On Sunday, AMD quietly launched its most affordable Zen 4-based processor yet, the Ryzen 5 7500F. This six-core CPU lacks integrated graphics and carries a recommended price tag of $179. Just like we reported, the chip debuts in China, but AMD has listed it on its product page for global availability, meaning it could come to other regions over time. The Ryzen 5 7500F processor will make AMD's AM5 platform more accessible to gamers with limited budgets who are looking forward to future upgrades.
AMD's Ryzen 5 7500F is a six-core processor with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a maximum boost clock of up to 5.0 GHz. The CPU features 6MB of L2 cache in total, 32MB of L3 cache, and a dual-channel DDR5 memory subsystem officially supporting DDR5-5200, but which can handle much higher data transfer rates, especially when used with modules supporting AMD's EXPO profiles. The processor is rated for a 65W TDP and has a locked multiplier, so it can't be overclocked easily. Those who want overclockability will probably have to opt for a more expensive Ryzen 5 7600X, which has an MSRP of $299 and is among the best processors for gaming.
Just like the rest of the Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000-series CPUs released to date, the Ryzen 5 7500F processor has 28 PCIe Gen5 lanes, four of which are used to connect to the chipset, four are meant for a high-performance M.2 SSD with a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface, and 16 are available for graphics cards and other bandwidth-hungry components. Speaking of graphics, as the 'F' letter in the model number implies, this CPU lacks an integrated GPU and requires a standalone graphics card. Meanwhconsidering mind that iGPUs in Ryzen 7000-series CPUs are designed mostly for office workloads and troubleshooting, gamers will hardly miss this one.
AMD's $179 Ryzen 5 7500F will sit below the Ryzen 5 7600 (6C/12T, 3.80 GHz – 5.10 GHz, a basic RDNA 2-based GPU), which costs $208 offering just slightly higher performance in games for $50 more. Meanwhile, the new CPU offers tangibly higher performance than AMD's Ryzen 5 5600 (6C/12T, 3.50 GHz – 4.40 GHz, no iGPU), which can be obtained for $116. Of course, AMD's AM5 platform is more expensive than its time-proven AM4 platform, but the former obviously offers an upgrade path for years.
One of the intriguing things about AMD's Ryzen 5 7500F is that the company is launching it in China and some other Asian countries, essentially retaining premium status for its AM5 platform in the rest of the world for at least a few weeks. Yet, the company's website clearly indicates the availability of the CPU as 'global,' so as we mentioned in our previous coverage, AMD retains the option to release the chip in other locales in the future.
Meanwhile, reviews of the new CPU are only published by Chinese as well as South Korean media, and the product is available from China-based JD.com for ¥1,239 ($172, $152 without VAT), but not from Amazon or Newegg.
