Retailer photo of AMD Ryzen 5 5500. View this offer in Where to buy
AMD · CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5500
The current AMD Ryzen 5 5500 price from retailers, its key specifications, and how it performs for each job.
Trade-offs: Current price sits $4 above the strong-value threshold (~$90)
- Cores / threads
- 6C / 12T
- Boost clock
- 4200 MHz
- Socket
- AM4
- TDP
- 88 W
- Memory support
- DDR4
Move a slider and the page re-scores this product against the same market frame.
What does it cost today, and is that a good price?
Market confidence: MediumAt $94 the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is priced 27% below its $129 representative market level. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X currently does the same job for $84.
Price looks competitive: the cheapest verified offer is 27% below the current representative level.
Prices & availability
AMD Ryzen 5 5500: current price and offers
Compare the offers we track for this model, across variants and retailers.
3 tracked offers · 3 retailers
| Variant | Store | Condition | Price (snapshot) | Value · Balanced | Checked | Offer link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 5 5500 | Newegg | New | $94 | 77 | 2026-10-16 | View offer → |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5500 | MemoryC | New | $129 | 62 | 2026-10-11 | View offer → |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5500 | CentralComputer | New | $150 | 56 | 2026-10-16 | View offer → |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5500Multiple variants available | Amazon Affiliate | Varies | Find on Amazon | Not tracked | No price snapshot | Find on Amazon → |
Prices are dated snapshots, not live quotes — confirm the final price at the store. New, refurbished and used offers are listed separately; used offers carry warranty and seller risk.
Performance and where it ranks
Two different questions, side by side. Performance compares what the hardware can do; Value compares what that capability costs at today’s price. A product can rank high on one and low on the other — that gap is the point.
Performance Balanced
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#148 of 264 graded processors
- #145 IntelIntel Core i5-11600K 11
- #146 IntelIntel Core i5-11600KF 11
- #147 IntelIntel Core i9-9900KS 11
- #148 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 11
- #149 IntelIntel Core i9-10900 11
- #150 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500GT 11
- #151 IntelIntel Core i5-12400 11
Value Balanced
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#11 of 264 currently priced processors
- #8 IntelIntel Core Ultra 5 225F 83
- #9 IntelIntel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus 82
- #10 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5600 82
- #11 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 77
- #12 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 9700X 75
- #13 IntelIntel Core i3-14100F 74
- #14 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 7700 72
Performance Gaming
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#134 of 264 graded processors
- #131 IntelIntel Core i5-11500 59
- #132 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5600G 59
- #133 IntelIntel Core i5-11400 59
- #134 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 59
- #135 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 3600XT 59
- #136 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 3800X 58
- #137 IntelIntel Core i9-10900K 58
Value Gaming
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#51 of 264 currently priced processors
- #48 IntelIntel Core i7-14700K 61
- #49 IntelIntel Core i7-14700F 61
- #50 IntelIntel Core i5-13400F 61
- #51 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 59
- #52 AMDAMD Ryzen 9 5900XT 59
- #53 IntelIntel Core i9-14900 59
- #54 IntelCore Ultra 9 285K 59
Performance Productivity
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#148 of 264 graded processors
- #145 IntelIntel Core i5-11600K 11
- #146 IntelIntel Core i5-11600KF 11
- #147 IntelIntel Core i9-9900KS 11
- #148 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 11
- #149 IntelIntel Core i9-10900 11
- #150 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500GT 11
- #151 IntelIntel Core i5-12400 11
Value Productivity
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#114 of 264 currently priced processors
- #111 IntelIntel Core i9-9960X 8
- #112 IntelIntel Core i7-11700KF 8
- #113 IntelIntel Core i9-10940X 8
- #114 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 8
- #115 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8
- #116 IntelIntel Core i7-11700F 7
- #117 IntelIntel Core i9-11900F 7
Performance Performance per Watt
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#76 of 264 graded processors
- #73 AMDAMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X 41
- #74 AMDAMD Ryzen 9 7900X 41
- #75 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5600G 41
- #76 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 40
- #77 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500GT 40
- #78 IntelIntel Core i9-14900F 39
- #79 IntelIntel Core i5-14600K 39
Value Performance per Watt
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#28 of 264 currently priced processors
- #25 IntelIntel Core Ultra 5 245K 62
- #26 IntelIntel Core Ultra 5 245KF 61
- #27 AMDAMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D 60
- #28 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500 60
- #29 AMDAMD Ryzen 7 5700 59
- #30 AMDAMD Ryzen 5 5500GT 58
- #31 AMDAMD Ryzen 9 5900XT 58
These ladders follow the preset scenario shown above. Your own weights re-score this product, not the whole field.
What it is good for
| Scenario | this productCapability grade · Value at current price | Higher capability |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced (all-round)Weighted all-round view | GradeNo grade Value77 | Higher capability AMD Ryzen 7 3800X 41 +19% capability · +7% price |
| GamingScenario capability | GradeB Value59 | Higher capability AMD Ryzen 5 7500F A 83 +18% capability · +12% price |
| ProductivityScenario capability | GradeD Value8 | Higher capability AMD Ryzen 7 3800X C 3 +19% capability · +7% price |
| Performance per WattScenario capability | GradeC Value60 | Higher capability AMD Ryzen 7 3700X B 45 +16% capability · -2% price |
Balanced has no letter: it is a weighting preset, not a capability rubric. A grade answers “how well does this handle that job?” — price is never part of it. Relative Value puts the current market price back in.
Compare these grades with the full tier list
Browse shortlists for different uses
Trade-offs
Works well if
- Gaming is your main prioritygraded B for Gaming on the same rubric as the tier list
- Strong-value threshold: ~$90$90 is where Relative Value reaches 80 with Balanced priorities, in the 2026-10-10–2026-10-17 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Current price sits $4 above the strong-value threshold (~$90)cheapest tracked $94 against a $90 calculated threshold with Balanced priorities
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelAMD Ryzen 5 3600X holds Relative Value 42 against its 77 with Balanced priorities, at $84
- Productivity is what you actually need it forit grades only D there
Works well if
- Gaming is your main prioritygraded B for Gaming on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for Gaming specificallyat today's market no realistic price for this model reaches strong value for Gaming — the calculation only gets there near $29, against a cheapest tracked $94
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelAMD Ryzen 5 3600X holds Relative Value 14 against its 59 for Gaming, at $84
- Productivity is what you actually need it forit grades only D there
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Productivity is not actually your main job — Gaming isit grades D for Productivity, but B for Gaming
Consider other options if
- Productivity is what you actually need it forit grades D there; AMD Ryzen 7 3800X grades C at $100
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelAMD Ryzen 5 3600X holds Relative Value 2 against its 8 for Productivity, at $84
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Performance per Watt is not actually your main job — Gaming isit grades C for Performance per Watt, but B for Gaming
Consider other options if
- Performance per Watt is what you actually need it forit grades C there; AMD Ryzen 7 3700X grades B at $92
- You want strong value for Performance per Watt specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Performance per Watt per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
Models that suit Performance per Watt better, at this budget
Every line states the fact it was derived from, for the scenario selected above. Thresholds are calculated points on our value curve — information about where the maths turns, not instructions about what to pay.
Similar options to the AMD Ryzen 5 5500
Chosen for Balanced
Chosen for Gaming
Chosen for Productivity
Chosen for Performance per Watt
Alternatives stay near this product’s price range. Step-up options may exceed the standard budget envelope when the capability gain is meaningful.
More head-to-head comparisons in this category
Upgrade planner
Judge the change in the active scenario, then make the cash gap explicit.
Using page scenarioWhat are you upgrading from? These are the axes we compare on, and where this product stands in the current market.
We rank upgrades by out-of-pocket cost — the new price minus what yours is worth — not by sticker price.
Only candidates that clear the configured meaningful-upgrade gate will be shown; roles are omitted rather than filled.
Capability differences are expressed as tiers and index points, not as benchmark percentages we did not measure.
Specifications and compatibility
What this product is, and what to check before it goes into your build.
Core / Performance
- Cores
- 6
- Threads
- 12
- Performance cores
- 6
- Efficiency cores
- 0
- Base clock
- 3600 MHz
- Boost clock
- 4200 MHz
Power / Interface
- TDP
- 88 W
- Maximum turbo power
- 88 W
- Socket
- AM4
- Memory support
- DDR4
- Maximum memory
- 128 GB
- Integrated graphics
- No
- Process node
- 7 nm
Show all specifications
Core / Performance
- L2 cache
- 3 MB
- L3 cache
- 16 MB
- Unlocked multiplier
- Yes
Warranty & release
- Warranty
- 2 years
- Release year
- 2022
- Manufacturer part number
- Ryzen 5 5500
Hover any value to see where it came from: a manufacturer specification, or a figure The Comparator calculated.
Sources: Comparator offer frame 2026-10-10–2026-10-17
What to check in your build
AM4 required
Your motherboard must use socket AM4. A different socket does not fit — this is a physical constraint, not a preference.
Board BIOS must list this model
A matching socket is necessary but not sufficient — check the vendor CPU support list.
DDR4 memory
This processor takes DDR4. Memory of another generation does not fit the slots, even on a board with the right socket.
Cooler rated for 88 W or more
No cooler is included. Your cooler must be rated for at least 88 W on socket AM4.
Discrete GPU required
Found an error? Report this specification Email the field, corrected value and an optional source.
Compatibility guidance is practical help, not a score. Missing data is shown as unknown, never invented.
Summary
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 offers a balanced view across an all-round mix of priorities. It ranks #148 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 542. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 offers B-grade capability for Gaming. It ranks #134 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 542. AMD Ryzen 5 3600X currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 offers D-grade capability for Productivity. It ranks #148 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 542. The D grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 offers C-grade capability for Performance per Watt. It ranks #76 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is multi-thread index 542. The C grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
FAQ
Why does Relative Value change when I choose another scenario?
Each scenario changes the weights applied to capability, price and the other published factors. The hardware facts stay fixed, but the value question changes, so its score and rank can change too.
Why can Amazon appear without a tracked price?
Amazon is shown as a discovery link when we do not have a permitted verified price snapshot. It is excluded from price comparisons, rankings and Relative Value until a compliant tracked price exists.
Useful links & sources
offer frame 2026-10-10–2026-10-17 · formula cpu-value-v1.4 · facts facts-2026-10-17 · Relative Value is an estimate from our current dataset, the selected weights and dated market prices — not an official product rating and not a price forecast. Target prices are calculation thresholds, not predictions. Methodology We are not a shop. Affiliate links may earn us a commission; they never change the calculations or the ranking.