AMD YD2600BBAFBOX Ryzen 5 2600 Processor with Wraith Stealth Cooler & Gigabyte B450M DS3H (Socket AM4/B450/DDR4/S-ATA 600/Micro ATX)

I recently sold my old Intel based 4790k system with the intention of upgrading to something a little more future proof, and importantly, faster. After doing a lot of research I decided to be daring and make a move over to the red team! This was for a few reasons. AMD at the moment just represents far better value for money, power for pound. The AM4 platform has also matured to a level where it is robust and reliable, so no longer an unknown quantity as was the case when it first launched. AMD are also promising that the AM4 platform will be around until at least 2020, whereas Intel are rumoured to be dropping socket 1151 after the 9th gen CPU’s are launched in the near future.Red team decided, I researched a number of CPU’s before setting on the Ryzen 6 2600. I ruled out the 1st gen CPU’s as I wanted newer architecture, so this seemed like the obvious choice. For the £143 I paid I couldn’t believe I was getting 6 cores, 12 threads and the ability to overclock (big smile). I had a nagging concern over the 3.4GHz base clock with boost to 3.9GHz, however was happy to be proven wrong.Installation was a breeze. I opted not to use the bundled Wraith cooler as I had already purchased an AIO watercooler. With the low 65w TDP this is one cool little CPU. With my 240mm AIO attached at 100% load in AIDA64 it doesn’t get over 50c!This CPU easily surpassed whatever expectations I had for it. Despite the lower clock speed single core performance is respectable; however a similar Intel CPU would have the legs on it. However in multi core applications this CPU just runs away with it. When I benchmarked this CPU and compared it to my old Intel i7 4790k this CPU is 1% lower in single core tasks, but an astonishing 50% faster in multi core tasks. Not bad considering the £143 price tag, and me having sold my 4790k for £200.3DMark scores were similarly impressive, and I noted that despite the 3.9GHz boost, coupled with my Asus B450 board the system automatically boosted the CPU to 4.2GHz. Temperatures on this run peaked at 57c.Overall I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this CPU to anyone. It should easily last a few years as it delivered plenty of processing power. Then come 2020 you can swap this CPU out for a newer faster AMD CPU and carry on enjoying the platform for several years. Until Intel, where you will have to change the motherboard if you want to upgrade to a processor post 9th generation.System:AMD Ryzen 5 2600Asus ROG Strix B450-F gaming motherboardCoolerMaster ML240L AIO liquid coolerCorsair Vengeance LPX 3200MHz RAM

product was almost perfect.on paper. this thing is a beast!great clock speed, easy to OC with ryzen master..with a fast clock speed per core, with SMT means 12 threads, perfect for gaming, and VR ? Oh its a rocket..just one.. teeny... tiny... problem..the cpu wasn't in the box when it arrived xDafter a few heated emails with the third party and amazon themselves issue was resovled and a full refund was given and i ended up buying else where.amazon customer service? 4 stars.experience. no stars.

I could write about how great this cpu is all night but I'll try and keep it short.I upgraded from an 1800x a few months back and i was a bit sceptical at first until i saw the numbers, my cpu will run at 4ghz all day long at extremely low voltage compared to my 1800x, for example i easily sit over 4ghz with my voltage below 1.275v, unthinkable on the 1800x. I decide to stick a h100i corsair cooler on it which almost destroyed my idea of airflow through the case (See pic 2) as i had to put the intake fans at the top because the 240mm radiator was too big to fit in the top of the case, only because the ram slots are quite high on the Asrock x470 Gaming K4. The trouble i have is my 1080ti also has its own radiator so my cases airflow really isn't optimal at all, but it still stays cool at all times. Even with this heatwave through europe the cpu never exceeded 70 °c at any time even without amazing airlow and ambient temps well above 40°c, this thing is a beast! If you want to run anything over 3200mhz ram then please take my advice and make sure the ram is samsung B-die. Im not sure why but ryzen really loves samsung B-die, I had corsair 3200mhz hynix ram that would run on my other b350 board with my 1800x or 2700x but not with the new x470 board, the timings are not right, ended up purchasing G-skill Flare X 3200mhz 16gb instead for ultimate capability. In short, dont believe the doubters, this is insane performance out the box with most ryzen 2700x hitting 4ghz straight out the box with under 1.3v, I mean would you really expect 8 cores to go under 30°c even with power saving off, amd cool and quiet and c6 state off? Im more than happy, I havent even activated precision boost 2 yet and look at those specs, i dont need to! I just let it thrive under 1.3v, its glorious!

Processor is buttery smooth and quick, upgrading from a FX-8350. Though I felt my 8350 was still reasonably quick, but the hardware was ageing, so an upgrade was well needed.I combined this processor with a AsRock Taichi x370 (Latest 4.70 BIOS) and 16GB's 3000mhz Corsair RAM - with XMP enabled. I am receiving the correct RAM speeds.The stock cooler is very nice, quiet from my point of view and more than adequate if you wish not to overclock. I thought about getting the 1700x, however if you factor in a decent cooler along with the 1700x, you are more or less paying the same price as the 2700x and this is newer, plus on 12nm technology as well as slightly faster stock and boost speeds.I am very happy with my upgrade.Note - to get the most out of Ryzen ensure you use fast DDR4 RAM, with XMP enabled in the BIOS settings.