AMD Ryzen 5 4500

This review is a few years after using it. This thing is still running strong and I have had zero problems with it. I've been able to play any and all games without a "hitch" other then from the games that just aren't well optimized. It runs stable every time and the temps for it are always where they need to be. I have an NZXT Kraken AIO on it. Highly recommend this damn thing.

Joe · 2025-11-29 · via amazon

I found myself in need of upgrading a Core i5 2500K to allow my daughter to play Fortnite with my son and I. I paired this Ryzen 5 4500 with a Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI board and 16GB of TForce DDR4, and completed the build with an Antec 520W power supply, a 500GB SSD, and a Radeon RX 6600 that I had sitting in the parts bin. I already had Windows 11 installed on the drive and it booted right up. I installed the appropriate drivers and then used CPU-z to run a stress test. Under 100% load using the included Wraith Stealth cooler, the max temp I saw was 85C. Since I run a Ryzen 9 7900x on my main rig, I am more than comfortable with Ryzen's ability to handle heat, and 85C is perfectly acceptable in my book. Despite running hot, the fan was nice and quiet the entire time. This was under stock settings - no tuning to the fan curve. During the stress test, the max wattage use by the CPU was right around 58. Right now while idling it is pulling 10 watts and sitting at 40C. The only game I have installed right now is Fortnite. On Epic presets, 1080p, using the RX 6600, I was getting 40-55 FPS (which I consider perfectly playable on a budget-level system). On High presets I consistently pulled 60-70 FPS. I would get a little stuttering here and there, which I suspect is memory-bandwidth-related. In all fairness I haven't even opened the BIOS to tune any settings. GPU usage was at 100% and CPU was at maybe 75%-80%. I consider that a pretty efficient pairing, though you could possibly bump up to something like a 6750 XT to get a little more performance without the CPU becoming a bottleneck. In any case, this is sufficient performance for 1080p gaming on most modern titles running at higher settings (without raytracing of course). I'll be doing some additional benchmarks as I finish up the 100+GB downloads, and if there are any changes to my opinion I'll update this review. There are definitely faster processors, some of which don't cost a whole lot more than this. But since my goal was to build a viable system that paired well with my existing hardware, this really hit the sweet spot in terms of price and performance.

Dan V. · 2024-04-10 · via amazon

Fast for the edge of the CPU. Runs cool so easy fan solution. Will run with ddr 4 3600 but very little abilities to oc.

Guido Zakaroff · 2026-03-01 · via amazon

Computer has never ran this well with high quality games. I’m very happy I upgraded

Brandon Cruz · 2026-05-01 · via amazon

The AMD Ryzen 5 4500 is a solid budget processor that delivers good performance for the price. With 6 cores and 12 threads, it handles everyday tasks, gaming, and light multitasking without any issues. It’s especially good for entry-level or mid-range builds where you want decent performance without spending too much. Gaming performance is respectable when paired with a mid-range GPU, making it a good choice for 1080p gaming. It’s not the most powerful chip out there, but it gets the job done for most modern games and general use. The included Wraith Stealth cooler is a nice bonus and works well enough for stock speeds. One downside is that it doesn’t have integrated graphics, so you’ll need a dedicated GPU to use it. Also, compared to newer Ryzen chips, it has less cache and slightly weaker overall performance, so it’s not ideal if you’re chasing high-end performance. Overall, it’s a great value CPU for budget builds or upgrades, especially if you already have an AM4 motherboard.

DabbinDave · 2026-04-12 · via amazon

Best Buy

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MSI

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Newegg

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Newegg (Open Box)

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VALUE SCORE

FUTURE-PROOFING

Cores

6C/12T

Boost

4.2GHz

Socket

AM4

TDP

65W