AMD Ryzen 5 4600GE

AMD Ryzen 5 4600GE

AMD Ryzen 5 4600GE: Comprehensive Review of the Processor for Energy-Efficient Systems

Relevant as of April 2025


Key Features: Architecture and Performance

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600GE processor, released in 2020, remains a popular choice for compact and energy-efficient PCs thanks to its Zen 2 architecture and 7nm technology process. This is a 6-core chip with 12 threads, a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz, and a turbo boost of up to 4.2 GHz. It has 8 MB of L3 cache, and the TDP ranges from 10 to 45 watts, allowing flexible power consumption management.

Key Features:

- Integrated Radeon Vega 7 Graphics (448 cores, clock speed up to 1900 MHz) — suitable for light gaming and multimedia work.

- Support for PCIe 3.0 (compared to PCIe 4.0 in the Ryzen 5000 series) — a limitation for next-gen SSDs, but sufficient for most tasks.

- Precision Boost 2 and SMT technologies — automatic overclocking and efficient multithreading.

Performance:

In the Geekbench 6 (2025) test, the processor scores 1486 points in single-core mode and 6287 in multi-core. This level is adequate for office applications, rendering in Blender, and streaming in OBS. In games at 1080p resolution (such as CS2 or Fortnite), the Vega 7 delivers 40-60 FPS at medium settings.


Compatible Motherboards: Sockets and Chipsets

The Ryzen 5 4600GE uses the AM4 socket, ensuring compatibility with motherboards based on the following chipsets:

- A520 — budget option without overclocking (from $60).

- B550 — optimal choice with support for PCIe 4.0 for GPUs and NVMe (from $90).

- X570 — premium segment with enhanced power delivery and extended ports (from $150).

Recommendations:

- For mini-PCs, compact mITX boards like the ASRock B550M-ITX/ac ($120) are suitable.

- When choosing, check the BIOS version: boards from 2022 and later support Zen 2 "out of the box."


Supported Memory: DDR4 and Optimization

The processor operates with DDR4-3200 (officially), but many users overclock the memory to 3600 MHz for a performance boost of 5-8%.

Tips:

- Choose dual-channel kits (2×8 GB or 2×16 GB).

- Optimal models: Crucial Ballistix 3200 MHz CL16 ($55 for 16 GB) or G.Skill Ripjaws V 3600 MHz CL18 ($70).


Power Supplies: Power Calculation

With a TDP of 35 watts (real-world loads rarely exceed 65 watts at peak), even with a discrete graphics card like the NVIDIA RTX 3050 (130 watts), a power supply of 450-550 watts is sufficient.

Examples:

- For systems without a graphics card: be quiet! Pure Power 11 400W ($60).

- With a graphics card: Corsair CX550M ($70, 80+ Bronze).


Pros and Cons of the Ryzen 5 4600GE

Advantages:

- Low power consumption — ideal for HTPCs or office PCs.

- Decent integrated graphics.

- Availability (price in 2025 — $120–140).

Disadvantages:

- No PCIe 4.0 — slower for next-gen NVMe SSDs.

- Limited upgrade potential (the AM4 socket is becoming outdated).


Use Cases

1. Office and Multimedia: Smooth operation in Chrome with 20+ tabs, 4K video in VLC.

2. Light Gaming: GTA V, Rocket League, Minecraft — 50–60 FPS at medium settings.

3. Home Server: Low power consumption and support for virtualization via AMD-V.


Comparison with Competitors

- Intel Core i5-12400T (2022): Better single-threaded performance (Geekbench 6 Single Core — 1650), but more expensive ($160) and lacks integrated graphics in some models.

- Ryzen 5 5600G (2021): Zen 3 architecture, PCIe 3.0, Vega 7 — 10-15% performance boost in games, but higher price ($170).


Practical Assembly Tips

1. Cooling: The stock cooler is sufficient, but for quieter operation, choose the Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 ($45).

2. Case: Mini formats (Fractal Design Node 202) for media centers.

3. Storage: Kingston NV1 1 TB SSD ($65) — balance of speed and capacity.


Final Conclusion: Who is the Ryzen 5 4600GE Suitable For?

This processor is an excellent choice for:

- Budget Builds (complete system — $400–500).

- Energy-Efficient Systems (NAS, home server).

- Office PCs with enough headroom for multitasking.

In 2025, the 4600GE remains relevant due to its low price and balanced performance, but for gaming or professional tasks, it is better to consider models with PCIe 4.0 and Zen 3/4 architecture.

Basic

Label Name
AMD
Platform
Desktop
Launch Date
July 2020
Model Name
?
The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.
Ryzen 5 4600GE
Code Name
Zen 2

CPU Specifications

Total Cores
?
Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).
6
Total Threads
?
Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.
12
Performance-cores
6
Performance-core Base Frequency
3.3 GHz
Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency
?
Maximum P-core turbo frequency derived from Intel® Turbo Boost Technology.
4.2 GHz
L1 Cache
96K per core
L2 Cache
512K per core
L3 Cache
8MB shared
Unlocked Multiplier
No
Multiplier
33x
Bus Frequency
100MHz
CPU Socket
?
The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.
AM4
Technology
?
Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.
7 nm
TDP
10-45 W
Max. Operating Temperature
?
Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.
95 °C
PCIe Version
?
PCI Express is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard used for connecting high-speed components, replacing older standards such as AGP, PCI, and PCI-X. It has gone through multiple revisions and improvements since its initial release. PCIe 1.0 was first introduced in 2002, and in order to meet the growing demand for higher bandwidth, subsequent versions have been released over time.
3.0
Instruction Set
?
The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.
x86-64

Memory Specifications

Memory Type
?
Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.
DDR4-3200
Max Memory Size
?
Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.
64GB
Memory Channels
?
The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.
2
Max Memory Bandwidth
?
Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).
43.71 GB/s
ECC Memory Support
Yes

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model
?
An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.
True
GPU Max Dynamic Frequency
1900 MHz
GPU Base Frequency
300 MHz
Graphics Performance
1.108 TFLOPS

Miscellaneous

PCIe Lanes
12

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6
Single Core Score
1486
Geekbench 6
Multi Core Score
6287
Geekbench 5
Single Core Score
1065
Geekbench 5
Multi Core Score
3271
Passmark CPU
Single Core Score
2612
Passmark CPU
Multi Core Score
15641

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core
1600 +7.7%
1544 +3.9%
1434 -3.5%
1386 -6.7%
Geekbench 6 Multi Core
7077 +12.6%
6669 +6.1%
5853 -6.9%
5536 -11.9%
Geekbench 5 Single Core
1110 +4.2%
1086 +2%
1042 -2.2%
1020 -4.2%
Geekbench 5 Multi Core
3545 +8.4%
3394 +3.8%
3158 -3.5%
3040 -7.1%
Passmark CPU Single Core
2691 +3%
2571 -1.6%
2542 -2.7%
Passmark CPU Multi Core
17017 +8.8%
16332 +4.4%
15004 -4.1%
14369 -8.1%