AMD Ryzen 5 1600 AF Review: Incredible Budget CPU

[Julio Franco]

A mysterious Ryzen 5 1600 refresh made it to market late last year. Bizarrely, AMD has released a really cheap version of the Ryzen 5 2600, but just called it the Ryzen 5 1600. Known as the "1600 AF" because of the box identification this is a Zen+ 6-core, 12-thread part that's selling for just $85 brand new.

Permalink to review.

https://www.techspot.com/review/1977-amd-ryzen-1600-af/

 

[Lounds]

As an Owner of an original R5 1600 that I bought about 7 months after release for a decent price. I can say that it was the best bargain at the time and today in 2020 it still is with the AF version.

AMD is definitely the best choice for those on a budget.

 

[Irata]

This is a pretty sweet deal. If AMD are smart, they will keep Ryzen 2600 and 2700 around as budget options once they release the Ryzen 4000 CPU series. Should be dirt cheap to produce @ GloFo by then without any capacity constraints.

To put this in perspective, for roughly the same price you would have gotten a 2C Pentium G4560 two and a half years ago.

Just bought a 2700x on special offer for €149 (including VAT and free shipping).

The alternatives would have been the 1600 AF for €105 including shipping or a Core i5 9400F for €158 including shipping. Most likely would have needed to spend another 20 for a decent HSF for the latter on top.

The choice was pretty easy as the 2700x included the free game offer and I wanted to play Borderlands 3 anyhow, so considering the game that put me on roughly the same price as the 1600 AF.

The 1600 AF's big advantage (same for my cheap 2700x) is that you have an upgrade path to most likely including the upcoming Ryzen 4000 series, which is hard to beat if you are building a budget rig.

 

[Irata]

What would have been interesting is if you had included the early 2017 budget CPU in the same price range for this review (I.e. like the "2016's $170 GPU vs. 2019's $170 GPUs" article).

 

[CharmsD]

What would have been interesting is if you had included the early 2017 budget CPU

No it wouldn't. CPU prices are diving for the trashcan, production is going to overrun demand.

 

[bigmace]

The 3600 has 32mb of L3 Cache, not 16mb as you listed in your graph.

 

[Irata]

No it wouldn't. CPU prices are diving for the trashcan, production is going to overrun demand.

Maybe - it would still be interesting to see how much better performance you get vs the low end back then, I.e. pre Ryzen APU from AMD and Pentium / Celeron from Intel.

 

[Julio Franco]

The 3600 has 32mb of L3 Cache, not 16mb as you listed in your graph.

That's right. Now corrected. Thanks!

 

[ShObiT]

No it wouldn't. CPU prices are diving for the trashcan, production is going to overrun demand.

I don't see Intel 2017 CPU prices dropping like that, Only AMD is lowering prices with sweet deals.

 

[Irata]

I don't see Intel 2017 CPU prices dropping like that, Only AMD is lowering prices with sweet deals.

That's the customer advantage of platform longevity - older CPU see price drops because they compete with the newer ones on the same platform.
Just look what you still have to pay for an i7-7700(k) in contrast.

In this case, it's also GloFo produced Ryzen vs. TSMC produced models, I.e. AMD can crank out 12nm Ryzen without seeing any impacts on capacity for newer ones.

I think it would be smart to keep those as budget options going forward.

 

[ZackL04]

Fast AF for $85

 

[CharmsD]

That's the customer advantage of platform longevity - older CPU see price drops because they compete with the newer ones on the same platform. Just look what you still have to pay for an i7-7700(k) in contrast.

The market - supplies and enthusiasts - are hot on the trail of Xeon and dual Xeon systems as a result of millions of CPU's being retired and resold on Ebay and other marketplaces. As you mention, Xeon's aren't the only desirable CPU's, top of the line I-7's are doing well with premium motherboards hitting new lows ~$100. With that in hand along with modern components, a very nice economically friendly pc can be assembled.

And there are all the new chips begging for attention.

In this case, it's also GloFo produced Ryzen vs. TSMC produced models, I.e. AMD can crank out 12nm Ryzen without seeing any impacts on capacity for newer ones.

TSMC is going to keep as full a booking as possible, at some point the world could hit CPU saturation...again. Basically if 10MM excess CPU's are produced someone is going to have a tough time.

A sudden shift happens at the CEO-company: "how do we sell this stuff" takes place of "how do we make this stuff".

I think it would be smart to keep those as budget options going forward.

Intel is going to have to get their prices in line, they were waiting for the moment, maybe it's here. It doesn't look like laptops are going to be their saving grace.

 

[sreams]

This one is way more of a Ryzen than the previous version. It's Ryzen AF!

 

[Lew Zealand]

Since the Ryzen 5 1600AF is really a Ryzen 5 2590, you will need a BIOS update if you are currently using an original Zen processor. I tried to drop a R5 1600AF into an R3 1200 setup but it doesn't finish POST. It actually gets past the CPU and memory but never progresses to VGA.

I deliberately did not update BIOS (from late 2017) just to confirm that this was not an actual Zen part and this seems to confirm it for me: this is Zen+. However I haven't had time with the machine since to update the BIOS and try again.

 

[newstark2042]

Yes we totally needed a review of 3 year old cpu...

 

[ZackL04]

Yes we totally needed a review of 3 year old cpu...

Where is the thumbs down button?

 

[Lew Zealand]

Yes we totally needed a review of 3 year old cpu...

Luckily TS didn't waste their time on something like that. You're gonna have to look elsewhere for one of those.

Instead they reviewed an $85 6C12T CPU which gives low spec users a midrange CPU that's merely 1.75 years old. You could always pick up a Pentium G4560 for the same price if you like that one better.

 

[dikbozo]

Yes we totally needed a review of 3 year old cpu...

Yes, as a matter fact, we or at least I do. The review, which I suspect, you didn't read, was well reasoned and comprehensive. The '3 year old' CPU in question is more than good enough and due to its awesome price performance ratio is VERY relevant to tech enthusiasts. The Xeon chips floating around are also VERY relevant and almost as good a value,(the caveats as to platform longevity and feature sets notwithstanding), as this cheap and cheerful 6 core and its bigger newer brothers. To slag it off in such an ill considered manner is at best rude and shortsighted.

 

[dikbozo]

The market - supplies and enthusiasts - are hot on the trail of Xeon and dual Xeon systems as a result of millions of CPU's being retired and resold on Ebay and other marketplaces. As you mention, Xeon's aren't the only desirable CPU's, top of the line I-7's are doing well with premium motherboards hitting new lows ~$100. With that in hand along with modern components, a very nice economically friendly pc can be assembled.

And there are all the new chips begging for attention.



TSMC is going to keep as full a booking as possible, at some point the world could hit CPU saturation...again. Basically if 10MM excess CPU's are produced someone is going to have a tough time.

A sudden shift happens at the CEO-company: "how do we sell this stuff" takes place of "how do we make this stuff".



Intel is going to have to get their prices in line, they were waiting for the moment, maybe it's here. It doesn't look like laptops are going to be their saving grace.

Great times to be alive. Cheap and cheerful chips with a multiplicity of options!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy. as Lewis Carroll wrote.

 

[roberthi]

To confuse and confound the customer. What other point is there than to hurt sales and frustrate even advanced builders?

 

[theruck]

Good value cpu but terrible naming. nobody wants 1600 if there is 2600

 

[Dave321]

Anyone else think the real story is the quad core 7700k still holding its own very well?

 

[Soaptrail]

Anyone else think the real story is the quad core 7700k still holding its own very well?

But if you buy a 7700K what is your upgrade path without buying a new mobo? You don't have one. A 1600AF would allow you to still upgrade to a Ryzen 3000 someday.

 

[Burty117]

Anyone else think the real story is the quad core 7700k still holding its own very well?

But if you buy a 7700K what is your upgrade path without buying a new mobo? You don't have one. A 1600AF would allow you to still upgrade to a Ryzen 3000 someday.

They haven't appeared in this thread yet but there are plenty of Techspot members that refuse to believe we need anything more than four cores, 8 threads.

Just wait for them to turn up and explain that they're not needed so an upgrade path doesn't matter...

 

[fps4ever]

Anyone else think the real story is the quad core 7700k still holding its own very well?

They are still going on ebay for $300+. Thanks but no thanks. A 6 core 12 thread $85 cpu that can be over clocked and still have an upgrade path is much, much more desirable.