The ongoing RAM crunch has turned DDR5 into a real hurdle for anyone upgrading or building a new PC. As a result, many are circling back to AMD's last-generation AM4 platform. However, because the company's lauded Zen 3 3D V-Cache processors are no longer in production, the standard 8-core CPUs from that generation have seen a resurgence at retail.
With this in mind, we recently ran a poll asking which AM4 CPUs you most wanted to see revisited with updated gaming benchmarks. The result was predictable: the Ryzen 7 5800X3D dominated the vote. We'll be testing that chip shortly – but before diving in, we wanted to set the stage by taking a closer look at the Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5700X, and Ryzen 7 5800XT.
While these processors received slightly fewer votes overall, we agree with the most upvoted comments: these are CPUs you can still buy today. There's also considerably less up-to-date performance data available for them, especially when compared to the much-loved, and now extinct, 5800X3D.
Before getting into the benchmark charts, there are a couple of testing notes worth calling out. For this round, we dropped Assassin's Creed Shadows, as it didn't prove to be a particularly useful CPU test. In its place, we've added three newer titles: Borderlands 4, Battlefield 6, and Arc Raiders.
In total, we're looking at 14 games, each tested using two quality presets. As always, testing is conducted at 1080p with an RTX 5090, as this is a CPU-focused benchmark. With that out of the way – let's get to the blue bar graphs.
Benchmarks
Rainbow Six Siege X
Starting with Rainbow Six Siege using the Medium preset, we see remarkably strong performance from the Zen 3 processors. The 5600X, for example, was 11% faster than the Core Ultra 5 225F and a massive 26% faster than the 12400F when using the same DDR4-3600 memory.
It also outperformed the Ryzen 5 5500 by a 37% margin. Not only that, it was just 3% slower than the 5700X and 5% slower than the 5800XT. Those Ryzen 7 parts were also impressive, coming in at less than 10% slower than the DDR5-enabled 7500F. Similar margins are observed when using the Ultra+ preset.
Battlefield 6
Moving on to Battlefield 6, the 5600X, 5700X, and 5800XT all deliver very strong results. The 8-core models were only up to 5% faster than the 5600X, indicating a minimal advantage from the additional cores.
The 5600X, on the other hand, was between 2% and 10% faster than the 12400F when using DDR4 memory, depending on the quality settings. Meanwhile, the 5700X was just 10 – 13% slower than the 7500F, showing that these older Zen 3 processors still perform very well.
Arc Raiders
Another new title where these older Zen 3 processors easily push beyond 100 fps is Arc Raiders. Once again, the 5600X outperformed the 12400F using DDR4 memory, delivering between 3% and 7% better performance depending on the quality settings. The 8-core models were only marginally faster – the 5800XT, for example, was just 4 – 5% ahead – making the performance uplift minimal for a processor with 33% more cores.
Borderlands 4
Next up is Borderlands 4, where the Zen 3 processors remain highly competitive with more modern options such as the 225F and 7500F. Using the Medium preset, the 5600X averaged 118 fps, with the 5800XT coming in just 3% faster.
This also meant the 5600X was 15% faster than the DDR4-enabled 12400F and only 9% slower than the 12400F when paired with DDR5 memory. We are also looking at just a 16% performance increase when moving from the 5600X to the 7500F.
Once we switch to the Badass preset, performance becomes largely GPU-limited, resulting in much smaller performance differences between the CPUs tested.
Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals also runs well on these older Zen 3 processors. The 5600X averaged 131 fps using the Medium preset, making the 5800XT only 7% faster. The 5600X was also 15% faster than the 5500 and 22% faster than the 12400F when using DDR4 memory, though it was 8% slower when the 12400F was paired with DDR5 memory. Margins using the Ultra preset are similar, despite the results becoming slightly more GPU-limited.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Moving on to Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, the 5600X was 15% faster than the 5500 when using the Medium preset, which also made it 20% faster than the 12400F when both were paired with DDR4 memory.
When the 12400F is paired with DDR5, however, the 5600X ends up 4% slower. It was also just 7% slower than the 5800XT and 17% slower than the 7500F, with similar margins observed when using the Very High preset.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
These Zen 3 processors also performed very well in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, delivering over 130 fps using the Medium settings. In this configuration, the 5600X matched the DDR5-enabled 12400F, making it 24% faster than the 12400F when limited to DDR4.
This is yet another title where the 5600X delivers very similar performance to the 8-core models – the 5800XT, for example, was just 3% faster. That margin does grow to 8% when using the more demanding Ray Tracing Ultra settings.
Counter-Strike 2
Intel CPUs tend to struggle in Counter-Strike 2 relative to AMD, and we see that clearly here, with the 5600X easily outperforming every Intel CPU tested. It was just 3% slower than the 5800XT and only 10% slower than the much newer 7500F.
When using the Very High settings, those margins shrink slightly, but even then the 5600X continues to beat all Intel options – coming in 10% faster than the 225F and 23% faster than the DDR5-enabled 12400F.
Space Marine 2
Next up is Space Marine 2, and despite being a very CPU-heavy game, these older Zen 3 processors hold up extremely well. Performance essentially matches that of the DDR5-enabled 12400F, while clearly outperforming the Core i5 when it is paired with DDR4 memory. Even with the heavy CPU load, the 5600X, 5700X, and 5800XT all delivered virtually identical results.
The Last of Us Part II Remastered
Moving on to The Last of Us Part II Remastered, we once again see similar average frame rates from the 5600X, 5700X, and 5800XT. The 8-core processors do hold a small advantage in the 1% lows – not dramatically so, but the difference is measurable. The 5600X again performs similarly to the 12400F when using DDR5 and is much faster when the Core i5 is limited to DDR4. Comparable performance trends are observed with both the Medium and Very High presets.
Spider-Man 2
We know Spider-Man 2 benefits from memory bandwidth, often favoring CPUs paired with DDR5 over DDR4. Even so, performance with these Zen 3 processors remains very strong. While the 12400F does have an advantage when paired with DDR5, the margin is not significant. This is yet another example where the 6-core and 8-core Zen 3 processors deliver nearly identical performance.
Mafia: The Old Country
Mafia: The Old Country sees performance limited to less than 90 fps on these Zen 3 processors when using either the Epic or Medium presets. Even so, only slightly better performance was observed from the 12400F when paired with DDR5, while it was much slower with DDR4. Newer CPUs offer a substantial performance uplift in this title – the 7500F, for example, was 34% faster than the 5800XT when using the Medium settings.
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Assetto Corsa Competizione, like Counter-Strike 2, is a title where AMD CPUs typically outperform Intel, and that trend holds true here. The older Zen 3 processors beat not only the DDR5-enabled 12400F but also the much newer Core Ultra 5 225F. Using the Medium preset, the 5600X matched the 5700X and 5800XT, making it 13% faster than the 225F and 30% faster than the DDR4-configured 12400F.
Baldur's Gate 3
Finally, we have Baldur's Gate 3. Using the Medium settings, the 5600X was just 5% slower than the 5800XT and 8% slower than the 12400F when paired with DDR5 – but it was 20% faster when the Core i5 was limited to DDR4. Performance from these Zen 3 processors was also roughly on par with the 225F, with the 5600X coming in 14% slower than the 7500F. That margin is reduced to just 10% when switching to the Ultra settings.
14 Game Average
Here's a look at the 14-game average, calculated using the geometric mean. Using the Medium settings, the 5600X was, on average, just 4% slower than the 5800XT. Even after all this time, the 6-core and 8-core processors deliver the same per-core performance, and as a result, very similar gaming performance overall. Perhaps more surprising is that across all 14 games tested, we found no cases where the 8-core models were significantly faster.
It is also notable that, on average, the 5600X was able to roughly match the performance of the 12400F when paired with DDR5 memory, while the 5700X matched it exactly. Not only that, but when using the same DDR4-3600 memory, the 5600X ended up 20% faster on average.
The 5600X was also just 9% slower than the newer Core Ultra 5 225F, despite the Intel CPU using extremely high-speed DDR5 CUDIMM memory. It was, however, 17% slower than the 7500F on average.
This shows that the AM5 budget processor offers a meaningful performance advantage in CPU-limited gaming scenarios, which is to be expected given its newer core architecture and native DDR5 support.
Looking at the Ultra settings tells a similar story. Here, the 5600X was still, on average, 16% slower than the 7500F, while once again roughly matching the performance of the 12400F when using DDR5 memory.
An Unexpected Comeback for AM4
AMD's now five-year-old Zen 3 processors have aged incredibly well. And because they use DDR4 memory rather than DDR5, they remain just as relevant and appealing today. Of course, memory pricing and availability vary by region, but right now in Australia you can easily purchase a 16GB DDR4-3600 CL18 kit for $200, while DDR5-5600 CL40 kits start at $330.
For those looking at 32GB kits, DDR4 starts at $400, while DDR5 pricing is closer to $700. That represents a 65-75% premium for DDR5 memory, making DDR4 far more attractive for many gamers, and helping explain why so many gamers are turning back to AMD's AM4 platform.
That part is easy to understand. What's more surprising is just how strong these older Zen 3 CPUs hold up in updated testing. For example, three years ago we compared the Core i5-12400F and Ryzen 5 5600, both using DDR4 memory, and found that the Intel processor was around 5% faster on average when tested with a GeForce RTX 3090 Ti.
If anything, using a much faster GPU today, you would expect that margin to grow in favor of the Core i5, but instead the opposite is true.
In our current testing, the Ryzen 5 5600X was 16% faster using Ultra settings, with that lead growing to 20% at Medium settings. The 5600X itself is only about 4% faster than the 5600, which explains a small slice of the difference – but what's making up the rest?
The bigger shift appears to come from software rather than silicon. With Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft delivered meaningful performance improvements for Ryzen processors, including Zen 3. In previous testing, we observed an average 10% uplift for the Zen 5 – based Ryzen 7 9700X across 22 games when comparing 24H2 to the earlier 23H2 build.
Those gains aren't isolated. Hardware Canucks reported similar results, noting an average 15% uplift for Ryzen at 720p with low settings, or a 7% improvement at 1080p using high settings. More recently, we were looking at TechPowerUp's CPU data, which has not yet been fully updated but still reveals some interesting insights. Their most current results appear in the 9950X3D review, which includes both the Core i9-14900K and Ryzen 7 9800X3D and is based on Windows 11 24H2.
Comparing that data to TechPowerUp's earlier 9800X3D review, which used Windows 11 23H2, reveals a clear trend in games featured in both articles. In Alan Wake, Baldur's Gate 3, and Counter-Strike 2, Ryzen performance improves more noticeably than Intel's. Under 23H2, the 9800X3D was about 15% faster than the 14900K on average.
With 24H2, that advantage expands to 27% across the same three titles. The reason is straightforward: the update boosted the 14900K by just 1.5%, while the 9800X3D gained 12% – a result that closely mirrors both our own testing and Hardware Canucks' findings.
| 720p | Alan Wake 2 | Baldur's Gate 3 | Counter-Strike 2 |
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 23H2 | 197 | 175 | 688 |
| Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 24H2 | 227 | 208 | 751 |
| Percentage Gained | +15% | +19% | +9% |
| Core i9-14900K, 23H2 | 186 | 134 | 601 |
| Core i9-14900K, 24H2 | 189 | 146 | 598 |
| Percentage Gained | +1.6% | +9% | -0.5% |
In practical terms, Windows 11 24H2 has effectively given Zen 3 processors a free generational bump. All gamers had to do was update their OS.
Combine that with the DRAM pricing situation, and you can see why parts like the Ryzen 5 5600X are so appealing. Availability and pricing still depend on where you live, but in the current market, it's an interesting and arguably sensible choice. That wraps up this revisit.
Next up, we'll be diving back into the Ryzen 7 5800X3D (now live) to satisfy the other 53% of you, so it's time to get back to testing.