Great CPU, easy to overclock to 4.0GHz with stock cooler.

This CPU is just amazing SUPER over kill for what I use it for. Sorry Intel fan boys but you just cant beat 200 dollars, 8c/16t, and up to 4.2 ghz. And why I got this CPU was because of its 8c/16t at only 200 dollars will let me do anything I like in the future such as video editing.

Thank you AMD! This processor is great for gaming and amazing with productivity! Better yet, I got it on sale for $220 at the time!

Landed on the 2700 as it was about $130 less than the 2700x at the time. Still 16 threads with lots of OC headroom. Yes, Intel chips run faster, but this is a less expensive locomotive compared to most chips.

The wraith sprire that came with this was more than adequate for stock speeds. While very attractive with it's LED ring and AMD logo it had an odd frequency of noise at moderate load.

So can you OC with the stock spire cooler? Yes, but... it depends. The Tomahawk board has a game mode where the fans rev up and push the 2700 chip to 3.65 GHz (from 3.2Ghz) and it runs a bit hot for my liking. If you go further than that, the cooler's limit is hit and you'll be in the mid to high 80s real quick under load. The 3.8 Ghz stable OC with auto voltage I have on the system now worked for about 5 seconds of benchmarking on the stock cooler before locking up.

I realize the silicon lottery has a say in this, but if you're planning to OC, I would suggest getting an aftermarket cooler.

Good thermals, good for multitasking and gaming - no throttling yet for my purposes. Admittedly, my games are low-demand (CSGO & Rainbow Six Siege)

Despite the stock cooler controversies, the Wraith Spire works great so far. I was considering getting an AIO for my first build, but so far I'm glad I didn't. I went with the 2700 because the PC is meant for both gaming and editing, the latter is in which the 8 cores shine best. Also, I'm highly convinced this is for sure one of the best bang-for-buck CPU's out there at the moment of writing this review, together with the 3600. Great temperatures, great perfomance, great price.

I chose this CPU so I don't have to upgrade any time soon, and I didn't go for the 2700X because I think it's not worth the extra bucks when you have a decent cooler and an overclocking capable motherboard, and with the Noctua NH-D15, I do have room to overclock the CPU when I'll need it a little more power.

Good performance, 8 cores which is perfect for work and gaming. all round great cpu

Pros:

Works great

Comes with a decent cooler in the box

Great value vs current Intel 8th gen offerings at the time of purchase

Cons:

None that I've found so far

Awesome CPU, an amazing bargain at $200. I love it.