AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D review: Six cores, 96MB cache, $249

AMD's Ryzen 5 7600X3D landed at Micro Center stores earlier this year at $249. Tom's Hardware just published full benchmarks. The chip packs six cores, 96MB of 3D V-Cache, and a 4.1 GHz base clock.

The numbers: it trails the 7800X3D by 4–8% in 1080p gaming, depending on the title. That's the cost of two fewer cores and a lower boost clock. Still, it beats Intel's 14600K in most game tests and uses less power doing it. Tom's Hardware calls it the best value gaming CPU under $300.

If you're building a sub-$1,000 rig and pairing it with a 4060 Ti or 7700 XT, this is the chip. The 7800X3D's extra frames won't show up unless you're running a 4070 Super or better. The 7600X3D slots in where the old 5600X3D lived — enough horsepower to not bottleneck mid-tier cards, cheap enough to justify the platform cost.

Want to see if your current CPU is holding back your GPU? Run a playbook at BetterFPS and check your 1% lows.