Along with the AMD Ryzen 7 official launch today, AMD is announcing their plans to expand Ryzen models down market. The AMD Ryzen 5 series will have two launch processors. As a 6 core, 12 thread model the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X has high clock speeds that are going to make the top end of the Intel Core i5 market shutter. Likewise, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X is a 4 core 8 thread model that will offer 8 threads to a lower price segment of the market. AMD has also announced plans for a Ryzen 3 mainstream segment but has not released details.
AMD Ryzen 5 1600X and 1500X in the Overall Lineup
Here is the lineup that AMD has announced thus far:
| PRODUCT LINE | MODEL | CORES | THREADS | BASE CLOCK (GHZ) | BOOST CLOCK (GHZ) | INCLUDED COOLER | TDP (WATTS) | ON SALE |
| RYZEN 7 | 1800X | 8 | 16 | 3.6 | 4.0 | N/A | 95 | Now |
| RYZEN 7 | 1700X | 8 | 16 | 3.4 | 3.8 | N/A | 95 | Now |
| RYZEN 7 | 1700 | 8 | 16 | 3.0 | 3.7 | Wraith Spire | 65 | Now |
| RYZEN 5 | 1600X | 6 | 12 | 3.6 | 4.0 | Wraith Spire | 95 | Q2 |
| RYZEN 5 | 1500X | 4 | 8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | Wraith Spire | 65 | Q2 |
There will be a Ryzen 3 series coming out in the future as well. One quick note here is that the Ryzen 7 1700 is perhaps the killer value CPU in the current stack. Not only is it the least expensive, but it has a much lower 65w TDP meaning operating costs are lower. Furthermore, like the forthcoming AMD Ryzen 5 1600X and Ryzen 5 1500X parts, it has an AMD Wraith Spire cooler included. There is no need to spend $45+ on a separate cooler. The real cost of the Ryzen 7 1700X using a $45 cooler is $445 while the Ryzen 7 1700 is $329. If you have a 24×7 on system, smart money is on the Ryzen 7 1700.
For those wondering, here is the AMD Socket AM4 model number guide.
As you can see, the family is set to expand significantly. We are excited to see the Ryzen 3 series come out later this year as well as the brands above Ryzen. We will likely see workstation and professional parts marketed with a different name (e.g. Ryzen Pro as has been leaked numerous times.)
