Ryzen 5 1400 SKU is the least expensive processor from the series you can get right now, which does come with half of the L3 cache, a base clock of 3.2GHz, an all-core clock of the same 3.2GHz, a 2-core boost of 3.4GHz while the single-core boost does add 50MHz over this frequency. The processor does still feature a 65W TDP, is overclocking unlocked and on retail we can see it shipped along with the Wraith Stealth CPU cooler.

This particular CPU is not the cheapest for nothing, it basically comes with lower overclocking potential; in our tests, 4.0GHz was a no-go, 3.9GHz was not doable even at 1.418V set inside the UEFI interface, but we were able to settle with a 3.8GHz overclock, while working with a 1.412 voltage. The processor does come with a 2 + 2 CCX configuration and since basically half of the cores are turned off, the temperatures in Prime95 were low as well, despite the high voltage and maximum stress levels (58.5 degrees Celsius), while using a Deepcool Captain 240 EX AIO system.

What can we expect regarding performance levels? Well, this SKU is clearly under the rest of the Ryzen 5 series at stock, BUT we have seen that it can surpass the Intel Core i5 7600K processor in rendering and video encoding tasks, in both stock and overclocked environments, even if the last does have much higher clock speeds. When the Ryzen 5 1400 processor is overclocked, it can get to the Ryzen 5 1500X levels at stock, so if you are aiming for better overclocks, it is always a wise decision to go for the 1500X SKU (with this one we were able to reach notable higher clocks, at much lower voltages).

The Ryzen 5 1400 processor can be found online for about 166 Euros, while the better binned Ryzen 5 1500X (which does also come with the full 16MB of L3 cache) is now available for 192 Euros. We do expect to see the Ryzen 5 1400 CPU to be seen more in pre-built systems from OEMs, while the enthusiasts will go for the 1500X variant given its considerably higher overclocking potential.

Regarding the power consumption of the system, we have recorded 50.9W in IDLE, 64.1W while watching a 4K movie clip, 96.8W while encoding with Handbrake but also 110W when gaming. With a 3.8GHz all-core overclock, we have got 51.3W in IDLE, 65.4W when watching the exact same movie clip, 126W while encoding with Handbrake and 131W while gaming.

This particular SKU wins our Value award for its better performance compared to the Intel Core i5 7600K Kaby Lake in productivity applications, which is considerably more expensive at 235 Euros.

We would like to thank again to AMD for making this review possible!