Is The Stock Cooler Good Enough For 5600x? Explained!

You’re probably planning to pick up the famous Ryzen 5600x for your pc build. Or you might have already got it! Either way, you have chosen a very good processor for any kind of use.

However, if your CPU overheats, there’s no use of that CPU. It’ll affect your CPU’s performance. 

So, a basic question might come to your mind, is the stock cooler good enough for 5600x?

Generally, if you’re an average user, your Ryzen stock cooler for 5600x will do. While the temperature might get on the high side, it’s not extremely harmful. Your performance won’t be much hindered too. However, if you want to push your 5600x to the limit, it’s better to use an extra air cooler.

Wait! This was only the teaser. There is still a lot to discuss about whether you should stay with the stock one or not. 

If you’re curious to know, feel free to read on!

Should You Run 5600x on a Stock Cooler or Not?

The answer is quite simple. You obviously can use your stock cooler that comes with Ryzen 5600x. Otherwise, why would they even manufacture it, right?

To be honest, there’s only one way to find out. And that’s by deciding what you want from your CPU itself!

So, before answering, “is the Ryzen 5600x stock cooler good?”, let’s clarify your requirements.

Stock Cooler Factors to Look At

As mentioned before, AMD stock coolers are not that bad. They offer quite the value without costing you anything. However, it’s always best to look at some temperature, noises & throttling benchmarks beforehand. 

That’s why I have collected the data and discussed it here. Have a look!

Temperature:

5600x stock cooler temps is a good benchmark to start with. Usually, in idle, the CPU temperature hovers around 40-45 degrees. However, intensive tasks can take that to 80-85 degrees (or even higher!) temperature. 

You can see in the following graph, the difference in temperature with stock coolers and some other CPU coolers. It’s almost a 20 degrees gap.

Yes, that kind of temperature is not normal. Moreover, your CPU performance also gets affected if the heatsink is overused like that. Because your stock cooler can dissipate only a portion of that temp at once.

Still, your regular AAA titled games, basic photoshop editing, or documenting is not severely stressful. If your stock cooler remains at 48-50 degrees during normal tasks, you’re safe.

No need for you to consider external aftermarket coolers. You’ll be fine with stock ones as long as you don’t do some rigorous tasks.

That’s it for the temperature side. Now head on to the next important factor and that is noise.

Noise:

Noise is another important factor for any PC user. Nobody likes a loud and noisy CPU system. That’s why it’s good to know about 5600x stock cooler noise too!

The 5600x cooler benchmark can be also evaluated by the cooler noise. You can then compare the ideal fan noise and your current system.

The noise coming from the stock fan is pretty quiet when the system is idle. It’s not like you won’t be able to hear the sounds. 

But the noise is quite minimal and not annoying. Think of it like ASMR if you can!

However, the problem begins when there’s a heavy load on the CPU. At those times, the noise cranks up and gets pretty irritating. You’ll get to hear your cooler grunting loudly. If you don’t mind those, your stock cooler is perfect for you.

Now, you might be thinking, then is there no need for an aftermarket cooler? They are used for those types of coolers too! 

The next segment answers that query. Have a read!

When to Use an Aftermarket Cooler? 

In the previous segments, you got to know the capabilities of stock coolers. However, sometimes, a stock cooler is really not enough for your CPU. On those occasions, you have no choice but to rely on aftermarket coolers.

You can even use case fans on the CPU cooler too! 

But you might not know about those conditions. No worries because I’m here to enlighten you completely!

Let’s look at these two conditions when aftermarket coolers become a necessity. 

Overclocking:

Overclocking is basically upscaling the overall performance of the performance. In the balanced mode, the processor stays under 3.7 GHz. 

However, overclocking or maxing the clock speed can get you up to 4.6 GHz.

You can definitely see the difference very clearly. However, that incredible power comes at a cost. And that is the overheating of the CPU compared to regular clock speed. 

Your stock cooler might not be enough to handle such extreme heat.

In the worst-case scenario, your system can catch fire! You definitely don’t want your CPU system to go up in flames, do you? That’s why using an aftermarket cooler is the best choice.

Now, you might be wondering what’s the best cooler for the Ryzen 5600x? Noctua 5600x cooler, and Arctic cooler are some excellent CPU choices for this CPU. 

Don’t believe me? Check out this build of 5600x with Arctic Freezer II 240 liquid cooler.

I’ve listed the aforementioned coolers here, along with some other coolers according to different categories-

You can easily pick any one of them according to your need, budget and purpose. 

Also, there are some subtle differences between the case and cpu fans. So, do check whether you are choosing the right one. 

Now, it’s time to move on to the next condition.

3D Modeling or Rendering

Rendering and 3D modeling require tons of CPU performance. You often will see your PC getting hot just opening those applications. 

So, you must use extra cooling fans for such situations.

Also, thermal paste usage is crucial. Because the stock paste is not that great. If you have your thermal paste, then you’re fully equipped. 

But if you don’t have it, you can get such paste at an affordable price.

Here are some of those top thermal pastes-

If you are planning to do graphics-intensive work, an extra cooling fan is a must. Without a fan, you are overusing the stock fan. Your stock 5600x fans are not designed to handle such pressure.

So, don’t push your stock cooler too much and get a good aftermarket cooler. Always be cautious about your CPU performance while doing such tasks. 

Considering those above factors, you should choose whether to use aftermarket coolers or not. But don’t just use your stock or aftermarket coolers and forget about maintaining them! 

CPU coolers require proper cleaning and you should take good care of them. Otherwise, the longevity of the cooler can’t be guaranteed. 

So, push your Ryzen stock cooler while ensuring good maintenance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Endnote

After everything, I hope you are set now. Because now you have the answer, “is the stock cooler good enough for 5600x?”.

Make sure to get an aftermarket cooler if you are a heavy user like me. That was the best bucks that I had ever spent on my build. It’ll make sure that you don’t face any problems with overheating.

Enjoy your games or rendering without any worry now!