AMD Ryzen 5 5500

The Ryzen 5 5500 certainly works well, but realistically if you're on a budget yet remain a performance-minded enthusiast, this CPU should be avoided even at $140. At that price, the R5 5500 is about 20% more affordable than the 5600, and we only found it to be 14% slower under extreme conditions, but we're also talking about $40, and of course, there are other considerations such as the lack of PCIe 4.0 support.
- As reviewed by TechSpot on Jul 2022
6
Cores
12
Threads
3.6 GHz
Base Clock
4.2 GHz
Boost Clock
Socket AM4
Socket
65 W
TDP
No iGPU
Graphics
$74
Price
Release date:Apr 4, 2022Price at Launch:$159
Cores:6Threads:12
Base Clock:3.6 GHzBoost Clock:4.2 GHz
Type:DesktopMultithreading:Yes
L2 Cache:3 MBL3 Cache:16 MB
Box Cooler:YesTDP:65 W
Socket:Socket AM4Memory Support:DDR4-3200
Codename:Vermeer (Zen 3)Process Size:7 nm
Integrated Graphics:NoNPU:No
PCIe Support:PCIe 3.0, 24 lanes

Price History

AMD Ryzen 5 5500 pricing

Price Date
Current $74 Dec 16, 2025
Highest* $83 Jul 1, 2025
Lowest* $54 Oct 14, 2025
Average $69
* Prices are based on listings from Newegg and other major retailers over the past 12+ months.
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Reviews and Ratings

9.4

User Score

Based on 6,387 reviews

Reviewers Liked

  • Decent performance in CPU-intensive tasks
  • Very affordable

Reviewers Didn't Like

  • A step down in gaming performance
60

The Ryzen 5 5500 certainly works well, but realistically if you're on a budget yet remain a performance-minded enthusiast, this CPU should be avoided even at $140. At that price, the R5 5500 is about 20% more affordable than the 5600, and we only found it to be 14% slower under extreme conditions, but we're also talking about $40, and of course, there are other considerations such as the lack of PCIe 4.0 support.

By TechSpot on
70

Intel's competitive Alder Lake chips have upset AMD's dominance with its Ryzen processors, particularly in the lower price ranges, but the new $199 six-core 12-thread Ryzen 5 5600 and $159 Ryzen 5 5500 are designed to plug key gaps in the company's...

By Tom's Hardware on
70

AMD's Ryzen 5 5500 offers decent performance for non-gaming tasks, but it trails slightly costlier AMD and Intel CPUs in our benchmarks, making it a second-tier pick.

By PCMag on

The Ryzen 5 5500 is a great chip for upgraders with existing Ryzen systems, but it only makes sense for new builds if you need more threaded heft and don't mind using an older platform. The Core i3-12100 is a better choice for gaming-focused rigs due to its higher performance and friendlier price tag.

By Tom's Hardware on

AMD basically invented affordable, high-core-count mainstream desktop CPUs with the original Ryzen processors. Taking nearly 18 months to bring the company's newest architecture down to its more cash-strapped customers isn't a great look.

By Ars Technica on

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