AMD has officially introduced two new processors designed for those who want a PC without breaking the bank: the Ryzen 5 5500F and the Ryzen 5 7500. Both of these chips, each with six cores, are designed to offer high-performance solutions for users who don’t want to spend too much. The first model is designed for the AM4 platform, while the second is designed for the newer AM5 architecture.
Vermeer Architecture for the Ryzen 5 5500F
It’s important to note that the Ryzen 5 5500F should not be confused with the standard Ryzen 5 5500 model. Although their names are similar, they are based on different chips. The Ryzen 5 5500F is based on the Zen 3 architecture of the Ryzen 5000 series, codenamed Vermeer, which uses a multi-chiplet architecture. In contrast, the standard Ryzen 5 5500 is part of the Ryzen 5000G series (codenamed Cezanne) and features a monolithic die.
In reality, it’s more accurate to consider the Ryzen 5 5500F as a “lower-bin” version of the Ryzen 5 5600. The latter has 32 MB of L3 cache, while the 5500F has only 16 MB—half as much. Additionally, the 5500F’s boost frequency is 500 MHz lower than that of the 5600. Despite this reduction in cache and clock speed, the new model offers a significant advantage: it supports PCIe 4.0, unlike the Ryzen 5 5500, which is limited to PCIe 3.0. This feature allows users to take full advantage of the speeds of modern SSDs and graphics cards.
The Ryzen 5 7500 features an integrated graphics processor
On the AM5 platform, the Ryzen 5 7500 represents an interesting alternative to the Ryzen 5 7500F. The technical specifications of the two models are identical in terms of raw performance: six cores, 12 threads, a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, and a boost up to 5.0 GHz. The TDP remains at 65 W, and the total cache of 38 MB (6 MB L2 + 32 MB L3) is unchanged.
The major difference lies in the integration of a Radeon RDNA 2 graphics unit. This integrated graphics chip features two Compute Units running at up to 2.2 GHz. This feature allows users who do not wish to invest in a dedicated graphics card right away to use the processor to display their screen. However, for demanding gamers, the performance difference compared to the Ryzen 5 7600—which has a slightly higher boost clock (5.1 GHz)—might be noticeable in certain intensive workloads, although the gap is often negligible in gaming.
Regarding availability and price, information varies by region. In the United States, the Ryzen 5 5500F is priced at $99, while the Ryzen 5 7500 sells for $189. In Europe, retailers such as Scan Computers list prices of £87.98 for the AM4 model and £167.99 for the AM5 model. Some analysts point out that the Ryzen 5 7500 may offer less value compared to newer competitors like the Ryzen 5 9600X, which is available at a similar price but features the superior Zen 5 architecture.
