AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X review: The newly crowned kings of efficiency

Can you believe we're only on the second generation of AMD processors since the AM5 platform launched alongside the AMD Ryzen 7000 series in 2022? Almost two years have passed and we're back with all-new AMD Ryzen desktop processors. The battle between AMD and Intel has heated over recent years and although Intel showed signs of struggle with its manufacturing nodes and pushing its processors a little too hard, AMD failed to capitalize on this by launching some truly special processors. The 7000 series of Ryzen chips were great, but not perfect and they ran a little too hot.

It's why I loved the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and I still regard it as one of the best CPUs for value and efficiency. Enter the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X. Gone are the 105W TDP ratings, replaced by a TDP of just 65W. With a power draw limit of around 88W from the AM5 socket, these processors are positioned as efficient chips with the performance to surpass their predecessors. Intel will still likely hold the lead in raw computing power with more cores, threads, and higher power draw, but AMD is set to take the market by storm with a more efficient architecture for cooler results.

About this review: AMD supplied XDA with Ryzen 5 9600 and Ryzen 7 9700 samples for the purpose of this review but had no input to its contents.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

8.5/ 10

It's difficult to believe we're still calling the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X an entry-level processor as the specifications and performance show it's everything but. This is an incredible CPU for less than $300.

Pros

• Impressive single and multi-core performance
• Incredibly efficient 65W Zen 5 CPU
• A good choice for gaming and compact PCs
• Aggressively priced to undercut its competitor

Cons

• Still beaten by the Core i5-14600K
• Runs warmer than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

9/ 10

AMD provided a price cut with the 9000 series processors, including the Ryzen 7 9700X. Costing less than $400 makes this a compelling CPU choice for gaming systems and those with more demanding software requirements.

Pros

• Lower power draw with a 65W TDP
• Excellent single and multi-core performance
• Plenty of overclocking headroom
• Cheaper MSRP than AMD Ryzen 7 7700X

Cons

• Still beaten by the Intel Core i7-14700K

Price, specs, and availability

Let's start with the prices. AMD has given the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X an effective discount compared to previous-gen processors. The Ryzen 5 9600X is priced at $279 and the Ryzne 7 9700X will set you back $359. Core counts have stayed the same with the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X rocking 6 physical cores and 12 threads. The base clock speed comes in at 3.9 GHz and it can boost up to 5.4 GHz with stock settings. Like the 7000 series of chips, PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 RAM support are available with a basic Radeon iGPU setup for video output.

38MB of cache will help the CPU store more instructions before offloading data to system memory. The star of the show, like the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, is the 65W TDP. Speaking of the 9700X, this 8-core CPU has 16 threads, 40MB of cache, base and boost speeds of 3.8 GHz and 5.5 GHz, and the same underpinnings as its slightly less-capable Zen 5 sibling.

AM5 and Zen 5

A match made in heaven

Zen 5 is a big deal for AMD. Billed as an ambitious project for the teams, the AMD Ryzen 9000 series promises the fastest performance for gamers and creators, all with the most efficient options on the market. Looking at Intel's current line-up of 14th-gen processors, this shouldn't be too much trouble. Zen 5 is a massive undertaking with AVX-512 and VNNI computational capabilities implemented for machine learning and artificial intelligence. You're probably as sick as I am with those terms, but they're important as the industry moves forward with new tech being loaded into software and games.

Higher performance, yet the 9600X and 9700X promise lower thermals, power draw, and pricing. What's not to like?

An instruction-per-clock (IPC) gain of 16% is colossal and shows the company is taking full advantage of the improvements offered by TSMC's newer manufacturing processes. AMD isn't shy about working in double-digit IPC gains and we've seen as much with Zen 2 and Zen 3 architecture launches. Incredibly, AMD has measured an average of 22% performance-per-watt improvement across its 9000 series of chips. I've only had the opportunity to test and share data on the 9600X and 9700X with this review, but I can believe their figures with what we've seen so far. These processors are incredibly efficient.

As part of the Ryzen 9000 launch, AMD is pushing older motherboards to showcase lasting socket and platform support. Original AM5 motherboards launching with 7000 series chips will work with the new 9000 series without a BIOS flash. However, to get the most out of the new platform, new BIOS updates will be available with AGESA 1.2.0.0a, which includes tweaks and optimizations for newer CPUs. Support for faster memory will be available on 870-series motherboards, allowing the new 9000 CPUs to go to DDR5-8000 and beyond. The 9600X and 9700X already run happily with DDR5-7200 on older hardware.

Higher performance, yet the 9600X and 9700X promise lower thermals, power draw, and pricing. What's not to like?

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Putting the new AMD chips to work

The first round of tests was run on a test bench consisting of an NZXT N7 B650E, running the latest BIOS (version 3.0.4) available. 64GB of G.Skill's DDR5-7200 Trident Z5 Royal was installed with the trusty Asus GeForce RTX 4060 Ti ProArt graphics card. Scores were obtained with AGESA 1.2.0.0, which wasn't optimal for AMD Ryzen 9000. That said, the results weren't terrible, putting both the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X just above their predecessors. Bear in mind, we're talking about 65W chips here, compared to a 105W Ryzen 5 7600X and Ryzen 7 7700X.

We then moved to the second test bench system, which used the Gigabyte X670E Aorus Master with BIOS F32b and AGESA 1.2.0.0a installed. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X certainly performed better, even taking on Intel chips with higher core counts. AMD has been able to squeeze out yet more performance while keeping power draw down, largely thanks to architectural changes and TSMC's improved manufacturing processes. The AMD processors worked better with DDR5 RAM configured at 6000 MT/s.

Temperatures for both processors are warmer at idle than previous generation chips, but neither moved toward 50C delta (70C reading) under full load in Cinebench 2024, a benchmark tool known for pushing CPUs hard enough to generate considerable heat. Gaming, productivity apps, and general computing won't cause either the AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 any trouble. It's amazing to see how far we've come with entry and mid-level processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is one of the more affordable CPUs of this generation with 6 cores at 5.4 GHz.

Being 65W TDP processors, the AMD Ryzne 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X can pull around 88W from the AM5 socket. For context, the Intel Core i5-14600K pulled 177W in our testing with temperatures hitting 84C under load with an AIO liquid cooler. Looking at the test results, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X was so close to beating the Core i5 processor with 6 fewer physical cores and far less electricity. It shows the efficiency of AMD's platforms and highlights how inefficient Intel processors are with their current chip design, core layout, and manufacturing process.

It shows the efficiency of AMD's platforms and highlights how inefficient Intel processors are with their current chip design, core layout, and manufacturing process.

Neither the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzen 7 9700X surpassed 70C under heavy loads in benchmark software using a be quiet! Dark Rock 5 air cooler. Attach a 240mm AIO liquid cooler and you'll have even more headroom for overclocking. The 9600X held higher clock speeds throughout the test suite than the 9700X, which likely caused the slight increase in temperature readings. Even affordable CPU coolers shouldn't have an issue keeping these two processors and their low TDPs in check.

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Should you buy the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzxen 7 9700X?

You should buy the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzen 7 9700X if:

• You have an AM5 motherboard and want a valid upgrade over 7000 series CPUs.
• Want some of the most efficient AMD processors available on the AM5 platform.
• You plan on upgrading from AM4 hardware and want to build a gaming PC.

You shouldn't buy the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzen 7 9700X if:

• You have an AMD Ryzen 9 7000 series CPU.
• You don't care for lower temperatures and power draw.
• You need the most powerful AMD processors.
• You own a 14th-gen Intel chip and only care for performance.

I was impressed by AMD's Ryzen 7000 series although it fell short on what Intel managed to pump out of its fab. The short-lived 8000 series with the two APUs was excellent and teased what AMD could do with tighter power constraints and we're seeing this come to fruition with two 65W TDP X processors. The previous-gen AMD Ryzen 7000 chips had a TDP of 105W for the 7600X and 7700X. AMD has managed to improve performance whilst bringing temperatures and power draw down, creating some incredibly efficient chips.

Both processors are cheaper than their predecessors, passing on some savings to consumers without sacrificing performance.

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is the new entry-level AMD processor and it's a cracking chip with six powerful cores and multi-threading support. Moving up to the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, you have an additional two cores with the entire package running slightly cooler. Both processors are cheaper than their predecessors, passing on some savings to consumers without sacrificing performance. Of the two, the Ryzen 7 9700X takes the top spot due to better temperatures in identical tests (neither CPU gets hot), but both are worth considering for your next PC build or upgrade.

This is still the beginning of what AM5 will offer and I'm excited to see what AMD will bring to the table with its next generation of chips. Intel will hopefully have a response in the coming months, so things could be looking up for system upgrades and builds, especially if we continue to see generational discounts from Team Red.