Ryzen 5 2600 vs Ryzen 5 5600X — Specs & Performance Compared

Verdict: The Ryzen 5 5600X is ahead of the Ryzen 5 2600 on all 6 shared benchmarks on file, by 49% to 126%, including 49% in Cinebench R23 single (1,567 vs 1,053).

Side-by-side CPU comparison of the Ryzen 5 2600 and the Ryzen 5 5600X. Released 2018 (Ryzen 5 2600), 2020 (Ryzen 5 5600X). MSRP range: $199 · $299. Specs, synthetic benchmarks, AI inference tok/s, and Amazon availability below; each column header links to that part's benchmark page.

AMD

Ryzen 5 2600

6 cores65W TDP$199 MSRP2018

Full Ryzen 5 2600 benchmarks →

AMD · Zen 3

Ryzen 5 5600X

6 cores65W TDP$299 MSRP2020

Full Ryzen 5 5600X benchmarks →

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Price and availability subject to change.

Where to buy

A listing for each part; the current price and stock are on the retailer's page.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600X
cores	6	6
threads	12	12
base clock ghz	3.4	—
boost clock ghz	3.9	4.6
tdp w	65	65
l3 cache mb	16	32
process nm	12	—
socket	AMD Socket AM4	AM4

Synthetic benchmarks

Each row says whether a higher or a lower number is better (ranks and times are lower-is-better). Scores come from Tom's Hardware, CGDirector, GadgetVersus, CPU-Monkey, Notebookcheck, Phoronix, Geekbench Browser, CpuTronic, PassMark, numberworld.org and HWBOT; each row links its sources, and where they differ the cell shows their median. Empty cells mean we don't yet have that benchmark on file for the SKU.

Benchmark	Ryzen 5 2600	Ryzen 5 5600X
Cinebench R23 multi (higher is better) Source: Tom's Hardware, CGDirector, GadgetVersus, CPU-Monkey, Notebookcheck	7,306 points	11,520 pts
Cinebench R23 single (higher is better) Source: Tom's Hardware, CGDirector, GadgetVersus, CPU-Monkey, Notebookcheck	1,053 points	1,567 pts
Geekbench 6 multi (higher is better) Source: Phoronix, Geekbench Browser, GadgetVersus, CpuTronic	5,239 points	8,973 pts
Geekbench 6 single (higher is better) Source: Phoronix, Geekbench Browser, GadgetVersus, CpuTronic	1,162 points	2,166 pts
PassMark CPU Mark (higher is better) Source: PassMark	13,133 points	20,368 pts
PassMark Single Thread (higher is better) Source: PassMark	—	3,366 points
PassMark Single Thread Rating (higher is better) Source: PassMark	2,234 points	3,365 points
Y-cruncher 1B (lower is better) Source: numberworld.org, HWBOT	110 seconds	49 seconds

Quick answers

Which is faster, the Ryzen 5 2600 or the Ryzen 5 5600X?

The Ryzen 5 5600X is ahead of the Ryzen 5 2600 on all 6 shared benchmarks on file, by 49% to 126%, including 49% in Cinebench R23 single (1,567 vs 1,053).

What did the Ryzen 5 2600 and the Ryzen 5 5600X cost at launch?

The Ryzen 5 2600 launched at a $199 MSRP and the Ryzen 5 5600X at $299. Street prices drift from launch pricing; the Where to buy section links current listings.