Amd ryzen 5 3600 review in Spanish (full analysis)

It is time to analyze the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, a CPU that is quite similar to the X model, except for having a slightly lower frequency, 3.6 / 4.2 GHz and a 65W TDP than the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X.

This implies that on paper it will be a CPU that supports less overclocking, and another consequence will be the one with the Wraith Stealth stock heatsink, the smallest of the three available, something that we will analyze carefully during this analysis.

The question we should all ask ourselves is, AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Ryzen 5 3600, which is the best match? We will see it in this review. Also, this 3600 comes with a surprise as it will be raffled alongside an X570 motherboard very soon in Professional Review, we promise to treat it well.

Before continuing, we must thank Miguel Ángel for the purchase of this CPU to carry out all our analyzes.

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 technical characteristics

Unboxing

We never tire of unpacking CPUs and bombarding them with tests and heaters, but this is what we like, who doesn't? This time we have a much smaller bundle in the other new generation Ryzen processors. The reason is simple, the heatsink is quite smaller.

So we have in front of us a flexible cardboard box completely printed with Ryzen's colors and silkscreen and the processor clearly visible through an opening on one of the sides of the box. Hopefully this time it does not come with a bent pin, because I do not like that these delicate components are there so visible and exposed to shocks during its transfer.

We open the box and we find the CPU inside a fairly hard plastic package, and a narrow cardboard box where the heatsink of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is stored. In addition to them, we only have a small user guide, since the thermal paste is applied from the factory to the heatsink.

Exterior design and encapsulation of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600

This AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is, let's say, the laid-back version of the 3600X which has a slight 200 MHz frequency boost in both base and turbo mode. For this, and some other reasons, we have a somewhat cheaper processor than the "X" model, around 50 or 60 euros depending on where we want to buy it. The question is whether it will be worth more than one, so it seems we will have to dedicate ourselves to carrying out the same tests on both, and that will be precisely our task.

As for aesthetic novelties, well man, we have absolutely none, since we can get few details of a CPU except for those in the heatsink. For those who have not seen other reviews of these Ryzen Zen2, know that we have an encapsulation or IHS built in aluminum and copper practically occupying the substrate completely and of considerable thickness as you can see in the images.

The Ryzen architecture is based on chiplets, which are nothing more than silicon or DIE pads with the corresponding circuits tucked inside. In all cases we have three DIEs, two for the cores and one for the PCH, then we will see in more detail that there is in each chiplet. The important thing here is that the IHS is soldered to them, no thermal paste, to avoid thermal resistance between DIE and heatsink. One good thing about this IHS so large and voluminous, is that the heat is distributed over a larger area, and that means more heat to be removed.

On the opposite side what we find is the matrix of pins, which in this case are a few, all straight and covered with gold to improve electrical conductivity. The socket that AMD uses is the traditional AM4, based on a PGA (Pin Grid Array) matrix with holes to insert the CPU directly into the socket on the motherboard.

To install it, we only have to lift the metal lever of the socket up and then forcelessly insert the CPU into it. Always with the arrow on the CPU (in one corner) aligned with the arrow on the socket. If it does not enter naturally you should not force, so check that the pins are completely aligned in all directions of the space. In one of the CPUs, specifically the 3600X, it came to us with a bent pin, nothing that could not be fixed with a few pizzas, but keep that in mind.

Heatsink design

Without further ado, let's look at the other element that this AMD Ryzen 5 3600 brings us, which will be its respective heatsink. AMD has three different stock heatsinks, which computers are from best to worst, the Wraith Prism, Wraith Spire and the Wraith Stealth. Well, as we feared, this model brings the lowest of all, being the Wraith Stealth, it is very quiet yes, but also tiny for a CPU with 6 and 12 inside.

It is then a simple block, entirely built in aluminum with a vertical fin system that starts from a hollow aluminum central column inside so as not to store as much heat. On the contact surface, we have a good layer of pre-applied thermal paste from the factory, so it will only be unpacked and installed. The thickness of the aluminum block will be approximately 25 mm, quite small we must say.

Above it, we have a fan without RGB lighting installed, and composed of 7 traditionally designed blades and with a 4-pin header for PWM control from the motherboard. With the circular outer protector, we have a diameter of 100mm, but the effective of the blades is 85mm, exactly the same as the Wraith Spire.

Finally, let's take a look at the anchorage system AMD has used for this heatsink, because it is exactly the same as the Wraith Spire's. In this case we only have a bracket with four screws that we will have to manually screw into the socket, so we will need to remove the two plastic tabs from the socket of the plate. In this way we will screw the heatsink directly into the four holes without worrying about tightening too much, since a spring in each screw will control the pressure limit on the IHS.

Benefits

As in other processors, in this AMD Ryzen 5 3600 we are going to repeat ourselves a lot due to the important similarity with its older brother 3600X. Among the most remarkable novelties that we have in this new generation of Ryzen, we have a decrease in the lithography of the transistors at only 7 nm FinFET. The second improvement lies in the PCIe lanes, since we will have no less than 24 in the CPU supporting the PCIe 4.0 bus.

But there are also improvements to the CPU or PCH I / O interface, which AMD has called Infinity Fabric. This is in charge of communication with RAM memory, having improved practically in all aspects, remember that it has always been the weak point of Zen architecture. For visible purposes, we have a decrease in latency and an increase in maximum capacity. with up to 128 GB in Dual Channel at 3200 MHz. In any case, it will support memories with factory overclocking up to 4400 and 4800 MHz depending on which boards.

In the specific case of this CPU, we have a count of 6 cores and 12 threads of processing or threads, thanks to AMD SMT multithreading technology, analogous to Intel's Hyperthreading. They offer a speed of 3.6 GHz of base frequency and 4.2 GHz in turbo mode, being 200 MHz in each case slower than the 3600X model. A consequence of this is the decrease of the TDP to only 65W, compared to 95W of the mentioned model. Being without a doubt an excellent register for a CPU as extremely powerful as this one.

The aforementioned AMD chiplet architecture is based on implementing a certain number of silicon blocks or DIEs in a processor depending on the cores we need. Each AMD chiplet is made up of 8 cores and 32 MB of cache memory. The manufacturer is deactivating or activating cores to create the desired models.

On this AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and on all CPUs we have three chiplets or CCX. One will always be for the PCH, while two of them contain 16 active or inactive cores. For this model we have three cores activated by each CCX, and the corresponding 16 MB of L3 cache that they share. This makes a total of 6 cores with their 12 corresponding threads. The L1 cache consists of 32 KB in two blocks, L1I and L1D for each core, smaller than the previous generation, but 8-way. The L2 cache totals 3 MB, being 512KB per core, since 1 MB is not available because two cores are off. And finally the L3 cache is made up of 32 MB, the maximum for 6 cores as it is shared in blocks of 16 MB for every 4 cores.

This is CPU unlocked in its multiplier to be able to overclock it, although with the BIOS that we currently have on the boards and the limitations imposed by AMD, we still cannot obtain satisfactory results in this process. We imagine that in the very near future these problems will be solved by firmware.

Test bench and performance

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Base plate:	X570 Aorus Pro
RAM:	16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB Royal DDR4 3600MHz
Heatsink	Stock
HDD	ADATA SU750
Graphic card	Nvidia RTX 2060 Founders Edition
Power supply	Be Quiet! Dark Pro 11 1000w

To check the stability of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor in stock values. The motherboard we have stressed with Prime 95 Custom and air cooling through the stock sink. The graphic we have used is an Nvidia RTX 2060 Founders Edition, without further delay, let's see the results obtained in our tests.

Benchmarks (Synthetic tests)

We have tested performance with the X570 platform and top- notch hardware. Will we see that 15% improvement that AMD promises compared to the previous generation? Similarly, we are going to provide you with some benchmarks with 2133 MHz RAM memory and 3600 MHz with XMP activated.

• Aida64Cinebench R15 and R20 (CPU Score).3DMARKVRMARKPCMark 8Blender RobotWprime 32M

Game testing

In the same way, we have tested this set with the 6 games that we have been using for some time, in order to have a reference with the rest of the analyzed models. There is a huge list of IPs, and that is impossible to test or buy them all. Extrapolate these results and the performance steps between CPUs to see more or less how it would behave with a certain game. This is the graphic configuration used

• Shadow of the Tomb Rider, Alto, TAA + Anisotropico x4, DirectX 12 Far Cry 5, Alto, TAA, DirectX 12 DOOM, Ultra, TAA, Open GL 4.5 Final Fantasy XV, standard, TAA, DirectX 12 Deus EX Mankind Divided, Alto, Anisotropic x4, DirectX 12 Metro Exodus, High, Anisotropic x16, DirectX 12 (without RT)

Overclocking

Like the other Ryzen, the processor does not allow overclocking from AMD Ryzen Master or from the BIOS (for the moment). We can only adjust the voltage, to make it undervolting. In the event that we raise the multiplier to improve the frequency, the equipment will freeze and restart, something we have tried several times with identical results.

In any case, this CPU will not support a too high frequency rise, due to its low TDP, so if you plan to overclock it in the future, it would be better to go to version 3600X.

In this previous shot we can better see the activity of the 6 nuclei, three in each CCX and also indicating with a star the most powerful of each.

Consumption and temperature

We have used Prime95 in its large version to test both temperatures and consumption. All Watts readings have been measured from the wall socket and the entire assembly except the monitor.

Being a fairly powerful CPU like the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, this heatsink after long stress processes has worked with dignity. And it is that these 78 ° C on average have remained stable for much of the time with the CPU at full, which is not bad at all for the relatively small it is. In any case, if we plan to set up a gaming computer with this CPU, which would be the most normal, we recommend acquiring a larger heatsink or even normal liquid cooling.

Again we see a curiously high consumption at rest of all the equipment, even exceeding the 3600X. This may be due to the motherboard itself and how the BIOS manages the voltage on the cores and other hardware. The results become as expected when we ask the CPU for the maximum, with a high 140W, but within what is expected in view of the results in other Ryzen 3000.

When we stress the entire set, CPU and GPU, we also get a slightly lower result than 3600X, with 297W so we can say that there have been no surprises in this regard.

Final words and conclusion about AMD Ryzen 5 3600

This AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is emerging as one of the great options for gamer users who want to update their platform to this new generation and does not have enough background to allow the 3700. With a frequency of 3.6 / 4.2 GHz which are only 200 MHz less than the X version in its 6 cores and 12 threads.

The TDP is also lower, although this does not show it precisely in the consumption values, since they are quite high at rest, although then at full yes it is put in the right place. The test platform is still quite green in general and this results in high voltages and somewhat inconsistent consumption.

We still do not have the possibility of overclocking, but we think that this CPU is not going to be a great option for it, especially having the 3600X, we think it would be a more sensible purchase.

We recommend reading the best processors on the market

I do not need to stop, because looking at the FPS records of the games, we are practically on a par with its brother and even more powerful CPUs, and the same thing happens with the pure performance in its cores through synthetic tests. Precisely for this reason its quality / price is very good

In terms of temperatures, it seems that this new platform has slightly higher records than the previous one, due to the increase in frequency and consumption. But if we consider that the stock heatsink is the lowest version of the three from AMD, they are really good, although a larger one for gaming equipment if we recommend it.

All this we say is reinforced with a price of about 219 euros, which is not bad for the performance records we have seen. For our part we see it highly recommended, and you? What Ryzen 3000 do you see as a quality / price favorite?

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
- PERFORMANCE / PRICE RATIO	- SOMETHING SHORT SIZE SINK FOR GAMING. BUT MEETS AS A "TEMPORARY" HEATSINK
- IDEAL FOR MULTITAREA AND GAMING	- DOES NOT ALLOW MANUAL OVERCLOCKING
- RADICAL CACHE INCREASE AND HIGH FREQUENCY
- YOU DO NOT NEED TO CHANGE PLATFORM TO UPDATE
- GOOD TEMPERATURES

The Professional Review team awards you the gold medal and recommended product:

AMD Ryzen 5 3600

YIELD YIELD - 90%

MULTI-THREAD PERFORMANCE - 85%

OVERCLOCK - 80%

TEMPERATURES - 85%

CONSUMPTION - 82%

PRICE - 90%

85%