Key Takeaways
- If you’re on a tight budget, choose the AMD Ryzen 3, but consider spending $10 more on a Ryzen 5 5500, as it offers better value.
- The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X offers the best balance between price and performance, but we can also recommend the Ryzen 5 8600G as a cheaper alternative.
- Ryzen 7 chips are often best for gamers, but for the ultimate gaming performance, choose the X3D version.
AMD is a strong competitor to Intel processors for desktop PCs. However, with many different options on the market, especially with the three AMD Ryzen generations currently available, you might be having trouble picking the right one.
So, we’ll help you choose the best AMD Ryzen processor based on your needs.
Ryzen 3: The Budget Option
The Ryzen 3 is typically the most affordable processor in the AMD Ryzen line. This chip focuses on value, so don’t expect much performance. Nevertheless, we recommend this option if you’re on a tight budget and simply need a computer to do basic tasks.
The latest version of the Ryzen 3 is the 8300G, which has four cores and eight threads and offers integrated graphics. It’s also only available in pre-built systems, so you can’t purchase this processor if you want to build your own PC.
If you’re trying to save money by building a computer, you could go for the Ryzen 3 4100, which launched in April 2022 for $100. It’s currently available on Amazon for $66.57, but you’re better off spending an extra $10 by purchasing an AMD Ryzen 5 5500, which launched simultaneously with it and costs $76 on Amazon at the time of writing.
Ryzen 5: For Mainstream Use
The Ryzen 5 processor offers the best balance between price and performance and is currently the entry-level offering for the AMD Ryzen 9000-series chips. Despite being called “entry-level,” the Ryzen 5 9600X offers excellent performance with its six cores (12 threads) and up to 5.4 GHz boost clock.
So, if you’re looking to build a computer that will comfortably handle most apps, let you multitask, and even play some AAA titles, you would be good to go with a Ryzen 5 processor. The latest AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is priced at $279 on Amazon at the time of writing, but if you’re on a budget, you could go for the AMD Ryzen 5 8600G instead, which is more than a hundred dollars cheaper at $167.99 as of press time.
We’ve even named the AMD Ryzen 5 8600G as the best value option in our list of the best CPUs with integrated graphics. That way, you don’t have to purchase a discrete GPU that will surely jack up the price of your PC build. But if you’re a hardcore gamer, we recommend moving up to the next tier in the AMD processor lineup.
Ryzen 7: For Hardcore Gamers
The AMD Ryzen 7 offers the sweet spot when it comes to gaming performance, with its eight cores and 16 threads. Some Ryzen 7 variants even offer higher TDPs of up to 120 watts, letting you push the chip to its limits when needed. The Ryzen 7 9700X, launched in August 2024, is the latest generation of the Ryzen 7 at the time of writing.
However, if you’re really into gaming, we recommend sticking with the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
That’s because the 3D V-cache on the X3D chips is so in-tune for gaming that even AMD’s Senior Manager for Consumer Processors told Tom’s Hardware that they would even outperform the Ryzen 9000 series chips in gaming, that is, until the launch of the X3D versions of the new generation.
But if you cannot spare the $359 launch price of the Ryzen 7 9700X, consider the Ryzen 5 7600 X3D instead, which launched at $299, saving you $60. Although this chip isn’t a Ryzen 7 and will have less performance in other tasks, it’s still potent enough to give you an excellent gaming experience.
Ryzen 9: For Professionals
If you need a computer for heavy number crunching, like simulation, you should opt for the Ryzen 9. The 5000-series Ryzen 9 has up to 16 cores, making it perfect for demanding applications like Adobe Photoshop, AutoCAD, or Blender. You could even opt for the X3D versions of the Ryzen 9 chips for more specialized applications that require a bigger CPU cache.
However, if you’re just using your computer for basic tasks and gaming (even professional esports), the Ryzen 9 is an overkill chip. Get a Ryzen 7 processor instead—specifically, the Ryzen 7 X3D chips—and use the money you saved to buy more RAM, a better GPU, or a larger monitor.
What the Numbers and Letters in AMD’s Ryzen Processor Models Mean
Aside from the numbered model codes (Ryzen 3, 5, 7, or 9), you’ll also see the digits and letters in AMD’s Ryzen chips (Ryzen 7 7800X3D). The first digit signifies the generation series, while the second digit shows a CPU’s performance level—so 7 means it’s from the Ryzen 7000 generation, and 8 means it’s an enthusiast-grade chip.
The third and fourth digits often indicate variations within the model line itself, but AMD rarely uses these for its popular CPUs. That’s why most recommended Ryzen chips end with two zeroes. Finally, the suffix letters indicate special features, like X noting high performance and 3D standing for chips that have 3D V-Cache with greater L3 cache memory.
|
Performance Level |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
9 |
Threadripper / High-end desktop |
|
7, 8 |
Enthusiast |
|
4 to 6 |
High performance |
|
1 to 3 |
Mainstream |
|
Suffix Letters |
|
|
X |
High-performance versions of the same variant with greater clock speeds and higher TDPs |
|
X3D |
3D V-Cache equipped chips that have higher L3 cache memory |
|
G |
Processors with integrated graphics (note that some Ryzen generations, like the 7000 series, all have integrated graphics even though some chips do not have the G suffix) |
|
F |
Processors without integrated graphics |
Note that these codes are only meant for desktop AMD processors. AMD’s laptop CPU naming scheme is far more convoluted, making it difficult for most users to determine a chip’s performance at a glance. Nevertheless, we explained what AMD’s laptop chip codes mean so you’ll know what they mean when looking for a Team Red laptop.
