Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: Which Is Better for Gaming?

Short answer: With the fastest graphics card at 1080p, where the processor sets the limit, the two are within 2% of each other in our nine-game model (129 vs 129 FPS). With a mid-range RTX 5070 at 1440p the gap almost disappears, because the graphics card becomes the limit.

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Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: at a glance

	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 5 5600X
1080p gaming score, Tom’s Hardware (RTX 5090)	Not in chart	Not in chart
Multi-thread score, Tom’s Hardware	29.5%	Not in chart
Single-thread score, Tom’s Hardware	67%	Not in chart
Avg FPS, RTX 5090 at 1080p (our model)	129	129
Avg FPS, RTX 5070 at 1440p (our model)	104	104
Launch price	$299	$299

Tom’s Hardware scores are percentages of the fastest chip in each chart (1080p gaming: Ryzen 7 9850X3D = 100%, 17-game geomean, RTX 5090, updated 5 October 2026). “Not in chart” means Tom’s current chart does not include that chip. Our model averages nine demanding games on High.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: what independent benchmarks show

In TechSpot’s January 2026 AM4 revisit (RTX 5090, 14 games), the 8-core Ryzen 7 5700X essentially matched the 6-core Ryzen 5 5600X: extra cores did not add gaming performance.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X FPS in popular games

Game	Ryzen 7 5700X RTX 5090, 1080p	Ryzen 5 5600X RTX 5090, 1080p	Ryzen 7 5700X RTX 5070, 1440p	Ryzen 5 5600X RTX 5070, 1440p
Counter-Strike 2	354 (233 low)	354 (233 low)	354	354
Valorant	432 (285 low)	432 (285 low)	432	432
Fortnite	204 (135 low)	204 (135 low)	150	150
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7	165 (109 low)	165 (109 low)	105	105
Battlefield 6	126 (83 low)	126 (83 low)	118	118
ARC Raiders	141 (93 low)	141 (93 low)	129	129
Marvel Rivals	134 (88 low)	134 (88 low)	91	91
Cyberpunk 2077	118 (78 low)	118 (78 low)	102	102
Black Myth: Wukong	102 (67 low)	102 (67 low)	70	70
Hogwarts Legacy	86 (57 low)	86 (57 low)	86	86
Baldur's Gate 3	86 (57 low)	86 (57 low)	86	86
Elden Ring	60 (40 low)	60 (40 low)	60	60

Average FPS and 1% lows on High from our FPS model, which is calibrated against published reviews; expect real results within about ±12%. Elden Ring is capped at 60 FPS.

The RTX 5090 columns show the most each processor can do, because the graphics card is fast enough never to be the limit. The RTX 5070 columns show a typical mid-range build, where the two chips land much closer together.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: does the difference matter at 1440p and 4K?

Setup	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 5 5600X	Difference
RTX 5090, 1080p	129	129	0%
RTX 5090, 4K	121	121	0%
RTX 5070, 1080p	126	126	0%
RTX 5070, 1440p	104	104	0%

Nine-game average FPS on High from our model.

The faster CPU only pays off when the graphics card is not the limit: at 1080p with a high-end card, with a high refresh rate monitor, or in CPU-heavy games such as Counter-Strike 2, strategy and simulation titles. At 4K with any card, and at 1440p with a mid-range card, the two chips perform close to the same.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: specifications

Spec	Ryzen 7 5700X	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cores / threads	8 / 16	6 / 12
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 3
L3 cache	32 MB	32 MB
Max boost clock	4.6 GHz	4.6 GHz
Socket	AM4	AM4
Memory	DDR4	DDR4
Rated / max power	65 W / ~88 W	65 W / ~88 W
Released	2022	2020
Launch price	$299	$299

Manufacturer specifications. Maximum power is AMD’s package power limit (PPT) or Intel’s maximum turbo power. Launch price is the manufacturer’s suggested price at release; street prices are usually lower.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: value: price per frame

At launch prices, the Ryzen 7 5700X gives 43.2 FPS per $100 and the Ryzen 5 5600X gives 43.2 FPS per $100 (RTX 5090, 1080p average). Value is about the same. Street prices change week to week, so redo the math with today’s prices: divide the price by the FPS, and remember to include the motherboard and memory if the sockets differ.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: platform, cooling and power

Same socket (AM4). AM4 is end-of-line: no new desktop chips are coming, but boards and DDR4 memory are cheap, and the Ryzen 7 5700X3D and 5800X3D are the strongest drop-in gaming upgrades.
Cooling: The stock cooler (if one is included) or any $25 tower cooler is enough. This applies to both chips.
Power supply: with an RTX 5070, about 550 W for the Ryzen 7 5700X and 550 W for the Ryzen 5 5600X. See the PSU calculator.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: bottleneck with popular graphics cards

Graphics card	Ryzen 7 5700X (1080p / 1440p)	Ryzen 5 5600X (1080p / 1440p)
RTX 5060	19% CPU / 1% CPU	19% CPU / 1% CPU
RX 9060 XT 16GB	21% CPU / 4% CPU	21% CPU / 4% CPU
RTX 5070	30% CPU / 17% CPU	30% CPU / 17% CPU
RTX 5070 Ti	33% CPU / 21% CPU	33% CPU / 21% CPU
RX 9070 XT	34% CPU / 22% CPU	34% CPU / 22% CPU
RTX 5080	36% CPU / 25% CPU	36% CPU / 25% CPU
RTX 5090	38% CPU / 28% CPU	38% CPU / 28% CPU

From our bottleneck calculator, default settings, with CPU speed scaled to the measured gaming results above. Up to 10% is balanced; a GPU limit is normal.

Full lists: best GPU for the Ryzen 7 5700X and best GPU for the Ryzen 5 5600X.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: which one should you buy?

Buy the Ryzen 7 5700X if you also stream, edit video or render (more threads).
Buy the Ryzen 5 5600X if it costs clearly less.

Should you upgrade from the Ryzen 5 5600X to the Ryzen 7 5700X?

Probably not. A gap of about 0% is hard to feel in games, especially at 1440p and 4K. Put the money into a faster graphics card instead.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: frequently asked questions

Is the Ryzen 7 5700X better than the Ryzen 5 5600X for gaming?

With a high-end graphics card at 1080p, the two are within 2% of each other in our model. At 1440p with a mid-range card the difference is almost none.

How much faster is the Ryzen 7 5700X?

About 0% at 1080p with a top graphics card, 0% at 1440p with an RTX 5070, and 0% at 4K.

Which one is better for streaming and video editing?

The one with more cores and threads usually wins: the Ryzen 7 5700X here.

Can I use the Ryzen 7 5700X and Ryzen 5 5600X on the same motherboard?

Yes, both use the AM4 socket. Update the motherboard BIOS before swapping to the newer chip.

Which one uses less power?

Both have about the same maximum power (88 W vs 88 W). In games they usually draw well below that.

What cooler do I need?

For both: the stock cooler (if one is included) or any $25 tower cooler is enough.

Is there a difference at 4K?

Very little. At 4K the graphics card is the limit, so the two land within 0% of each other even with an RTX 5090 in our model.

Which graphics card should I pair with them?

See our best GPU for the Ryzen 7 5700X and best GPU for the Ryzen 5 5600X guides, or check any pair in the bottleneck calculator.

Ryzen 7 5700X vs Ryzen 5 5600X: how we compared

Measured results: gaming, multi-thread and single-thread scores are from Tom’s Hardware’s CPU hierarchy (RTX 5090, 1080p, 17 games; DDR5-6000 on AM5, DDR5-7200 on Intel), plus TechSpot reviews where noted.
Per-game FPS: from our FPS model, calibrated against published reviews; when both chips are in Tom’s Hardware’s chart, the per-game numbers are scaled to match its measured gap. Use it for the size of the gap between the chips, not as an exact frame rate.
Specs and prices: AMD and Intel specifications; launch prices at release.

More comparisons

Sources: Tom’s Hardware – CPU Benchmarks Hierarchy (updated 5 October 2026); TechSpot – AMD Ryzen AM4 revisit: 5600X, 5700X, 5800XT (January 2026); AMD and Intel product specifications.