Ryzen CPU Buyer’s Guide

We recently covered the current lineup of GPUs in 2017 , but we didn’t offer any CPUs to go along with them. Luckily, AMD has a great many options to complement your new GPU.

Since its initial release in March of this year, AMD’s Ryzen lineup of CPUs has demonstrated that AMD is not yet out of the CPU game and that Intel still has a competitor on the market. Before Ryzen, AMD’s last large-scale CPU architecture was FX, which was released in 2011. (For perspective: children born when FX launched are now entering school.) Over that six-year gap of AMD not being able to compete with Intel in the High-End and Enthusiast markets, we’ve seen a massive shift from AMD to Intel at practically every price point and in every use case.

However, that is no longer true. AMD’s Ryzen lineup successfully competes with Intel — and in some respects triumphs over them — at practically every price point from $160 to $1,000. This doesn’t mean that you should immediately jump from the blue side to the red side, however, as Intel still has the upper hand when it comes to things like single-core performance and IPC. At the end of the day, however, AMD has done exactly what they intended to: give consumers a second option for CPUs.

The goal of this Buyer’s Guide is to brief you on the currently-available chips that comprise the Ryzen lineup, demonstrate where each chip performs best, and help you decide which chip is right for you based on your budget and intended use.

Let’s get to it!

Differences Between Motherboard Types

When building or upgrading a computer based around Ryzen, eventually you’ll have to decide what motherboard you’re pairing your chip with. However, it isn’t quite as simple as picking the highest-rated board and checking out. Not every Ryzen chip will work on any AM4 motherboard, and some features won’t be enabled depending on which board you go with. Below, we’ll go over the core differences that you’ll find when putting the three major board types alongside each other.

A320

The A320 chipset from AMD is the lowest-end currently offered on the Ryzen platform. It supports only up to Ryzen’s lineup of 4C/8T chips, meaning you cannot seat an R5 1600 or greater on the socket; the chip simply won’t work. Aside from this, the board also does not allow overclocking — a feature that is enabled on every Ryzen CPU currently available. The chipset also only allows 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port. At the end of the day, A320 is more for off-the-shelf office PCs than it is for any gamer.

B350

The B350 chipset is where AMD strikes the best balance between budget and features. B350 boards offer overclocking, an additional USB 3.1 Gen 2 port, *most boards support AMD’s entire Ryzen lineup of CPUs, and the price of these boards generally stays in the $100-200 range. What B350 lacks, and what the biggest selling point for X370 is, is that the B350 chipset does not allow multi-GPU setups. Crossfire / SLI is disabled on B350 motherboards. However, if you’re not looking to run multiple GPUs, B350 boards are a great balance between features and budget.

*Some B350 motherboards will not support every Ryzen chip currently available, and this will be on a board-by-board basis. Check specifications for each B350 board before purchasing.

X370

As mentioned above, the X370 chipset is AMD’s flagship series of boards which are intended to bring you every feature that AM4 offers. You’re allowed overclocking, multi-GPU support, additional PCIE lanes for add-in cards/storage, two additional SATA ports, (A320 and B350 offer up to four)  and four more USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports. (USB 3.1 Gen 1 is different from Gen 2. USB 3.1 Gen 1 is the standard USB 3 port that you’re likely used to seeing on most computers)

For most consumers, the B350 chipset is going to more than suffice, offering the best middle-ground for the Ryzen platform at a great price. If you’re looking to be on the bleeding edge of AM4 however, you’re going to want to look towards the X370 chipset.

Ryzen Chips Overview

In the lineup for Ryzen that is currently available, you’ll see a handful of chips ranging from $160 all the way up to $450. This is because AMD is intending for their Ryzen platform to cover every possible price bracket. This includes even High-End hardware, as AMD recently announced their Epyc lineup of processors intended for server use, as well as their Threadripper series, which is intended to bridge the gap between their server market and consumer market.

Below, we’ll quickly cover the general specs pertaining to each chip. This includes their core count, cache, included cooler, (if applicable) Cinebench R15 score, and finally cost. This is to give you a brief rundown of what each chip offers, and what it is best intended for.

It is important to note that within each lineup, the only difference between each chip is their stock clock speed and overclocking capabilities. This means that a well-binned R7 1700 will match the performance of an 1800X, but a well-binned 1800X will outperform all other chips.

Ryzen CPU Lineup Overview

Enthusiast ($300+)

R7 1800X

The R7 1800X is the fastest (for multithreaded applications) CPU currently available on the Ryzen platform. However, as it might be obvious, it is not cheap and is the most expensive chip in the Ryzen lineup.

• Cores: 8C/16T
• Cache: 4MB L2, 16MB L3
• TDP: 95W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.6 / 4.0GHz
• Cooler: N/A
• Cinebench R15: ~1600
• Cost: $459

Overall, the R7 1800X is a very fast, very capable chip that raises the bar for multithreaded workloads. As of the time of writing this article, Intel’s closest competition comes in at around $1,000.

R7 1700X

The R7 1700X is where many consumers will find the best price-to-performance ratio on the enthusiast side of things. Effectively, it is an 1800X with a slightly lower clock speed, for $100 less. While you might not be able to overclock it as far as you could the 1800X (results will vary from chip to chip) it will offer you 90% of the experience of the 1800X for much cheaper.

• Cores: 8C/16T
• Cache: 4MB L2, 16MB L3
• TDP: 95W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.4 / 3.8GHz
• Cooler: N/A
• Cinebench R15: ~1500
• Cost: $359

If you’re looking to go the route of 8C/16T and feel your workload will benefit from this kind of chip, the 1700X is a great option at a very comfortable price.

R7 1700

The R7 1700 is where Ryzen’s enthusiast chips begin. While it isn’t the best overclocker, and it isn’t the best R7 chip available, it’s much cheaper than the 1800X, while still maintaining the same number of cores, cache, and TDP. Furthermore, for anyone not looking to overclock, the CPU also comes with AMD’s new Wraith Spire cooler, meaning you can save money by not having to purchase an aftermarket cooler. One is recommended if you intend to overclock, however.

• Cores: 8C/16T
• Cache: 4MB L2, 16MB L3
• TDP: 95W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.0 / 3.7GHz
• Cooler: Wrath Spire
• Cinebench R15: ~1400
• Cost: $299

The R7 1700 is a very compelling option from AMD’s Ryzen lineup, striking the perfect balance between affordability and performance. If your chip is capable of overclocking well, you’d even be able to close the gap between it and the 1800X, saving yourself a lot of money in the process.

High-End (<$300)

As of writing this article, AMD currently has two Ryzen CPUs in the $200-300 range, both offering 6C/12T. This is a great balance, and the perfect sweet spot for gamers and content creators alike who are wrestling with a budget. The R5 1600X and 1500X are two very powerful, very affordable chips that bridge the gap between multithreaded workloads and gaming, offering great performance in both.

R5 1600X

The R5 1600X, the more expensive of the two chips in this area, is a very fast, powerful chip that comes in at a price which aims to undercut Intel’s i5 lineup of CPUs. With it’s 6C/12T layout, the chip is put into an excellent position where it is easily capable of performing in multithreaded applications, while not spreading itself too thin for things like gaming, which don’t necessarily take advantage of the high core count.

• Cores: 6C/12T
• Cache: 3MB L2, 16MB L3
• TDP: 95W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.6 / 4.0GHz
• Cooler: N/A
• Cinebench R15: ~1250
• Cost: $249

The R5 1600X’s biggest downfall is that it does not come with a stock cooler. Because of this, you’ll need to invest in an aftermarket cooler. Such a purchase would easily push you closer to the $300 mark for the chip, and by then it might be better to just pick up the R7 1700, which does include a stock cooler. If you’re more focused on a hybrid build that does not undercut your gaming performance quite as much, however, the 1600X is a safe bet.

R5 1600

Much like the R7 1700, the R5 1600 is AMD’s baseline 6C/12T chip. However, as previously mentioned, the core differences between the 1600 and 1600X lie solely in this inclusion of a stock cooler, and the stock clock speeds of the chip. Because of this, you can easily overclock the R5 1600 to match the R5 1600X — and sometimes even outperform it, while spending less. (This is mainly due to the 1600X not including a cooler.)

One other detail to note is that the R5 1600 also features a reduced TDP. This is good for thermals, as it means less heat needs to be dissipated from the chip. The only downside to this is that it means overclocking the chip might prove slightly more difficult compared to its immediate step-up.

• Cores: 6C/12T
• Cache: 3MB L2, 16MB L3
• TDP: 65W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.0 / 3.7GHz
• Cooler: Wrath Spire
• Cinebench R15: ~1100
• Cost: $219

Of the two R5 chips which feature 6C/12T, it could easily be argued that the R5 1600 is the superior chip versus the 1600X, as the included cooler can help save you money, and the chip can easily be overclocked to nearly matching the performance of the 1600X.

Mainstream (<$200)

AMD’s mainstream lineup of Ryzen chips features the R5 1500X, and the R5 1400. Both chips feature 4C/8T, which is the sweet spot for gaming. While it might not be the best for multithreaded workloads, these chips are definitely worth taking a look at for anyone on a budget. Because of their lower core count, the 1400 and 1500X are the perfect Ryzen chips for computers focused mostly on gaming. The chips aren’t going to be incompatible with multithreaded workloads or anything, but they might not perform quite as well as the chips immediately proceeding them.

One very nice advantage to these two chips is that they both feature a stock cooler, meaning you can save money by not having to purchase an aftermarket cooler to use your computer.

R5 1500X

Being the greater of the two, the R5 1500X is a great chips for gamers looking to build a gaming computer without breaking the bank. Because of the 1500X’s competitive price compared to Intel’s similarly-specced chips, gamers playing on AMD’s Ryzen chips are enabled to spend more of their budget on a GPU without worrying that it will be bottlenecked. Because of this, you’re able to get more graphics horsepower and more CPU horsepower compared to Intel, without spending any more money.

• Cores: 4C/8T
• Cache: 2MB L2, 16MB L3
• TDP: 65W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.5 / 3.7GHz
• Cooler: Wrath Spire
• Cinebench R15: ~800
• Cost: $189

At just under $200, the R5 1500X is in a comfortable place. The included Wrath Spire coolers show promising cooling capabilities, the price is better than Intel’s i5 offerings at every corner, and the Core / Thread count is perfect for gaming.

R5 1400

By now, it should be fairly clear what the R5 1400 represents. In essence, it is the slightly cheaper version of the 1500X. It features the same Cores / Threads, the same TDP, and is only held back by its stock cooler, reduced L3 cache, and stock frequency. The R5 1400 uses AMD’s Wrath Stealth cooler, which does not perform quite as well as their Spire cooler, but will surely do the job just fine for a majority of use cases.

• Cores: 4C/8T
• Cache: 2MB L2, 8MB L3
• TDP: 65W
• Base / Turbo Frequency: 3.2 / 3.4GHz
• Cooler: Wrath Stealth
• Cinebench R15: ~675
• Cost: $169

Unlike other cases, the R5 1400 is actually difficult to recommend compared to the R5 1500X. The cooler isn’t as good, the chip has reduced L3 cache, and you’re only saving $20 — a savings that isn’t made up by the cooler like it otherwise would be, if it weren’t for the R5 1500X offering the Wraith Spire cooler. If you need to pinch pennies, the R5 1400 exists. Otherwise, turn your attention towards the R5 1500X.

Suggested Chips

Now that we’ve covered the gist of what each chip in the Ryzen lineup looks like, you’re probably scratching your head wondering which one is right for you. To help amend that, I’ll be outlining our picks for the best Ryzen CPU for any given scenario. Whether it’s for gaming, content creation, a mixture of both or even budget. More than likely there will be a CPU that suits your needs perfectly.

Let’s get to it!

Content Creation

Content creation, whether you’re a YouTuber, a professional photographer, a video editor or anything in-between, is more or less the process of creating content for a platform. Oftentimes this will involve software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Blender, 3DS Max, Cinema 4D and so on. These applications all support multithreaded workloads, which means that an R7 chip is going to be ideal. Because of that fact, our pick for the ideal content creation CPU is:

R7 1700

It’s difficult to recommend the R7 1800X or 1700X when the R7 1700 exists. It features the same Core / Thread count, cache and TDP as the other two, while also coming in at a much lower price. Not to mention, the R7 1700 also includes a stock cooler, furthering the money you save.

When overclocking, it is imperative that you find a stable clock. Rendering a project for many hours (or even days) at a time means that any form of critical system failure is simply not acceptable. Because of this, many content creators tend to stray far away from overclocking. If you can afford to pick up an excellent aftermarket cooler, you can quickly close the gap on the 1800X. If you do not wish to overclock however, you can put the extra money into something like RAM.

Overall, the R7 1700 is the safest bet for content creators.

Gaming

For those looking to build a computer whose intended use is gaming and little else, finding a CPU at a great price point that also offers impressive performance is key. Luckily, Ryzen has you covered here. With its great cooler, perfect Core / Thread count and competitive price, you simply can’t go wrong with the:

R5 1500X

Storming onto the scene with 4C/8T, the 1500X is perfect for gamers looking for excellent gaming performance without paying for performance they won’t use. While it is true that many games have begun supporting multithreaded rendering, a majority of games still only focus their load onto one or two cores. Because of this, single-core performance is absolutely necessary to ensure a smooth, comfortable gaming experience.

The R5 1500X also offers a great cooler, as it comes bundled with the Wraith Spire. While it won’t blow away any decent aftermarket cooler, it still offers a fair bit of headroom for overclocking right out of the box. The chip isn’t going to shred through multithreaded workloads, but by no means whatsoever is it a slouch. If you have stream highlights to encode, a video to toss together or you wish to do some light editing when you’re not gaming, the 1500X won’t let you down.

Hybrid (Workstation + Gaming PC)

If you’re looking to build a machine which is more than capable of playing games, but you don’t want to sacrifice too much multithreaded performance, you’re going to want to look into one of Ryzen’s middle ground chips. The latter half of the R5 lineup has two chips which will both work perfectly here, but our pick definitely goes to the:

R5 1600X

The R5 1600X is the perfect chip for gamers looking to create content, or content creators looking to game a bit when they need to take a break. Specifically, we’re recommending the 1600X over the 1600 because it’s worth investing into a decent cooler to overclock the 1600X. If you can, you’ll easily begin to close the gap between the 1600X and the 1700, and this will also result in better gaming performance. The extra $30 you’d otherwise save by going with the R5 1600 is going to be wasted, as additional GPU performance will not aid you in video editing; most high-end gaming cards show low utilization in GPU-accelerated programs. While this is not 100% for every single case, the performance boost of an overclocked 1600X will almost always outshine $30 extra towards a GPU.

Budget

R3 Lineup

While we didn’t cover this in our chip overview, Ryzen has an upcoming line of CPUs under the R3 monicker. These chips are intended to fill the <$170 price point and will compete directly against Intel’s i3 offerings. If you’re on a very tight budget, holding out for the R3 lineup will most likely be your best bet.

Unfortunately, AMD has yet to say exactly when these CPUs will be dropping, though they have noted a “Q3 2017” launch window.

Conclusion

Whether you’re in the market for a High-End CPU, something a bit more Mid-Range or something in-between the two, Ryzen currently has plenty of offerings. More than likely you’ll be able to find a CPU that perfectly fits your needs.

This, coupled with the R3 and Threadripper lineups demonstrate that AMD is likely going to have a CPU available for everyone. This is perfect for anyone hoping for competition against Intel , as AMD outperforms them at every corner when it comes to price-to-performance, and it doesn’t seem like this will be changing anytime soon.

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