6 Cores vs. 8 Cores for Gaming: 24 Recreation Benchmark

Should you’re seeking to improve from an older Ryzen or constructing a brand new PC, the 2 most engaging choices for players proper now are arguably the Ryzen 5 5600 for ~$200 or the Ryzen 7 5700X for ~$300. A fast and easy value per core calculation will inform you that the 5700X is coming in at a 13% worth premium, leading to a 50% worth hike general, so is it value it and at what level ought to players take into account the 5700X over the 5600?

On this article we’ll reply these questions and extra, so let’s go over the take a look at system specs, leap into the outcomes, after which break all of it down.

For this one we have a 24 recreation benchmark masking the 1080p and 1440p resolutions utilizing each the Radeon RX 6950 XT and 6600 XT, with SAM enabled.

The motherboard used for testing is the previous MSI B350 Tomahawk utilizing the newest BIOS revision based mostly on the AGESA 1.2.0.7 microcode, which allows Resizable BAR assist together with assist for Ryzen 5000 collection processors. Please be aware as proven beforehand efficiency is inside just a few p.c of what we see with the very best X570 boards.

Then we’ve 32GB of DDR4-3200 CL14 dual-rank dual-channel reminiscence, and this similar configuration was used for testing all Ryzen processors. With that out of the best way, let’s go over a couple of dozen of the video games examined after which we’ll check out the 24 recreation common…

Benchmarks

Beginning with Fortnite utilizing aggressive high quality settings, we discover that the 5700X affords a slight efficiency benefit, although I would not be too fast to chalk that one as much as the truth that we’re evaluating 6 vs. 8 cores.

We’re speaking a couple of small 4% to five% efficiency distinction and the 5700X usually clocks 5% increased than the 5600, so we would say that is the place the majority of the efficiency discrepancy comes from, which is sensible given Fortnite is not a heavy core person.

It is a related story when testing ACC, we’re a 4-6% distinction between these two CPUs and with the medium high quality settings the sport is closely CPU certain, significantly at 1080p.

Once more, it is the clock pace benefit of the 5700X that’s key to the efficiency discrepancy, however with each being unlocked CPUs, it’s best to be capable to obtain the identical degree of efficiency by merely overclocking.

Out of the 24 video games we benchmarked, the one title to indicate greater than a ~10% margin between the 5600 and 5700X was Name of Responsibility Vanguard. Right here the 5700X was as much as 25% sooner when paired with the 6950 XT and nonetheless 22% sooner at 1440p, although the 1% lows have been related, resulting in an indistinguishable expertise general.

Utilizing the 6950 XT at 1080p, CPU utilization of the Ryzen 5 5600 by no means dipped beneath 80% in our take a look at, typically hovering round 90 – 95%. Regardless of that although, body time efficiency was wonderful with no stuttering, however with extra headroom the 5700X was in a position to push body charges increased.

That is an instance the place the additional 2 cores did end in considerably extra efficiency, although to not a level anybody would discover given the extent of efficiency the 5600 already allows.

Cyberpunk 2077 leans on the CPU fairly closely, although the identical can be true of the GPU and it is usually the graphics aspect of issues the place efficiency is most restricted on this recreation.

At 1080p utilizing the 6950 XT we did discover that 1% lows have been 10% stronger with the 5700X and that margin goes past the 5% clock pace benefit. The expertise with the 5600 was nearly indistinguishable although.

Transferring on, we’ve Counter-Strike International Offensive although there’s not a lot to see right here. We love aggressive shooters, however with trendy CPUs and GPUs in a position to push previous 300 fps, it is laborious to say how related this recreation is for testing trendy {hardware}.

The 5600 and 5700X are the first system bottleneck on this take a look at with the 6600 XT and 6950 XT delivering the identical degree of efficiency. There’s solely a 4% margin between the 2 CPUs, which might be attributed to the distinction in clock pace.

Rainbow Six Extraction is one other aggressive shooter however this one is completely GPU certain utilizing the 5600 or 5700X, even with the high-end Radeon 6950 XT.

We’re utilizing the second highest high quality preset for testing, besides the 6950 XT was good for over 300 fps at 1080p. For many of you that is probably greater than sufficient efficiency.

F1 2021 is one other recreation that performs at a whole lot of frames per second utilizing the newest and best {hardware}, although it isn’t practically as CPU restricted as CS:GO.

The Ryzen 5600 and 5700X have been neck and neck with the RX 6600 XT, after which with the 6950 XT we see as much as a 6% margin favoring the 5700X.

Forza Horizon 5 is type of light-weight on the CPU, so these outcomes are as anticipated, principally the identical degree of efficiency is seen utilizing both CPU, and with the Radeon RX 6600 XT the sport is completely GPU restricted.

Hitman 3 is way extra CPU demanding than Forza, however we’re nonetheless GPU restricted with the 6600 XT. The sport begins to grow to be ever so barely CPU restricted with the 6950 XT at 1080p, however we’re nonetheless speaking a couple of 5% benefit for the 5700X.

Now, The Riftbreaker might be very CPU demanding. The 5700X was as much as 21% sooner than the 5600, seen when 1% lows with the 6950 XT at 1080p, although we noticed a milder 10% uplift for the typical body price. These margins are diminished at 1440p and no distinction was seen with the 6600 XT.

The final recreation that we will take a look at the person knowledge for is Watch Canines: Legion, and this can be a very demanding recreation on each CPU and GPU fronts. We’re utilizing barely dialed-down high quality settings, besides we’re restricted to ~100 fps at 1080p with the 6950 XT utilizing both CPU.

The 5700X was 10-11% sooner when CPU certain in our testing, so these further cores are serving to to barely enhance efficiency past the 5% improve in frequency.

24 Recreation Common

For these working high-end GPUs such because the Radeon RX 6950 XT at low resolutions like 1080p, we’re not more than a 5% efficiency benefit for the Ryzen 7 5700X over the Ryzen 5 5600, so general it largely got here right down to the distinction in clock frequency.

That margin was diminished to 4% at 1440p, that means there’s little or no distinction between the 6-core and 8-core Zen 3 processors. Then in fact, when you’re utilizing a slower, mid-range GPU just like the Radeon RX 6600 XT, for essentially the most half there’s going to be no efficiency distinction to talk of…

Trying on the Radeon 6950 XT’s margins at 1080p, the Ryzen 5700X was as much as 25% sooner, seen in Name of Responsibility Vanguard which is an outlier in our testing, with a typical margin of simply 5%.

There have been simply 5 titles the place the margin exceeded that of the clock frequency discrepancy between these two CPUs: The Riftbreaker, Watch Canines: Legion, Loss of life Stranding, Far Cry 6, and Name of Responsibility.

Then with the Radeon RX 6600 XT, the outcomes get a bit blended up as video games like Name of Responsibility Vanguard grow to be virtually completely GPU certain. Video games the place this wasn’t the case embrace Far Cry 6, ACC and Fortnite, with the remainder of the margins inside 5%.

6 Cores or 8 Cores for Gaming?

For essentially the most half, there’s little or no distinction between the Ryzen 5 5600 and Ryzen 7 5700X for PC players. This in all probability will not be information to a lot of you, but it surely’s good to see this as clear as day on a devoted take a look at.

Just a few months again, we printed a Zen 3 CPU scaling characteristic that in contrast the 5600X, 5800X, 5900X and 5950X utilizing a spread of video games, high quality settings, and graphics playing cards. The margins we noticed then with the RTX 3090 are just like what we have seen right now utilizing the 6950 XT with a wider vary of video games, many titles of that are fairly new.

Now to the query, must you spend the additional $100 on the Ryzen 7 5700X? That may in fact rely on the video games you play, the way you play them, and the way probably you assume it’s that future video games would require the additional processing energy the extra two cores of the 5700X supply.

Because it stands proper now, there’s solely a handful of video games the place you’ll be able to justify buying the 5700X, past the truth that you possibly can afford it and also you simply wished it (productiveness? hey). However when you’re searching for examples of video games that clearly justify shopping for an 8-core Zen 3 processor over a 6-core mannequin, you are going to wrestle to provide you with many.

Conversely, when you’re after current-gen PC gaming efficiency, however wish to spend as little cash as doable, the Ryzen 5 5600 goes to take advantage of sense. Save the $100 now and put it in the direction of an improve later, or in the direction of a sooner GPU.

Spending $300 on the 5700X remains to be an amazing possibility general. Should you additionally use your PC for tackling core-heavy productiveness workloads then the selection turns into a lot simpler. For that kind of person, the 5700X or maybe even the 5900X can be extra what you would be .

It is also value noting that when you’re not simply upgrading from an older Ryzen processor, so that you’re conducting a whole platform improve or constructing a brand new PC, the worth equation is extra favorable to the 5700X.

We regularly see the argument made that though a component just like the 5700X is 50% dearer, when you’re constructing a whole PC which could value $1,200 with the 5600, growing that finances to $1,300 to accommodate the 5700X is simply an 8% improve. However when you make use of that mindset each step of the best way, you find yourself with extra reminiscence, storage, a greater energy provide, the subsequent tier in GPU efficiency, and so forth, and earlier than lengthy that $1,200 finances blows out to $2,200.

Should you can afford to try this, that is superior, however you are not precisely searching for sound tech recommendation, you are simply shopping for the very best factor you’ll be able to afford. Should you’re extra excited about getting essentially the most bang in your buck now, the Ryzen 5 5600 can be the smarter alternative. As soon as once more, if you’re solely taking part in video games, that further 33% processing energy supplied by 5700X will make little noticeable distinction for players throughout the real looking lifespan of those merchandise, outdoors of some outliers.

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