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AMD’s Ryzen 5 processors have landed, prices start at S$259 (Updated)

By Koh Wanzi - on 12 Apr 2017, 10:34am

AMD’s Ryzen 5 processors have landed, prices start at S$259 (Updated)

Ryzen 5 aims to offer strong multi-threaded performance even in a lower price bracket. (Image Source: AMD)

Updated on 12 April 2017: AMD's Ryzen 5 processors are now available to buy.

Originally published on 16 March 2017: 

AMD today announced its full Ryzen 5 line-up, complete with pricing and availability details. Coming less than a month after the official unveiling of its Ryzen 7 processors, Ryzen 5 will take on Intel’s mainstream quad-core processors with stronger multi-threaded performance, similar to how Ryzen 7 challenges Intel’s Broadwell-E chips.

Ryzen 5 hones in on the sub-US$300 market, which AMD says is twice as large as the high-end segment. With up to 6-core/12-thread models in this price range, the company hopes to appeal to both content creators and gamers. At their heart however, they share the same silicon as their Ryzen 7 counterparts, and feature the same SenseMI technology like Pure Power, Precision Boost, and Extended Frequency Range (XFR).

AMD is releasing a total of four Ryzen 5 CPUs, which will hit the shelves worldwide on 11 April. Here’s an overview of the different SKUs and their local prices:

CPU model Cores / Threads Base / Boost Clocks Cooler included? TDP Pricing
Ryzen 5 1600X 6-core / 12-thread 3.6 / 4.0GHz No 95W S$359
Ryzen 5 1600 6-core / 12-thread 3.2 / 3.6GHz Wrath Spire 65W S$329
Ryzen 5 1500X 4-core / 8-thread 3.5 / 3.7GHz Wrath Spire 65W S$289
Ryzen 5 1400 4-core / 8-thread 3.2 / 3.4GHz Wrath Stealth 65W S$259

A quick overview of the Ryzen 5 SKUs, their key specifications, and prices. (Image Source: AMD)

The Ryzen 5 1600X and 1600 processors will be 6-core/12-thread parts that AMD says will give users a significant core and thread advantage for their price bracket. On the other hand, the cheaper Ryzen 5 1500X and 1400 chips will be 4-core/8-thread parts.

According to AMD, the Ryzen 5 1600X is up to 69 per cent faster than the 4-core/4-thread Intel Core i7-7600K in the multi-threaded Cinebench R15 benchmark. That Intel chip actually retails for around US$240, so it’s within the same price range as the Ryzen 5 1600X.

In that context, it’s clear that AMD is looking to press its multi-threaded advantage and appeal to content creators on a budget who require strong multi-core performance.

All the Ryzen 5 CPUs will also ship with unlocked multipliers for overclocking, but you’ll need an X370, B350, or X300 chipset AM4 motherboard to take advantage of that.

But while the Ryzen 7 processors shipped mostly shipped without AMD’s Wraith coolers (with the exception of the Ryzen 7 1700), all Ryzen 5 chips save the Ryzen 5 1600X will come bundled with a cooler.

The entry-level Ryzen 5 1400 will come with the Wraith Stealth cooler, while the Ryzen 5 1600 and 1500X will have the beefier Wraith Spire cooler. AMD’s reasoning is the same as with its Ryzen 7 chips – those who buy the flagship Ryzen 5 1600X are more likely to want to use more capable third-party cooling solutions, so there’s no need to include a cooler.

After Ryzen 5, AMD’s next act will be Ryzen 3, which the company says we can expect in the second half of the year.

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