With significant improvements in microprocessor architecture over the past five years, the Ryzen 5 1600 is now more of an entry-level option. Regardless, how does it stack up compared with mainstream CPUs launched by AMD and Intel in 2022? Let’s find out!

AMD Ryzen 5 1600: Specifications and Overview

In terms of processing resources, AMD’s Ryzen 5 1600 is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU based on the Zen microarchitecture and built using GlobalFoundries’ 14nm manufacturing node. Featuring a base clock of 3.2GHz and a maximum boost clock of 3.6GHz, the Ryzen 5 1600, at $219, was meant to compete against Intel’s Core i5-7500 and i5-7600K.

Unlike its “X” SKU, the Ryzen 5 1600 comes at a TDP (Thermal Power Design) of just 65W and is bundled with AMD’s 95W Wraith Spire cooler capable of pushing this CPU well beyond its stock frequency. Nevertheless, both variants benefit from 16MB of L3 cache and support for XFR (eXtended Frequency Range), a feature that utilizes AMD’s SenseMI Technology to ramp up core clocks based on available thermal headroom.

Additionally, one of the major advantages that the Ryzen 5 1600 had over its direct competitors was the inclusion of an unlocked ratio multiplier. Paired with an inexpensive yet capable B350 motherboard and high-speed DDR4 memory, an overclocked Ryzen 5 1600 matched Intel in terms of per-core performance and offered stiff competition against its own lineup.

Despite glaring issues with memory compatibility and power management modes at launch, the Ryzen 5 1600 provided exceptional value for budget-conscious gamers and content creators. Following its success, AMD continued to expand its Ryzen 5 lineup by releasing mainstream, affordable CPUs with gen-on-gen upgrades every subsequent year.

While similarly priced 1600 alternatives like the Ryzen 5 2600, 3600, and 5600 brought major performance and efficiency gains over their predecessors, the same cannot be said about AMD’s Zen 4 CPUs, specifically the Ryzen 5 7600X. Architectural improvements aside, when you factor in the cost of upgrading to a brand-new platform, the 7600X’s value proposition seems somewhat underwhelming with regard to expensive AM5 motherboards and DDR5 memory kits.

On the flip side, mainstream CPUs from Intel, such as the Core i5-12400 and i5-12600K, show how much of a difference competitive pricing can mean for the average consumer. Furthermore, when comparing Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake CPUs against AMD’s Ryzen 5000 Series, it is evident that Ryzen has the upper hand in terms of platform compatibility, whereas Alder Lake’s dominance lies in its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory configuration.

However, when we pitch the Ryzen 5 1600 against current-gen, $200 products like the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400, it is fascinating to see just how far CPU architecture has evolved in the last few years. Take a look at their specifications below to better understand the design philosophy behind each of these mid-range chips.

Ryzen 5 1600 vs. Ryzen 5 5600 vs. Core i5-12400: Synthetic Benchmarks

To determine the relative performance of AMD’s Ryzen 5 1600 against the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400, we’ve decided to put them through a handful of free benchmark programs for Windows.

Regarding test setup, both CPUs from AMD have been paired with MSI’s B450 TOMAHAWK motherboard, 16GB (2x8) of G.Skill Flare X DDR4-3200 CL14 RAM, and an ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 OC Edition GPU. Meanwhile, the Intel test bench used MSI’s MAG B660 TOMAHAWK motherboard and the same GPU and memory configuration.

Since the Ryzen 5 1600 isn’t natively supported on the latest version of Windows 11, we ran all the benchmarks by installing a fresh copy of Windows 10 Pro (Version 21H2) on a WD_Black SN850 NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD. So without further ado, let’s get straight to the test results!

In CPU-intensive benchmarks like Cinbench R23 and Geekbench 5, the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400 outperformed AMD’s Summit Ridge CPU by a significant margin. Although the Ryzen 5 1600’s score in Blender seems adequate for daily workloads, creative professionals might want to get their hands on a brand-new Zen 3 or Alder Lake chip, especially if they’re willing to cut down on render times.

A similar pattern can be observed in 7-Zip’s File Compression benchmark, where the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400 enjoyed a massive performance boost of around 50-80% over the older Zen microarchitecture. While the i5-12400’s Decompression Rating is lower than either of the Ryzen CPUs, the former makes up for it purely in terms of Compression and Decompression speeds.

Ryzen 5 1600 vs. Ryzen 5 5600 vs. Core i5-12400: Gaming Benchmarks

Now, one of the major downsides of AMD’s 1st-Gen Ryzen CPUs was their lackluster performance in single-threaded applications. For games heavily reliant on single-core performance, even an overclocked Ryzen 5 1600 failed to match or beat Intel’s Core i5-7500 and 7600K in terms of average frame rates.

To ascertain whether the Ryzen 5 1600 is a capable performer against the 5600 and Core i5-12400 in modern AAA games, we’ve opted for an identical test rig, pairing all three CPUs with an RTX 3060 GPU from Nvidia. Furthermore, the testing methodology involved running five of the most popular yet demanding AAA titles at 1080p resolution and Ultra settings to produce a more realistic workload on both the CPU and GPU.

Across all of our gaming benchmarks, it is evident that the Ryzen 5 1600 struggles to maintain a steady frame rate compared to either of the current-gen CPUs. For example, in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, both the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400 were at least 20-30% faster than the Ryzen 5 1600 with a similar performance uplift in Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Although Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s in-game benchmark shows favorable results for the Ryzen 5 1600, which managed an average of 86 FPS, it is nowhere near the performance of the newer Zen 3 or Alder Lake chip. Meanwhile, CS:GO puts both the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400 in an entirely different territory as they delivered around 100 frames more than the Ryzen 5 1600’s average FPS.

For gamers with a high refresh rate display, upgrading to a Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i5-12400 seems like the better option, as both CPUs will help maintain a smooth gameplay experience across the board. However, if you own a Ryzen 5 1600 and are willing to make the most out of its stock gaming performance, consider investing in a FreeSync monitor that can run Nvidia’s Adaptive-Sync technology at a wide VRR range.

Is the Ryzen 5 1600 Still Relevant in 2023?

Given that the Ryzen 5 5600 and Core i5-12400 are versatile, mainstream chips launched in 2022, AMD’s Summit Ridge CPU can no longer be considered a viable option for 2023. For early Zen adopters, switching to the Ryzen 5 5600 seems like a no-brainer, especially when it is a drop-in upgrade on existing B350 and B450 motherboards.

However, if you’re building a PC from scratch, we recommend going for Intel’s Core i5-12400, as it happens to be the superior product on most occasions.