We got the chance to test out the new AMD Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 5 3600X processors. Built on the new 7nm process based on Zen 2 architecture, these Ryzen 3000 series CPUs brings an improvement to all types of applications, along with support for PCIe 4.0 which offers twice the I/O throughput compared to the standard PCIe 3.0 that Intel uses.
Before we head into benchmarking these CPUs, let’s first take a look at the specs:
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X AMD Ryzen 5 3600X No. of CPU Cores 4 6 No. of Threads 8 12 Base Clock 3.8GHz 3.8GHz Max Boost Clock Up to 4.3GHz Up to 4.4GHz Total L1 Cache 256KB 384KB Total L2 Cache 2MB 3MB Total L3 Cache 16MB 32MB Unlocked Yes Yes CMOS TSMC 7nm FinFET TSMC 7nm FinFET Package AM4 AM4 PCI Express 4.0 4.0 x16 Default TDP 65W 95W 
In comparison, the aMD Ryzen 5 3600X does offer larger numbers in its hardware specs, mainly with more CPU cores, threads, max boost clock, higher cache, higher TDP, and faster PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. During day to day use, you won’t see much difference, but when it comes to actual software and game crunching, you’ll notice that there’s a slight difference when it comes to FPS and power consumption.
Test Build
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 3300X / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
| GPU | Asus ROG Strix Nvidia GeForce RTX2060 |
| RAM | Klevv 8GB 3,200MHz DDR4 RAM |
| Storage | Klevv Cras X C700 PCIe NVMe RGB SSD |
| Motherboard | Asus ROG Strix B550-E Gaming |
| Cooler | Cooler Master MASTERLIQUID ML240R RGB |
The samples AMD sent us didn’t come with any stock coolers, so we had to use our own Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R RGB.
Performance
When it comes to performance benchmarking, we’ve put the Ryzen 3 3300X through several tests as shown below. In Handbrake Power and Blender, lower score is better, while the rest are better when the score/number is higher.
Test Ryzen 3 3300X Ryzen 5 3600X Handbrake Power 61 79 3DMark Fire Strike (DX11) 15267 19,762 3DMark Time Spy (DX12) 5325 7249 VRMark 274 258 Far Cry 5, 1920 x 1080, Ultra 112.8 FPS 115.4 FPS FF15, 1920 x 1080, Standard 158.7 FPS 160.5 FPS Cinebench R20 2,483 3,593 Blender, Quick Benchmark 1,768 1,309 PCMark 10 Rendering and Visualization 10,320 12,523 PCMark 10 Video Editing 6,027 6,168 PCMark 10 Photo Editing 12,196 12,793 ARES-6 17.9 18.3
Conclusion
Ryzen 3 3300X
If you’re looking to build a budget gaming PC, the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X is the way to go. We ran the 3300X with an RTX2060, and it offered great performance. At stock settings, it could almost keep up with the Ryzen 5 3600X. The 3600X may have the twelve threads which could be better for multi-tasking, streaming etc, but the 3300X offered a balance between performance in both light and heavy threaded applications.
Ryzen 5 3600X
However, if you’re looking to go a step-up and have some cash to spare, the Ryzen 5 3600X provides a great jump to the mid-range of CPUs. It’s the type of processor that you can just set and forget, because it already offers great performance right out of the box. Paired with an RTX2060 and having support for PCIe 4.0, the Ryzen 5 3600X shines in offering better gaming performance, as well as an advantage in threaded productivity software. If you’re building a slightly higher-end mid-range PC, the 3600X would perform even better with a X570 motherboard.
