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AMD100-100000031BOX
IntelBX80619I73960X

6 Cores, 12 Threads @3.6GHz, Zen2.
Release date: Q3 2019.

6 Cores, 12 Threads @3.3GHz, Sandy Bridge-E.
Release date: Q3 2011.

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 1,074,804 user samples
1,072,639 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 92% Base clock 4.45 GHz, turbo 4.45 GHz (avg)
Worst Bench: 73% Base clock 3.6 GHz, turbo 4 GHz (avg)
Poor: 73% Great: 92%
SPEED RANK: 219th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 83%
Aircraft carrier
Desktop
Desktop 85%
Aircraft carrier
Workstation
Workstation 77%
Battleship
2,165 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 89% Base clock 3.3 GHz
Worst Bench: 66% Base clock 3.3 GHz, turbo 0.85 GHz (avg)
Poor: 66% Great: 89%
SPEED RANK: 289th / 1468
Gaming
Gaming 78%
Battleship
Desktop
Desktop 79%
Battleship
Workstation
Workstation 67%
Battle cruiser
Effective Speed
Effective CPU Speed
83.1 % Slightly faster effective speed.
+7%
77.7 %
Memory
Avg. Memory Latency
76.3 Pts 87.1 Pts Lower memory latency.
+14%
1-Core
Avg. Single Core Speed
133 Pts Much faster single-core speed.
+38%
96.7 Pts
2-Core
Avg. Dual Core Speed
259 Pts Much faster dual-core speed.
+35%
192 Pts
4-Core
Avg. Quad Core Speed
483 Pts Much faster quad-core speed.
+31%
369 Pts
8-Core
Avg. Octa Core Speed
792 Pts Much faster octa-core speed.
+35%
585 Pts
Memory
OC Memory Latency
87.5 Pts 95.3 Pts Slightly lower OC memory latency.
+9%
1-Core
OC Single Core Speed
141 Pts Faster OC single-core speed.
+19%
118 Pts
2-Core
OC Dual Core Speed
281 Pts Faster OC dual-core speed.
+21%
233 Pts
4-Core
OC Quad Core Speed
546 Pts Faster OC quad-core speed.
+19%
457 Pts
8-Core
OC Octa Core Speed
869 Pts Faster OC octa-core speed.
+22%
715 Pts
Market Share
Based on 69,052,451 CPUs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
1.14 % Insanely higher market share.
+∞%
0 %
Value
Value For Money
113 % Much better value.
+44%
78.7 %
User Rating
UBM User Rating
93 % Much more popular.
+75%
53 %
Price
Price (score)
$90 Much cheaper.
+66%
$265
Age
Newest
64 Months Much more recent.
+59%
158 Months
TDP
Thermal Design Power (TDP)
65 Watts Much more energy efficient.
+50%
130 Watts
Cores
CPU Processing Cores
6 cores 6 cores
Threads
CPU Processing Threads
12 threads 12 threads
Lithography
Manufacturing process
7 nm Much newer manufacturing.
+78%
32 nm
Base Clock
Base Clock Speed
3.6 GHz Slightly faster base frequency.
+9%
3.3 GHz
Turbo Clock
Turbo Clock Speed
4.2 GHz Slightly faster turbo frequency.
+8%
3.9 GHz
64-Core
OC Multi Core Speed
1,091 Pts Faster OC 64-core speed.
+23%
888 Pts
64-Core
Avg. Multi Core Speed
999 Pts Much faster 64-core speed.
+37%
728 Pts
Series
CPU Architecture
Zen2 Sandy Bridge-E
Socket
Motherboard Socket
AM4 FCLGA2011
Graphics
Integrated Graphics
None None

AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600 is a 6-core, 12-threaded processor which succeeds the Ryzen 5 2600 improving upon it by 13% in terms of overclocked performance. The 3600 is in competition with Intel’s 6-core i5-9600K. AMD continues to push the multi-core performance envelope: benchmarks show that the 3600 has a 27% overclocked 64-core lead over the 9600K but that the i5-9600K leads by 14% on single to hex core workloads which translates to 10% higher EFps in most of the today’s top games (e.g. PUBG, GTAV and CSGO). Additionally, the 3600's memory controller, although significantly improved over previous Ryzen iterations, still has limited bandwidth and high latency which adversely impacts gaming. Weaknesses in memory architecture are not readily picked up by CPU benchmarks but they are apparent whilst gaming. Cheaper CPUs such as the 9400F deliver better gaming performance in nearly all of today’s popular games. At $190 USD, the 3600 offers good value for purely workstation tasks such as film production but streamers should look elsewhere. Streaming with dedicated hardware such as NVENC or a separate stream PC will nearly always result in fewer dropped frames. The masterfully hyped Ryzen 3600 may well be the best CPU for multimedia producers on a tight budget but in today's market there are faster and less expensive alternatives for gamers, streamers and general desktop users. [Jun '19 CPUPro]

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The fact that the near three year old Intel i7-3960X still tops the speed charts reflects just how little competition there is in the CPU market. Intel have dominated for so long that there is simply no economic incentive to push the speed boundaries at anywhere nearly the pace of improvement we saw in previous years. The i7-3960X has 6 cores and 12 threads which is two cores more than the vast majority of Intel's other top end processors. The extra two cores explain why the 3960X still performs so well compared to the majority of the 3960X's newer siblings. This processor will offer little more than a far cheaper i3 to regular desktop users but for server orientated workloads it is still one of the best processors available. [Mar '14 CPUPro]

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Processor Rankings (Price vs Performance) November 2024 CPU Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]

Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.
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The Best
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