The Ryzen 5 3500x has been flying under the radar since its release, thanks to being exclusively sold in China to systems manufacturers. Now that it is finally available to the general public all around the world, we figured there would be no better time to check it out.
The battle for the title of best processor has been going on for decades between AMD and Intel. With the release of the new Ryzen series processors from AMD, Intel finally has some serious competition. The Ryzen 5 3500x goes up against some of the best processors from Intel, such as the 10th generation Core i5 series, but is it really any better?
In today’s article, we’re diving deep into what makes the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x a truly remarkable processor. We’ll check out some of the specs and figure out who this CPU is best for, whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a serious professional.
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AMD Ryzen 5 3500x: Best Deal Today
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500x might be a good processor, but if you can’t find a good price, you will be disappointed. That’s why we are here to help you find the best possible deal, so you can save more money to spend on the rest of your PC build. Whether you are upgrading your computer or building a new PC from scratch, getting a good price is important. We have compiled some of the best deals for you to check out:
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (New Egg) – $169
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (Best Buy) – N/A
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (Amazon) – $289
- Speed: 3.6GHz
- Includes Wraith Stealth cooling from AMD
- Cache: 32MB L3
- Power: 65W
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X: Overview
Let’s start with some of the must-know facts if you are considering the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x. When shopping for a new CPU, you want to be armed with all the information you need so you can make an informed decision, so let’s get started.
Release Date and Price
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500x was launched in September 2019, and it came with an MSRP of just $190. It was designed to compete against the mid-tier lineup from Intel, consisting of the Intel Core i5 9400F. For a lower price tag, the Ryzen 5 3500x provides some solid competition against the Intel Core i5, but is it any better?
Different Models
AMD released the Ryzen 5 3500x as a direct upgrade for the 2500x, which came out almost a year earlier. The Ryzen 5 3500x was a notable improvement over the previous generation in several ways. Even though the specs are very similar between the two processors, most benchmarks from users show that the newer Ryzen provides a noticeable upgrade in performance.
- 13% faster effective speed
- 12% faster single-core speed
- 17% faster dual-core speed
- 29% faster quad-core speed
- 14% faster octa-core speed
If you want a more significant improvement in performance, the Ryzen 7 series and Ryzen 9 series provide a substantial upgrade, but at a higher cost.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500x has been replaced with the newer Ryzen 5 5600x, although the increase in performance is not as notable as it is in the previous generation. For a similar price, the Ryzen 5 5600x provides roughly 7% faster overall performance. If you already have a 3500x, it may not be worth the upgrade to the newer 5600x just yet.
Features
The AMD Ryzen 5 3500x is based on the Zen 2 architecture from AMD. Although not the latest CPU architecture from AMD, Zen 2 still provides excellent features.
Compared to the previous Zen+ architecture, which was developed using the 12 nm lithography process, the newer Zen 2 architecture is based on the latest 7 nm technology. Squeezing even more transistors into a smaller space, AMD is really pushing the envelope on performance with this chip.
As for power requirements, the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x is extremely efficient, especially considering the level of performance you get. Even under full load, this processor uses a maximum peak wattage of just 65 watts. Your power supply needs will be heavily dependent on what graphics card you are using since the Ryzen 5 3500x is not going to take much power to run. As long as you have a 500-watt or higher power supply, you will be able to run this CPU effectively alongside a wide range of GPUs.
Additionally, one thing you should keep in mind is that the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x will require an AM4 socket motherboard. This is similar to the rest of the current Ryzen lineup. If you already have an older Ryzen CPU, you won’t have to replace your motherboard to maintain compatibility. If you are switching from an Intel processor, on the other hand, you will need to replace your motherboard with one that uses an AM4 socket.
You’ll also be pleased to find out that the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x has full support for the latest DDR4 ram, with speeds of up to 3200mhz. If you are installing your ram in dual-channel mode, you will get an even bigger bump in performance since this CPU comes with full dual-channel memory support.
Specifications
To get a solid understanding of the specs of this processor, you have to appreciate some of the upgrades they made from the previous generation. That’s why we have compiled the specs from both the Ryzen 5 3500x and 2500x below for you to compare:
| Category | Ryzen 5 2500x | Ryzen 5 3500x |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Cores: | Four | Six |
| Number of Threads: | Eight | Six |
| Base Clock Speed: | 3.60GHz | 3.60GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed: | 4.00GHz | 4.10GHz |
| L1 Cache Size: | 96K per core | 64K per core |
| L2 Cache Size: | 512K per core | 512K per core |
| L3 Cache Size: | 16MB shared | 32MB shared |
| Unlocked?: | Yes | Yes |
| TDP Rating: | 65 Watts | 65 Watts |
| Memory Type: | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| PCI Version: | PCI-E 4.0 | PCI-E 4.0 |
| CPU Socket: | AM4 | AM4 |
| CPU Architecture: | 12NM | 7NM |
- Speed: 3.6GHz
- Includes Wraith Stealth cooling from AMD
- Cache: 32MB L3
- Power: 65W
How is it for Gaming?
In general, you will find that the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x is fairly average when compared to the rest of the Ryzen 5 lineup. It is slightly faster than the Intel Core i9-9400F, beating it in 3D benchmark tests such as Cinebench R20 and V-Ray benchmark, but it doesn’t set any records.
AMD designed the Ryzen 5 3500x as a standard mid-tier CPU. They did not try to break any benchmark records or set any new standards; the goal was a powerful and energy-efficient processor at an affordable price.
One of the biggest questions, nonetheless, is how well does the Ryzen 5 3500x compare when it comes to gaming performance? To find out, we’ve compiled gaming benchmarks from across the internet. We put the processor to the test with some of the most popular games to figure out if it makes a good processor for gaming.
| Game | 1080p – High Settings | 1440p – High Settings |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey | 79+ FPS | 77+ FPS |
| Battlefield V | 142+ FPS | 122+ FPS |
| Shadow of the Tomb Raider | 88+ FPS | 84+ FPS |
| The Division 2 | 137+ FPS | 118+ FPS |
| Far Cry New Dawn | 101+ FPS | 98+ FPS |
| Hitman 2 | 94+ FPS | 94+ FPS |
| Total War: Three Kingdoms | 117+ FPS | 84+ FPS |
As you can clearly see from the benchmarks, the AMD processor provides some solid gaming performance even at 1440p resolution. Where this processor really shines is in 1080p gaming, where you can expect to see amazing framerates, especially when paired with a decent graphics card.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500x: Pros and Cons
With a processor like the Ryzen 5 3500x, there are definitely some advantages and some drawbacks. It is not perfect for everyone, and depending on your needs, it may or may not be the right CPU for you. The following are some of the pros and cons we noticed:
| Pros! | Cons! |
|---|---|
| Excellent value for the money | Not as powerful as some of the higher-end offerings from AMD |
| More energy-efficient than similar Intel processors | You will need to replace your motherboard if switching from Intel |
| Compatible with the latest RAM and PCI standards | |
| Fully unlocked for overclocking |
AMD Ryzen 5 3500x: Is it A Buy?
- Speed: 3.6GHz
- Includes Wraith Stealth cooling from AMD
- Cache: 32MB L3
- Power: 65W
With so many processors on the market today, figuring out the right one for you can be a challenge. Overall, the Ryzen 5 3500x is a great buy for those looking for a powerful CPU on a budget.
Buy it if…
You want a powerful, everyday CPU that can handle the latest games while also being extremely energy-efficient.
With clock speeds of 3.60ghz and boost speeds of up to 4.10ghz, and a powerful 6-core design, it is a very powerful CPU for this price point.
If you are upgrading from an older Ryzen processor or a Ryzen 3 processor, you won’t even need to replace your motherboard since all Ryzen CPUs use the AM4 socket type.
Don’t buy it if…
You want the most powerful CPU on the market. Although the Ryzen 5 3500x gives you great performance for the money, it is definitely not the most powerful processor out there. If you want to be on the cutting edge, you would be better off with something like a Ryzen 9 5900X.
If you have an Intel processor now and don’t want to replace your motherboard, you should not buy this processor since it won’t be compatible with your current socket type. Otherwise, the AMD Ryzen 5 3500x makes a great budget CPU with a lot of power.
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