Performance of the Ryzen 5 4500 vs. Ryzen 5-3600
| Core Count: | 6 |
|---|---|
| Thread Count: | 12 |
| L3 Cache: | 8 MB |
| Base Freq.: | 3.6 GHz |
| Max Boost Freq. (1 Core): | 4.1 GHz |
| Core Count: | 6 |
|---|---|
| Thread Count: | 12 |
| L3 Cache: | 32 MB |
| Base Freq.: | 3.6 GHz |
| Max Boost Freq. (1 Core): | 4.2 GHz |
Cores
4500: Based on our evaluation, the 4500's 6 cores allow for good performance overall.
3600: Based on our evaluation, the 3600's 6 cores allow for good performance overall.
Learn more about Core Counts
below.
Base Frequency
4500: The 4500 has a 3.6 GHz base frequency, which is the speed before boosting.
3600: The 3600 has a 3.6 GHz base frequency, which is the speed before boosting.
Learn more about CPU Clock Speeds below.
Single-Core Boost Frequency
4500: Based on our evaluation, the 4500's 4.1 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance overall. You can maintain these frequencies with a high-end cooler.
3600: Based on our evaluation, the 3600's 4.2 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance overall. You can maintain these frequencies with a high-end cooler.
Learn more about CPU Clock Speeds below.
Overclocking Support
4500: Based on our evaluation, the 4500 CPU's support for overclocking can be excellent for performance overall.
3600: Based on our evaluation, the 3600 CPU's support for overclocking can be excellent for performance overall.
Learn more about Overclocking below.
DDR Support
4500: Based on our evaluation, the 4500 CPU's support for DDR4 with a max stock speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance overall.
3600: Based on our evaluation, the 3600 CPU's support for DDR4 with a max stock speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance overall.
Learn more about DDR Support below.
PCIe
4500: Based on our evaluation, the 4500 CPU's support for PCIe 3.0 can be poor for performance overall, as it will limit the potential of the latest SSDs and graphics cards.
3600: Based on our evaluation, the 3600 CPU's support for PCIe 4.0 can be excellent for performance overall, when using the fastest SSDs and graphics cards.
L3 Cache
4500: Based on our evaluation, the 4500's lackluster 8 MB of L3 cache is poor for performance overall.
3600: Based on our evaluation, the 3600's impressive 32 MB of L3 cache is excellent for performance overall.
Learn more about Cache Sizes below.
Use Cases of the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 5 3600
Considerations for Gaming
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 5 4500 CPU for gaming, you can expect mediocre game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 5 3600 CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
While a good GPU is critical for gaming performance, your CPU will also have a significant impact. If the CPU is too slow, it can be a bottleneck for your GPU, which can reduce your framerate or cause stuttering. The most important CPU capabilities for gaming are single-core max boost frequency and the number of cores.
Depending on the game, the CPU will often handle tasks including scene management, gameplay logic, physics calculations, and asset loading. We took these factors into account when assessing the expected CPU performance for gaming.
Having multiple CPU cores can improve performance with games that utilize them. However, developers cannot split up every task to take advantage of a growing number of cores. Most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Game performance will experience diminishing returns as you add more CPU cores.
Considerations for General Apps
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 5 4500 CPU for general apps, you can expect good app performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 5 3600 CPU for general apps, you can expect good app performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
If you're only planning to stream shows, use office apps, or browse the internet, you won't need a top-end CPU to get good performance. The most important CPU capability for general app usage is the single-core max boost frequency.
Browsers depend on your CPU to quickly load pages and video content and manage multiple browser tabs. Higher single-core boost frequencies can speed up page load times.
Office and web applications are typically single-threaded, so running a single application won't take advantage of a many-core CPU.
The more cores a CPU has, the more applications you can run simultaneously without noticing a performance impact.
Office and web applications rarely max out the CPU for long periods. These applications can use boost speeds when a burst of processing power is needed, returning to the more efficient base frequencies afterward.
We took all of these factors into account while assessing the expected CPU performance for general apps.
Considerations for Professional Tools
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 5 4500 CPU for professional tools, you can expect mediocre tool performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Based on our evaluation of using AMD's Ryzen 5 3600 CPU for professional tools, you can expect good tool performance with a high-performance CPU cooler.
Video editors, 2D and 3D graphics tools, software compilers, and engineering tools require high-performing CPUs.
Professional tools are often well optimized to use many cores. CPU cores allow tools to parallelize processing tasks. Increasing the number of cores can divide the time required to process a task if the tool has good multi-threading support.
To maximize performance with professional tools, you'll want to use a CPU with a high boost frequency and many CPU cores. Good heat dissipation is needed to maintain boost frequencies for extended periods. We took these factors into account while assessing the expected CPU performance for professional tools.
While graphics applications use your GPU for some rendering tasks, most calculations and data operations are still dependent on your CPU.
Considerations for Choosing Between the 4500 and 3600
Core Count
AMD's Ryzen 5 4500 CPUs have 6 cores.
AMD's Ryzen 5 3600 CPUs have 6 cores.
We found that, in general, more cores do provide better performance in professional tools and when running multiple applications simultaneously.
Increased core counts can improve the performance of games and professional tools that use them. Most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Even general apps can benefit from many cores when numerous applications are open simultaneously. Web browsers don't significantly take advantage of multiple cores when loading a single page. However, more CPU cores can improve performance when running demanding web apps in multiple windows.
CPU Clock Speeds
The AMD Ryzen 5 4500 has a 3.6 GHz base frequency and supports a 4.1 GHz single-core max boost frequency.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has a 3.6 GHz base frequency and supports a 4.2 GHz single-core max boost frequency.
We've experienced that single-core performance is essential for some games, as many don't take full advantage of multiple cores. Similarly, we have experienced that professional tools depend on high single and multi-core boost frequencies to maximize their processing speed.
Boost frequencies are only achieved under ideal circumstances. However, with adequate cooling, you may be able to maintain speeds near the max boost frequency.
Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 4500, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies on the 4500.
Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 3600, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies on the 3600.
Higher vs. Lower Base Frequencies
We've found that lower base clock speeds result in lower power consumption.
A CPU's base frequency refers to the clock speed at which its cores run under normal operating conditions. However, the actual clock speed of the CPU can vary depending on the workload and the system power state.
A lower base frequency can lead to better power savings overall since the clock speed decreases when the load is low, resulting in lower power consumption. However, a CPU may run slower than the base frequency to conserve power or reduce heat generation. For example, modern CPUs use technologies like Intel SpeedStep or AMD Cool'n'Quiet to dynamically adjust the CPU's clock speed based on the system's workload and power state.
A CPU with a lower base frequency may generate less heat under normal operating conditions, enabling it to boost some cores to higher frequencies while remaining within its thermal limits. This lower base frequency results in better performance than a CPU with a higher base frequency, which may not be able to sustain its boost frequency for long periods due to thermal throttling. However, this is mostly only relevant if your system's cooling solution can only partially dissipate the heat produced by all cores being fully boosted.
DDR Support
The 4500 CPU's fastest supported DDR memory type is DDR4, with a max stock speed of 3200 MHz.
The 3600 CPU's fastest supported DDR memory type is DDR4, with a max stock speed of 3200 MHz.
You can exceed these stock speeds officially supported by CPUs when overclocking memory, such as with an XMP profile. Motherboard specifications will indicate their supported overclocked-memory speeds. To be able to overclock DDR memory, your motherboard chipset needs to support memory overclocking.
Faster PC memory can improve game and professional tool performance by reducing the time it takes to perform calculations and data operations.
We've experienced that using the quickest RAM may not have as much of an impact as upgrading your CPU and graphics card or adding more RAM.
Learn about our recommended RAM for the 4500 in Best RAM for the AMD Ryzen 5 4500 CPU.
Learn about our recommended RAM for the 3600 in Best RAM for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU.
Cache Size
The AMD Ryzen 5 4500 has an L3 cache capacity of 8 MB.
The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has an L3 cache capacity of 32 MB.
A CPU's cache is a small amount of memory, close to the CPU cores, containing recently used data. An L3 cache capacity of at least 20 MB is ideal for games and professional tool performance.
Games and professional tool performance can improve as cache size increases, as it can reduce delays when retrieving commonly used assets from memory. While nearly any task will use a CPU's cache, our research indicates that a large cache becomes less impactful for general PC usage, such as browsing webpages.
Remember that cache sizes often increase with core counts, so if you want to increase your L3 cache, you may need to get a CPU with more cores.
Overclocking
The 4500 supports overclocking.
The 3600 supports overclocking.
Overclocking is mainly relevant for PC gamers who want to maximize their game framerates. CPU overclocking increases frequencies past their default limits. Excellent heat dissipation via fans or another solution is required to maintain system stability while overclocking. While we felt a sense of excitement and anticipation when we pushed the limits of our CPU's performance, it's essential to remember that overclocking comes with the risk of damaging your system components or voiding warranties.
Professional tools can benefit from overclocked frequencies. However, overclocking may introduce some possibility of system instability, which may be less acceptable in business scenarios. We've found out the hard way that losing work due to system instability is a pain.
Where to Buy the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 5 3600
Find the Ryzen 5 4500 at Best Buy. Find the Ryzen 5 3600 at Best Buy.
Find the Ryzen 5 4500 at Newegg. Find the Ryzen 5 3600 at Newegg.
Learn More About the AMD Ryzen 5 4500
- Motherboard: Choosing the Best Motherboard for AMD's Ryzen 5 4500
- Chipset: Which Chipsets Work With AMD's Ryzen 5 4500 CPU?
- Cooler: Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 4500
- Power Supply: Choosing the Best Power Supply for AMD's Ryzen 5 4500 CPU
- RAM: Best RAM for the AMD Ryzen 5 4500 CPU
- TDP: What Is the TDP of the Ryzen 5 4500 CPU?
- Gaming: Is the Ryzen 5 4500 CPU Good for Gaming?
Learn More About the AMD Ryzen 5 3600
- Motherboard: Choosing the Best Motherboard for AMD's Ryzen 5 3600
- Chipset: Which Chipsets Work With AMD's Ryzen 5 3600 CPU?
- Cooler: Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 3600
- Power Supply: Choosing the Best Power Supply for AMD's Ryzen 5 3600 CPU
- RAM: Best RAM for the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU
- TDP: What Is the TDP of the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU?
- Gaming: Is the Ryzen 5 3600 CPU Good for Gaming?
Have a suggestion or correction for this article? Send us an email at: corrections@techreviewer.com
You can also contact the author at: brandon@techreviewer.com