Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?

If you're struggling to find a graphics card in stock or at a reasonable price, then this AMD CPU with integrated graphics could be a game saver. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a six-core CPU with AMD's up-to-date Zen 3 architecture, but more importantly, it offers Radeon Vega Graphics onboard that can deliver admirable gaming performance, especially for low-overhead competitive games.

You can pick up this all-in-one chip for £199 over at Amazon (opens in new tab), which is a saving of around £40 off its usual going price. It's also available for around £200 (opens in new tab) at Scan, Curry's (opens in new tab), Overclockers UK (opens in new tab), and Box (opens in new tab).

For that price, you get to knock three components from your PC parts list in one go: CPU, GPU, and cooler (which is also included).

Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
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AMD Ryzen 5 5600G | six-core/12-thread CPU | Zen 3 | RX Vega 7 GPU | 3.9GHz base clock | 4.4GHz boost clock | 7nm | £239 £199 at Amazon (save ~£40) (opens in new tab)
This chip delivers both CPU and GPU in an affordable AM4-compatible package, which is great for gamers during a GPU shortage. It's not capable of the highest framerates ever, even at 1080p, but it makes PC gaming possible and might surprise you with just how capable it is. What it offers heaps of though is flexibility: you could fit a discrete GPU into a 5600G-powered PC later in life for a graphics boost, or even replace it entirely with another AM4 compatible chip.

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In terms of GPU, the Ryzen 5 5600G isn't a match for a discrete GPU, but it is much more powerful than your average CPU iGPU. There are 7 Radeon Vega Graphics Compute Units inside the 5600G, clocked to 1.9GHz.

These graphics cores aren't quite a match for the RDNA 2-powered Aerith processor found in the Steam Deck but are a big improvement on previous generation APUs from AMD. The Ryzen 5 5600G delivers enough grunt for 720p performance in modern games and steady 1080p framerates in many others, especially in competitive titles like CS: GO.

If you want more power or read up on a very similar chip to the 5600G, you can check out the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G (opens in new tab).

The CPU shares an architecture with the other chips in the Ryzen 5000-series: Zen 3. That's a powerful architecture that's great for more than gaming. That's true of the Ryzen 5 5600G, as well, as this chip offers six cores and 12 threads of Zen 3, a formidable match for even content creation and streaming.

That's also the benefit of the Ryzen 5 5600G. While it's tough to pick up a graphics card now, we're hoping for an improvement in supply later this year. If that comes to pass, you won't need to start from scratch with the Ryzen 5 5600G. You can still slot a graphics card into a machine built around this chip and expect top performance out of it. And if you do, you'll still have an AMD Zen 3-powered six-core CPU able to keep up.

When selecting a CPU for gaming, the most important characteristics are the clock speed (or frequency), number of cores and threads, cache size, and type of memory it supports. Additional considerations like integrated graphics and overclocking needs may also influence your selection.

In addition to discussing how good the 5600G is for gaming, this article will discuss our recommended:

  • Motherboards for the 5600G
    Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
  • RAM for the 5600G
  • AM4 Coolers

Check another CPU:


Ryzen 5 5600G

AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Is the 5600G Good for Gaming?

When using AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU for gaming, you can expect good game performance with a high-performance CPU cooler or mediocre game performance with a basic or stock CPU cooler.

Check out our Recommended AM4 Coolersbelow.

This performance assessment is based on the following characteristics of the CPU and their relevance to the latest graphics-intense games:

  • 16 MB of L3 cache is mediocre for performance
  • 6 cores allow for good performance
  • 3.9 GHz base frequency
  • 4.4 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
  • Max stock DDR4 speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance
  • Overclocking support can be excellent for performance (requires a high-end cooler)
  • PCIe 3.0 support can be poor for performance (limits potential of fastest SSDs and GPUs)
  • The 5600G has integrated graphics support, but this performance assessment assumes you will use a graphics card. Integrated graphics support is mediocre or worse with the latest graphics-intense games.

Check out these AMD CPUs that are Good or Excellent for gaming:

Recommended Motherboards for the Ryzen 5 5600G:

Best Feature Motherboard

MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Best Value Motherboard

ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Is the Cache Size of the 5600G Good for Gaming?

A CPU's cache is a small amount of memory, close to the CPU cores, containing recently used data.

Games performance can improve as cache size increases, as it will reduce delays when retrieving commonly used game assets from memory.

An L3 cache capacity of at least 20 MB is ideal for game performance.

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G has an L3 cache capacity of 16 MB.

The 5600G's 16 MB of L3 cache is mediocre for performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Featured 5600G PCs › Amazon Affiliate Links
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
iBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC Computer Desktop SlateMR 215a (AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9 GHz,AMD Radeon RX 6600XT 8 GB, 16 GB DDR4, 480 GB SSD, WiFi Ready, Windows 11 Home) Check Price on Amazon
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop PC - AMD 6-Core Ryzen 5 5600G Processor, AMD Radeon RX5500, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Win 10 Home Check Price on Amazon

Is the Core Count of the 5600G Good for Gaming?

Increased core counts can improve the performance of games that use them, but most modern games don't benefit from having more than 6–8 cores. Remember that cache sizes often increase along with core counts, so if you want to increase your L3 cache, you may need to get a CPU with more cores.

AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPUs have 6 cores.

The 5600G's 6 cores allow for good performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Is the Clock Speed of the 5600G Good for Gaming?

Single-core performance is essential for some games, as many don't take full advantage of multiple cores.

Boost frequencies are only achieved under ideal circumstances. The safest strategy for consistent gaming performance with a basic cooler is to get a higher base clock speed processor. However, with adequate cooling, you may be able to maintain speeds near the max boost frequency.

When using a high-end cooler, the 5600G CPU's support for overclocking can be excellent for performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

The processor has a 3.9 GHz base frequency and supports a 4.4 GHz single-core max boost frequency.

The 5600G has a 3.9 GHz base frequency, which is the speed before boosting. You can reach these base frequencies even without a high-end cooler.

With a high-end cooler, the 5600G's 4.4 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance with the latest graphics-intense games. You can maintain these frequencies with a high-end cooler.

Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G, for recommended coolers that can maintain these boost frequencies.

Featured Ryzen 5 Gaming PCs › Amazon Affiliate Links
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
Thermaltake Glacier 360 Liquid-Cooled PC (AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, RTX 3060, 16 GB RGB 3600 Mhz DDR4 ToughRAM RGB Memory, 1 TB NVMe M.2, WiFi, Win 10 Home) Gaming Desktop Computer S3WT-B550-G36-LCS Check Price on Amazon
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
AVGPC Q-Box Series Gaming PC - AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 6-Core Cezanne 6-Core 3.9 GHz with AMD Radeon Graphics with Liquid Cooler 8 GB DDR4 500 GB SSD Windows 10, Black Check Price on Amazon

Is the DDR Support of the 5600G Good for Gaming?

The 5600G CPU's support for DDR4 with a max stock speed of 3200 MHz can be good for performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Faster PC memory can improve game performance and frame rates, but using the fastest RAM may not have as much of an impact as upgrading your CPU and graphics card or adding more RAM.

Learn about our recommended RAM for the 5600G in Choosing the Best RAM for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU.

What Does the G Suffix in 5600G Mean?

Processor Name SuffixMeaningG"G" means it contains integrated graphics (basically a GPU built into the processor), thus doesn't require a standalone graphics card. A combined CPU and GPU is sometimes referred to as an APU (accelerated processing unit).

The 5600G model name has a G suffix. G-suffexed CPUs contain integrated graphics, and a separate graphics card isn't required if your motherboard includes video-output connectors (e.g., HDMI).

AMD Ryzen 5 5600G Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Cooling the 5600G

A CPU cooler's TDP (Thermal Design Power) rating indicates how much heat it can dissipate in watts. If the cooler can't keep your CPU cool enough, your CPU may throttle (slow down), and your cooler will constantly run at full speed.

AMD CPU specifications indicate this power dissipation number as "TDP."

The Ryzen 5 5600G has a TDP of 65 watts.

A CPU cooler can still work with a lower TDP rating than the TDP of a CPU. However, the CPU will eventually throttle itself to a lower frequency to allow itself to cool.

The CPU may not achieve or maintain maximum boost speeds without adequate cooling.

Learn more in What is the Best Type of CPU cooler for a Gaming PC?

Motherboard Requirements for Ryzen 5 5600G Processors

For AMD's Zen 3-based Ryzen 5 5600G processor, you'll need a motherboard with an AM4 socket and a compatible chipset.

Motherboards for AMD processors are made with chipsets provided by AMD. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.

Ryzen 5000-series CPUs, which includes the Ryzen 5 5600G, are compatible with all 400 and 500-series consumer chipsets. Supported chipsets include the X570, B550, A520, X470, and B450.

To use Ryzen 5000-series CPUs with the 400-series chipsets, you'll need an updated BIOS. You either need to purchase one with an updated BIOS, perform the update with an older supported CPU installed, or use the USB BIOS Flashback feature (if available).

Products that ship with a compatible BIOS are typically marked as "Ready" for Zen 3 / Ryzen 5000 series / 4th Gen processors.

The older X370, B350, and A320 300-series chipsets are generally not compatible, out of the box, with Ryzen 5000-series CPUs. However, these 300-series chipsets may be supported by some motherboard manufacturers, when using a specific compatible BIOS.

The X570 is our recommended chipset for the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU, as it provides the most functionality and the ability to upgrade to a newer AM4 CPU in the future.

Note that the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU only supports PCIe 3.0.

Featured X570 Motherboards › Amazon Affiliate Links
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) AM4 Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX Motherboard with PCIe 4.0, Dual M.2, 12+2 with Dr. MOS Power Stage Check Price on Amazon
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming WiFi II AMD AM4 X570S ATX Gaming Motherboard (PCIe 4.0, Passive PCH Heatsink, 12+4 Power Stages, WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gb LAN,USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C and Aura Sync RGB Check Price on Amazon

For a detailed comparison of these chipsets and PCIe speeds, check out my article Which Chipsets Work With AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU?.

  • Find Zen 3 X570 Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
  • Find Zen 3 B550 Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
  • Find Zen 3 A520 Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Featured 5600G PCs › Amazon Affiliate Links
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
iBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC Computer Desktop SlateMR 215a (AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9 GHz,AMD Radeon RX 6600XT 8 GB, 16 GB DDR4, 480 GB SSD, WiFi Ready, Windows 11 Home) Check Price on Amazon
Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming?
HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop PC - AMD 6-Core Ryzen 5 5600G Processor, AMD Radeon RX5500, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD, Win 10 Home Check Price on Amazon

Best Value Motherboard

  • Our recommended value motherboard to pair with the Ryzen 5 5600G: ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
    • High-quality components
    • PCIe 4.0 support
    • One Gb Ethernet port is faster than most Internet speeds
    • Two NVMe M.2slots both run at PCIe 4.0 speeds
    • 802.11ac Wi-Fi provides the convenience of connecting to a Wi-Fi router
    • USB 3.2 Gen 2 offers 10 Gbps USB speeds
    • Check the latest price of the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) Motherboard on Amazon (affiliate link).

Best Feature Motherboard

  • Our recommended feature-rich motherboard to pair with the Ryzen 5 5600G: MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
    • PCIe 4.0 support
    • One 2.5 Gb Ethernet port is faster than most Internet speeds, with room to spare for file transfers
    • Two NVMe M.2slots both run at PCIe 4.0 speeds
    • Wi-Fi 6 provides great Wi-Fi speeds (not Wi-Fi 6E, but still really good)
    • USB 3.2 Gen 2 offers 10 Gbps USB speeds
    • Check the latest price of the MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI Motherboard on Amazon (affiliate link).

Check out my article, Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G, for more info about how to choose the best CPU cooler.

The boxed version of the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU comes with the Wraith Stealth CPU cooler. While stock coolers will prevent your CPU from overheating, your CPU will throttle its performance during games and other intensive tasks. Higher TDP coolers will keep your CPU at turbo speeds for longer durations. Stock coolers are often quite loud at their maximum speed.

Best All-in-One Liquid Cooler

  • Check the latest price of the CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD on Amazon (affiliate link).
  • This cooler is designed to fit Intel and AMD sockets, including the following models: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, sTRX4, sTR4 (Intel LGA 1700 is supported with CW-8960091 or CW-8960093 kits).
  • 350-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
  • It provides powerful low-noise cooling and RGB lighting with a customizable LCD display which can display your CPU temperature or other graphics.
  • It has 120mm CORSAIR ML RGB ELITE magnetic levitation fans for great CPU cooling performance.
  • Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space! CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Liquid CPU Cooler Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Runner-Up All-in-One Liquid Cooler

  • Check the latest price of the Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID 360 ARGB Sync on Amazon (affiliate link).
  • TOUGHLIQUID Series is designed to fit Intel and AMD sockets, including the following models: Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366, 2011, 2011-v3, 2066 and AMD AM5, AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2, FM1.
  • We estimate that this supports roughly a 250-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
  • This Liquid cooler supports 5V RGB compatible motherboards.
  • Equipped with TOUGHFAN 12 2000RPM and supports ARGB lighting on the waterblock.
  • Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space. There is a smaller version available, if needed. Thermaltake TOUGHLIQUID Liquid CPU Cooler Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Best Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15

  • Dual 140 mm fans provide 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.
  • Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.
  • Quiet operation at 24.6 dBA. Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Runner Up - Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler: Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510

  • This CPU cooler doesn't have any fancy LED lights, but the dual 120 mm fans do a great job of cooling AM4 CPUs.
  • Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM1.
  • Suppose you think this cooler will take up too much space. In that case, Thermaltake has a few single-fan TOUGHAIR variants which use different orientations.
  • This CPU cooler has a 2000 RPM max speed for optimal cooling.
  • 180-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power). Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

Before purchasing memory, review your motherboard specification to verify which speeds are supported. For example, if a DDR4 motherboard stated that it supports "DDR4 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200 / 3000," that would mean that it could support DDR4-3400, DDR4-3333, and DDR4-3300 with memory overclocking, and DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3000 at stock speeds. Motherboard specifications also indicate the maximum capacity per stick of RAM (DIMM) and across all slots.

  • At an effective frequency of 3200 MHz, this memory hits the fastest DDR4 speed supported by AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU without overclocking.
  • The low-profile form factor ensures that the heat spreaders don't get in the way of other devices, including your CPU heatsink. Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) 3200 MHz DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link

  • This DDR4 memory is designed for overclocking to an effective frequency of 3600 MHz. Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) 3600 MHz DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
  • Compact heat spreaders avoid conflicting with a CPU cooler.

Learn More About the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

  • Which Chipsets Work With AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU?
  • Choosing the Best Power Supply for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU
  • Choosing the Best Motherboard for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G
  • Is the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU Good for Gaming?
  • Choosing the Best RAM for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G CPU
  • Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for AMD's Ryzen 5 5600G
  • What Is the TDP of the Ryzen 5 5600G CPU?
  • How Many Cores Do AMD Ryzen 5 5600G CPUs Have?

Other Considerations When Building a PC

Want to brush up on other new technologies to consider when building a computer? Check out these articles:

Is Ryzen 5 5600G enough for gaming?

With a high-end cooler, the 5600G's 4.4 GHz single-core max boost frequency is excellent for performance with the latest graphics-intense games.

Is a AMD Ryzen 5 5600G good?

AMD Ryzen 5600G is a good APU It is a pretty good APU, I use this to build a mini desktop, It is small and powerful.

What games can I play with Ryzen 5 5600G?

Chapters.
God of War. 0:00. God of War. 0:00..
Grand Theft Auto V. 0:35. Grand Theft Auto V. 0:35..
Forza Horizon 5. 1:10. Forza Horizon 5. 1:10..
Fortnite. 1:45. Fortnite. 1:45..
Far Cry 6. 2:20. Far Cry 6. 2:20..
Elden Ring. 2:50. Elden Ring. 2:50..
DOOM Eternal. 3:22. DOOM Eternal. 3:22..
Days Gone. 3:47. Days Gone. 3:47..

Is Ryzen 5 5600G good for gaming without GPU?

Any Ryzen product that ends with a G or U is an APU, which is a CPU with a built-in GPU. That particular APU has Radeon Vega 11 graphics, which is decent, as integrated graphics go. You won't be playing AAA games at full graphics though. You'll actually be lucky to be able to run them at their lowest settings at 1080p.