Introduction

AMD has developed a strong reputation for delivering budget-friendly processors for people who are on a tight budget or looking to put together a PC while being frugal. The Ryzen series processors offer an excellent balance of performance, power efficiency, and affordability. This ends up making them the go-to for building PCs without breaking the bank.

These processors were handpicked, and the ones that makes sense to select in 2025 are listed below. The AMD processors deliver impressive performance at 1080p and 1440p resolution for builds that are under $800, especially in 2025.

This post excludes processors on the AM4 platform because no new generation of processors will succeed them, and they belong to a dead platform. They still offer great prices, but it might become more difficult to find certain components, such as DDR4 RAM.

This post will help you choose the perfect AMD CPU without overspending!

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X

Pros

• Great for 1080p and 1440p gaming

• Low power draw

• Upgrade paths available

Cons

• AM5 is more expensive vs. AM4

• This processor is expensive without sale discounts

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a solid choice for gaming in 2025, particularly for budget builds. It is capable of 1080p and 1440p gaming, which can also be paired with midrange graphics cards. It is not the best value for budget builds, but it can be found on sale for under $200.

The 9600X provides reliable 1080p and 1440p performance. The downside is that the performance gain is not significant compared to the 7600X. However, it is still possible to find this processor on sale, matching the prices of the 7600 and 7600X. People can get this processor with some performance gain, while the price is similar to the other two processors.

If the budget is on the higher end, then the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a solid option and goes on sale from time to time to help with being within budget. Prices fluctuate on Amazon and / or Newegg.

AMD Ryzen 5 7600/X

Pros

• Great for 1080p and 1440p gaming

• Very power efficient

• Upgrade paths available

Cons

• AM5 platform is more pricey

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is a great option for budget builds that are on the higher end of the spectrum and even mid-range builds. It is pricier compared to the other budget processors, but it makes it up in performance and its being on the AM5 platform.

Since this is on the AM5 platform, people can upgrade their builds in the future when this processor ages. While it is possible on AM4, people must rely on AMD continuing to produce AM4 processors in the future.

The Ryzen 5 7600 is power efficient at 65W TDP and can play games at 1080p resolution.

While there is the 7600X option, the non-X version is overall a better option to choose. It is more affordable, consumes less power, and its performance is still close to the 7600X performance. There is nothing wrong with going with a 7600X if it is not much more expensive.

You should consider these two processors in 2025. The AMD Ryzen 9600X, which offers similar performance, is also another option you can purchase on sale.

AMD Ryzen 5 7500F

Pros

• Great for budget builds

• Upgrade paths available

• Great for 1080p and 1440p gaming

• Near-identical performance to the pricier Ryzen 5 7600

Cons

• No iGPU

• Limited availability

• AM5 platform cost is more vs. AM4

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a great budget gaming processor in 2025, especially for 1080p and 1440p gaming. Its performance is almost the same as the pricier Ryzen 5 7600 while saving $30-$50. While the processor doesn't have an iGPU, it is the value king for entry level-midrange gaming.

There are other alternatives such as the Ryzen 5 7600 and the Ryzen 5 9600X, but they are usually at least $30 more expensive. When there are no sales, both are even more expensive.

It often performs similarly to the 7600 and can be used with midrange graphics cards such as the RTX 5060 Ti. It can run games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur's Gate 3 and Fortnite.

Because it has not been officially released in the US, it is not widely available. This processor is available only at certain stores, like AliExpress and possibly on Amazon.

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is great for gaming in 2025 if you're looking to have a budget build. It is powerful for an entry-level processor and can be paired with midrange graphics cards.

AMD Ryzen 5 8400F

Pros

• Very power efficient

• Great for budget builds

• Performance almost matches 7500F

Cons

• No integrated graphics

• PCIe 4.0 limitation

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is an alternative to the 7500F. It's available at a lower price, but it's considered an overall downgrade. Fortunately, you can find it in the US market, while you must import the 7500F from AliExpress or another store. The 7500F is roughly 10% faster than the 8400F, but it is pricier.

The few downsides are that it does not have integrated graphics and the PCIe limitation can cause trouble for gaming. It will struggle with CPU-bound games such as Flight Simulator, because the L3 cache is half of the 7500F's cache.

Overall, the 8400F is newer and more power efficient, making this great for small-form factor builds. It is often cheaper than the 7500F. The performance is still great for the price, especially for budget builds targeting 1080p or even 1440p gaming.

AMD Ryzen 5 8600G

Pros

• Includes integrated graphics card

• Great for compact builds

• 720p and 1080p capable gaming

• Upgrade paths available

Cons

• Processor + Graphics Card is a more powerful combo

The AMD Ryzen 5 8600G as a great choice for budget gaming in 2025, especially for builds without a dedicated graphics card. The integrated graphics card lets players play modern games at 1080p resolution, especially with adjusted settings.

One factor that makes this processor special is that it doesn't require a dedicated graphics card. If someone is on a tight budget, then this would be a good choice as a dedicated graphics is not needed. This also allows people to have builds that are compact and use small form factor (SFF) cases.

The biggest issue is that the iGPU is weak for 1440p and even 1080p gaming, meaning people will need to lower their settings. This is not ideal but for people on a tight budget, there is not many options. There is the AM4 platform with much cheaper options, but that platform is dead.

While it is not the best processor for high-end gaming, the AMD Ryzen 5 8600G is still a solid choice for budget gaming. It has a good processor for a compact build or if a person does not want to purchase a dedicated graphics card.

Since this is on the AM5 platform, people can upgrade it in the future.

There are the other APUs available but budget-wise, they are not the best. The 8500G and 8700G are alternatives.