AMD Ryzen 5 2600

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AMD Ryzen 5 2600
The Ryzen 5 2600 offers an incremental update and really that’s all it had to do. Those who already bought a Ryzen 5 1600 processor aren’t going to be upgrading to the 2600, they’ll likely also skip the 2700X. But for those who are building a new PC now have the choice between a Coffee Lake Core i5 or a 2nd-gen Ryzen 5 processor and this incremental update makes Ryzen far more attractive. The 2600 is also a nice upgrade option for those that purchased a quad-core 1st gen Ryzen processor.
- As reviewed by TechSpot on Apr 2018
6
Cores
12
Threads
3.4 GHz
Base Clock
3.9 GHz
Boost Clock
Socket AM4
Socket
65 W
TDP
No iGPU
Graphics
$99
Price
Release date:Apr 19, 2018Price at Launch:$199
Cores:6Threads:12
Base Clock:3.4 GHzBoost Clock:3.9 GHz
Type:DesktopMultithreading:Yes
L2 Cache:3 MBL3 Cache:16 MB
Box Cooler:YesTDP:65 W
Socket:Socket AM4Memory Support:DDR4-2933
Codename:Pinnacle Ridge (Zen+)Process Size:12 nm
Integrated Graphics:NoNPU:No
PCIe Support:PCIe 3.0, 24 Lanes
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Performance Benchmarks

All benchmark data reflects aggregated results from dozens of tests conducted in TechSpot’s labs and compiled from our full library of CPU reviews. Single-core productivity scores are based primarily on Cinebench and Adobe Photoshop workloads. Multi-core results draw from Cinebench, Blender, Corona Benchmark, 7-Zip, Adobe Premiere Pro, and shader compilation tests. CPU gaming benchmarks are all 1080p runs (explainer) as published on TechSpot.

Single-Core Productivity

Multi-Core Productivity

Gaming Performance

Price History

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 pricing

Last 6 months
Price Date
Current $99 Dec 15, 2025
Highest* $197 Jun 29, 2025
Lowest* $99 Sep 27, 2025
Average $151
* Prices are based on listings from Newegg and other major retailers over the past 12+ months.
TechSpot is supported by its audience. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Learn more here.

Reviews and Ratings

86

Average Score

Based on 23 reviews

9.6

User Score

Based on 24,142 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Excellent performance/price ratio
  • Lower TDP handy for SFF PCs
  • Outstanding performance in multi-threaded apps
  • Bundled cooler improves value proposition
  • Good temperatures

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • Limited all-core overclocking headroom
  • Gaming performance lower than competing Intel Core i5 chips
  • Performance deficit compared to stock Ryzen 7 2700
  • Lacks integrated graphics

Ryzen 5 2600 vs. Core i5-8400: 36 Game Benchmark: But, if you do other things besides gaming then the Ryzen shines and the premium is easily justified. Personally I'd go for the Ryzen 5 2600 as I play games but also create video content and the time savings every day encoding will certainly add up. And that's it for this one, you should now be armed with all the facts you need to make an informed purchase, so good luck.

By TechSpot on
90

The Ryzen 5 2600 offers an incremental update and really that’s all it had to do. Those who already bought a Ryzen 5 1600 processor aren’t going to be upgrading to the 2600, they’ll likely also skip the 2700X. But for those who are building a new PC now have the choice between a Coffee Lake Core i5 or a 2nd-gen Ryzen 5 processor and this incremental update makes Ryzen far more attractive. The 2600 is also a nice upgrade option for those that purchased a quad-core 1st gen Ryzen processor.

By TechSpot on
80

What do you want to do with your PC?AMD's made decent progress in the space of a year, working on its weakness in single-threaded performance and 1080p gaming while continuing to push its advantage in multi-threaded performance.

By hardwarezone.com.my on
96

AMD Ryzen 5 2600 delivers excellent performance when it comes to games and productivity applications. It is also a great choice if you are building your own PC in a compact case since it has a 65W TDP. The Ryzen 5 2600 is more than just a quality gaming CPU; with its multi-threaded chops, it also has a good value chip.

By TheStreamingBlog on
90

This has been a very interesting ride as i'm used to launch articles and showing the latest and greatest. Now I'm looking at comparing gaming performance on the middle of the road SKU or what many would label boring.

By bjorn3d.com on
80

AMD's made decent progress in the space of a year, working on its weakness in single-threaded performance and 1080p gaming while continuing to push its advantage in multi-threaded performance.

By hardwarezone.com.sg on
80

It’s the same old story. AMD’s latest chips are great value for certain tasks but less so for others. You get masses of multi-thread performance, but single-thread and gaming performance trails Intel’s rival processors a little.

By Trusted Reviews on
70

AMD's Ryzen 5 2600 provides excellent performance in productivity applications and competitive frame rates in games. It's also an attractive choice for anyone building a PC in a compact case, given a 65W TDP. But if you're more interested in raw performance or overclocking, Ryzen 5 2600X is a better option for just $20 more.

By Tom's Hardware on
100

Is there any reason to buy an Intel CPU now that the AMD Ryzen 2700 and 2600 are out? Or even reason to get the X variants (2700X & 2600X)?

By techteamgb.co.uk on
100

In the end then AMD’s non-X 2600 has more power inside it than you’re really likely to use, and is still able to offer all that for a mighty tempting price. You might need to get your hands dirty to get the most out of it, but it’s well worth the minimal effort.

By pcgamesn.com on
90

Overall, then, the Ryzen 5 2600 is a stunning success thanks to a ridiculously low price, great multi-threaded performance and lightly-threaded performance that's both better than its predecessors and also aided further by using fast memory. For purely game-focussed systems, Intel still has a lead, but for value and all-round performance, the Ryzen 5 2600 is hard to beat, and once overclocked is better value than the Ryzen 5 2600X too.

By BitTech on
85

Though not as powerful as the X lineup, the Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 7 2700 make for great additions to the already stellar Ryzen range of CPU’s.

By CGM on
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