The best value is an overclocked R5 1600 at effectively $100 (after the $30 mobo discount). See:
https://www.microcenter.com/product/478826/ryzen-5-1600-32ghz-6-core-am4-boxed-processor-with-wraith-spire-cooler
There is no way a 20-30% performance delta translates to a 2x-3x price jump.
https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-7-2700X-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-1600/3958vs3919
https://www.microcenter.com/product/478826/ryzen-5-1600-32ghz-6-core-am4-boxed-processor-with-wraith-spire-cooler
There is no way a 20-30% performance delta translates to a 2x-3x price jump.
https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Ryzen-7-2700X-vs-AMD-Ryzen-5-1600/3958vs3919