includes integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, featuring two cores running at a maximum frequency of 2200 MHz. This graphics chip supports USB Type-C DisplayPort. It can be a handy solution for those users who may not want to invest in a separate graphics card, as well as for those who need a temporary solution when troubleshooting their discrete graphics card. For more detailed specifications, you can visit the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X official webpage.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X has good tech specs overall, with the most noticeable improvement over the previous generation being its significantly lower thermal design power. This reduction in heat output is an important advantage, though it might not be enough to convince those who were hoping for more dramatic performance leaps compared to the Ryzen 7000 series. Nonetheless, the processor’s mix of efficiency, performance, and compatibility makes it a strong contender in the budget desktop CPU market.

Using the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

How does this processor hold up in real-world scenarios? In my experience, the Ryzen 5 9600X is great in normal daily computing tasks. Whether I was browsing the web with thirty to forty tabs open simultaneously in Microsoft Edge, streaming 4K movies from Disney Plus, or working with productivity software like Microsoft Word or Excel, this processor handled everything smoothly. Even when I was doing all of the above at the same time, the six cores and 12 threads of the Ryzen 5 9600X ensured that I had a great multitasking experience.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X performs great in daily tasks

Naturally, other components of the system played their essential roles too, since the processor alone wasn’t responsible for delivering such a smooth experience. For instance, without a fast NVMe solid-state drive like my Kingston KC3000 or without the 32 GB of Kingston FURY Renegade memory that can run at no less than 7200 MT/s, my test computer's performance would likely have been noticeably different.

The Kingston FURY Renegade 32GB DDR5 7200MT/s memory used in the test PC

In case you’re curious, these are the hardware parts I used for building the test computer for the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor:

• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X670E-A Gaming WiFi
• Cooler: ASUS ROG Ryuo III 240 ARGB
• Memory: Kingston FURY Renegade 32GB DDR5 7200MT/s
• Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
• Storage: Kingston KC3000 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD 2TB
• Monitor: ASUS ROG Strix XG32UQ (4K UHD)
• PSU: Seasonic Focus GX-1000

The desktop PC used for benchmarking

The Ryzen 5 7600X proved to be a solid choice for gaming, too. Paired with a good graphics card, my AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, it delivers high fps in all games, even at high quality settings and 4K resolution. I played a bit of Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Horizon Forbidden West and both games ran fluidly, with the CPU showing no signs of bottlenecking. While it may not match the sheer power of higher-end models, it offers more than enough performance for a smooth gaming experience, making it a great option for those looking to build a gaming PC on a budget.

Playing games with the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

In real-life use, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X delivers where it counts. It’s a versatile, efficient, and capable processor that performs well in a variety of tasks, from daily computing to gaming. While it might not be the top performer in AMD’s lineup, it offers great value for those who need reliable performance without breaking the bank.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X vs. Ryzen 5 7600X vs. Ryzen 7 9700X v. Ryzen 9 7900X: Performance comparison

When it comes to real-world performance, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X proved to be a capable desktop processor. But how does it compare to its siblings in the Ryzen lineup? I tested it across various benchmarks to see how it stacks up, especially against the more powerful Ryzen 7 9700X and the previous generation’s Ryzen 5 7600X. Here are the results I got:

Productivity benchmarks

In single-threaded tasks, the Ryzen 5 9600X delivers impressive results, scoring a tiny bit more points than the Ryzen 7 9700X in CPU-Z’s benchmark. It’s a great start which shows that this processor is well-suited for everyday computing tasks that require excellent single-core performance.

Benchmark results in CPU-Z Single Thread

However, in CPU-Z’s multi-threaded benchmark, the Ryzen 7 9700X pulls ahead, being 22% faster than the Ryzen 5 9600X. The Ryzen 9600X still offered a performance increase of about 4% compared to the older Ryzen 5 7600X. And even if the chart shows that it’s not as powerful as the Ryzen 7 9700X, the Ryzen 5 9600X’s performance is still more than adequate for most users.

Benchmark results in CPU-Z Multi Thread

In the Cinebench 2024 rendering test, the Ryzen 7 9700X outperforms the Ryzen 5 9600X again, by a significant margin (about 30%), thanks to its higher core count. If your workload involves rendering, the Ryzen 7 9700X is the clear winner. However, for general usage, the Ryzen 5 9600X offers solid performance at a lower price point.

Benchmark results in Cinebench 2024

In the Blender 4.2.0 benchmark, the Ryzen 5 9600X was outpaced by the two processors with more cores (Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 9 7900X), but it delivered respectable results. Furthermore, just like in Cinebench 2024, it offers almost the same performance as the older Ryzen 5 7600X but with a much lower power consumption.

Benchmark results in Blender 4.2.0

When it comes to tasks like web browsing, video chatting, and document editing, the Ryzen 5 9600X shines. With a score of 10453 in PCMark 10, it’s only slightly behind the Ryzen 7 9700X, proving that for day-to-day use, the difference between these CPUs is negligible.

Benchmark results in PCMark 10

The Ryzen 5 9600X also performs admirably in web-browsing tests, getting the highest score in the tests I ran with JetStream 2.2. It outpaces the previous generation’s Ryzen 5 7600X, showing clear improvements in responsiveness and speed, and it manages to be a tiny bit faster than the Ryzen 7 9700X too. Browsing the internet with this processor will be an excellent experience.

Benchmark results in JetStream 2.2

In 7-Zip’s benchmarks, which are excellent for comparing processors, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X couldn’t match the compression speed of the Ryzen 7 9700X or that of the Ryzen 9 7900X. That is normal as these two processors have more cores than the Ryzen 5 9600X, and that counts a lot when compressing data. Still, the Ryzen 5 9600X offers competitive performance.

Benchmark results in 7-Zip Compression

The same is true for the speed of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X when decompressing data. The CPU ranks well and offers good performance, although it can’t match the processors with more cores.

Benchmark results in 7-Zip Decompression

Overall, the Ryzen 5 9600X proved to be a strong performer in productivity tasks, especially when you consider its price point and power requirements.

Gaming benchmarks

For gaming, I tested the Ryzen 5 9600X in 1080p resolution with low graphics settings to avoid any bottlenecks generated by the graphics card. Paired with an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT, the Ryzen 5 9600X delivers smooth gameplay in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Remnant II, and Horizon Forbidden West. Here’s why I say that:

If you’re looking to experience the best that Cyberpunk 2077 has to offer, a powerful processor is just as important as a high-end graphics card. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X delivered a number of frames per second (fps) similar to the other processors in my lineup. The surprising part is that it managed more frames per second than the pricier Ryzen 7 9700X.

Benchmark results in Cyberpunk 2077

I continued with Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a game known for its demanding hardware requirements. Here, the Ryzen 5 9600X performed similarly to the other processors I tested, with the previous generation delivering a few more frames per second.

Benchmark results in Assassin's Creed Mirage

In Remnant II, the Ryzen 5 9600X managed a high framerate, identical to that of the old Ryzen 5 7600X. The difference in performance compared to the other CPUs was marginal, similar to what I’ve seen in the previous games.

Benchmark results in Remnant II

I continued with Horizon Forbidden West, where the Ryzen 5 9600X managed to render a few frames per second more than the Ryzen 5 7600X. However, the difference is too small to be distinguishable in real life.

Benchmark results in Horizon Forbidden West

I finished evaluating the gaming performance of the Ryzen 5 9600X by running 3DMark’s CPU Profile tests. The Max Threads score it got was 7297, a result that shows that the Ryzen 5 9600X is indeed a strong contender for gaming. It outperformed the Ryzen 5 7600X, though it couldn’t surpass the Ryzen 7 9700X or the Ryzen 9 7900X, which benefit from a greater number of cores.

Benchmark results in 3DMark CPU Profile Max Threads

In conclusion, the Ryzen 5 9600X is a competent processor for gaming. While one can argue that it doesn’t deliver significant improvements in performance over the previous Ryzen 7000 series, the reality is that it offers similar performance for less power consumption.

Temperature and power consumption

To assess the thermal performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X processor, I stressed it with Prime95. The maximum temperature I measured was just 61 degrees Celsius (142 degrees Fahrenheit). This is remarkably low, showing that a standard air cooler is more than sufficient to maintain this processor’s temperatures at bay.

The peak temperature reached by AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X also proved to be very power efficient. During my tests, the peak power consumption reached only 88 watts. This is significantly lower than what I’ve seen in previous generations of AMD processors, not to mention comparable Intel models. Such a small power draw is excellent for people looking to lower their electricity bills. Depending on how much power your graphics card will require, a power supply unit in the range of 650 to 700 watts should be adequate for this processor.

The maximum power required by AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X stands out for its power efficiency and low heat output. Its power consumption is lower than expected, making it a cost-effective option in terms of both the initial purchase and ongoing energy costs.

What’s your opinion about the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X?

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X offers a compelling mix of performance, efficiency, and value. It’s an excellent processor for those looking to upgrade from an older Ryzen 5000 series CPU or for building a new, power-efficient system. While it doesn’t revolutionize the budget market, it delivers consistent, reliable performance across a range of tasks. Are you considering the Ryzen 5 9600X? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.