This month, AMD launched multiple Ryzen 5 processors. The 1600X and 1600 are sub-$300 6-core 12-thread CPUs that pose some healthy competition to Intel’s i5-7600K and i5-7500.
On the other hand, the sub-$200 Ryzen 5 1500X and 1400 have 4 cores and 8 threads. They compete more with Intel’s locked i5-7400 and the unlocked 2-core, 4-thread i3-7350K CPUs, neither of which we recommend at their current price points.
The Ryzen 5 1500X comes with a Wraith Spire cooler, the Ryzen 5 1400 with a Wraith Stealth. The Intel i5 7400 comes with a stock Intel cooler and the i3 7350K doesn’t include any cooler at all.