The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is still a killer CPU for the money. You may have bought this CPU recently and wonder what kind of temperatures you can expect on it. If you wonder what kind of temperatures the Ryzen 5 2600 reaches and what sort of cooling is adequate, here comes the answer.
Ryzen 5 2600 max temp is 95°C. When the CPU reaches this temperature, it will either shut down or throttle. This happens because the CPU is protecting itself from damage. Your Ryzen 5 2600, or any CPU for that matter, should never run at a constant 90-95°C. This will seriously shorten the CPU’s lifespan.
The max safe temp for a sustained load without a noticeable effect on a Ryzen 5 2600 is around 80°C. Do bear in mind that cooler is always better and that even at this temperature you can still experience thermal throttling or stability issues. It is typical for a modern CPU to hover in the 75-80°C range.
So, how hot can a Ryzen 5 2600 get? At stock settings with a stock cooler, the temp typically does not go above 75-80°C, meaning it is in the exact range that most CPUs are so you should not be worried under such conditions. You may still experience some stability or throttling issues even at these temps, but it is minimal.
Do bear in mind that some games tend to push the CPU further. As a result of that, they make it go above 80°C after a few hours. If you do not know whether you should stay on the stock AMD Wraith Stealth Cooler or upgrade to something more chilly, then keep on reading to find out.
Ryzen 5 2600 Max Temp
The Ryzen 5 2600 has a typical maximum temperature that is true for most CPUs at this price point. The stock Wraith Stealth Cooler does an excellent job at keeping the 2600 cool and it is even possible to do some minor overclocking on it. If you plan to push your CPU to its limits and achieve performance results similar to the 2600x, then an aftermarket cooler is strongly recommended.
Does Ryzen 5 2600 Need an Aftermarket Cooler?
This will depend on what you do and what you expect from your CPU. If you do not play a lot of games or need a lot of CPU power for productivity, then a stock cooler is fine. Even if you do use your CPU a lot, you still may not need an upgrade as the AMD Wraith Stealth is an excellent stock cooler. It can keep the Ryzen 5 2600 on its boost clock without any throttling or stability issues.
However, if you want to gain the absolute maximum out of your CPU, then an aftermarket cooler is still a sound upgrade. The Ryzen 5 2600 is somewhat underclocked compared to its 2600x cousin and testing has shown that it can easily reach 4.2 GHz (up from the 3.9 GHz boost clock).
A decent aftermarket cooler, like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO, is a good choice for those who want to push their CPU without spending money on a more expensive CPU. Having an overclocked Ryzen 5 2600 with a good aftermarket cooler will essentially get you the same performance of the Ryzen 5 2600x while also keeping the situation colder. You may even end up saving some money as most aftermarket coolers tend to last for a long time and can be reused.
Is Stock Cooler Enough for Ryzen 5 2600?
The stock cooler is enough for most people who are not planning to overclock. It will keep the Ryzen 5 2600 under 80°C in most conditions, which is good enough. Some people claim that the Ryzen 5 2600 can be undervolted as low as -0.100V. This is excellent news for people who do not want to overclock their CPU or upgrade the stock cooler. Undervolting can significantly reduce temperatures but be aware of the stability issues before attempting anything.
Can You Overclock the Ryzen 5 2600 With a Stock Cooler?
In short, yes. But it is not easy. Overclocking the Ryzen 5 2600 with its stock cooler varies significantly from chip to chip because of the silicon lottery. Some people claim that they can run their chips at 4.2 GHz, but that is a one-in-a-million situation.
You can try undervolting the CPU as much as you can while also slowly pushing the clock speed up and then running a stress test for an hour or two to check the temps and stability. This takes a lot of time to do. It is much easier to buy a decent aftermarket cooler and not worry about the temperature while also doing some overclocking.
Alert: We are not responsible for any damage that you cause to your CPU or other hardware. Do not change the stock settings if you do not know what you are doing.