ChipFlip
Same core count, same thread count, same socket, same target buyer. One generation and $49 apart. The Ryzen 5 9600X asks $155 used against the 7600X's $106, and AMD's own generational messaging is doing a lot of work to justify that.
Zen 5 is a real improvement, just not a dramatic one
The 9600X gains maybe five to ten percent in gaming over the 7600X depending on the title, with larger gains in specific productivity workloads that benefit from Zen 5's wider execution. Reviewers were underwhelmed when these launched, and that reception was fair. It's an iterative generation.
Paying forty-six percent more for single-digit gaming gains is not a great trade on its face.
Efficiency is where the 9600X separates itself
Lower power draw at the same or better performance, which translates to a cooler, quieter machine and less demanding cooling requirements. The 7600X was known for running hot out of the box. If you're building in a small case or care about noise, that difference shows up every day in a way benchmark charts don't capture.
Both land on the same platform
AM5, DDR5, same boards, same upgrade path to whatever AMD ships next. Neither choice constrains you later, which is unusual and genuinely useful. Buying the cheaper chip now and upgrading in three years is a completely viable plan on this socket.
That's an argument for the 7600X specifically. Save the $49, put it toward the GPU, upgrade the CPU when it actually holds you back.
Bottom line
Take the 7600X. The performance gap doesn't justify $49 for most people, and the shared socket means stepping up later costs you nothing extra. Go with the 9600X only if you're building something small or quiet where its lower power draw solves a real problem.