For our first review of Ryzen 5000 we checked out the Ryzen 9 5950X, AMD's new $800 16-core, 32-thread AM4 processor. Today, we're looking at the Ryzen 9 5900X, the 12-core, 24-thread CPU that's available for $550.

That makes the 5900X ~eight% cheaper per core when compared to its bigger blood brother every bit AMD tin get away with charging a premium for the 16-core model given it faces no real competition.

The 12-cadre R9 5900X is priced to compete with Intel'southward Core i9-10900K. Commonly, the ten-core Intel processor would retail for $530, simply due to supply issues, information technology typically sells for $550 or $600, which means the 10900K and 5900X are comparable in terms of toll.

At present we need to detect out how they stack upwards in terms of functioning.

The 5950X is a beast, then we're expecting skilful things from the 5900X which brings down the core count equally the but major change. The clock speeds are much the same, the boost frequency has been lowered past 100 MHz, while the base frequency increased past 300 MHz. Because both CCDs are still active, it packs a total L3 cache of 64 MB.

Once more, we're not going to business organization ourselves with Zen iii architectural improvements on this review, rather we'll skip that and jump into the benchmarks.

Before we practise though, permit's take a quick expect at nevertheless some other new AM4 motherboard. In yesterday'due south review we showcased the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Night Hero, and now we're getting our kickoff wait at the MSI B550 Unify, a new B550 board that includes… well, pretty much everything.

The highlights include a 16-phase VRM using Infineon TDA21490 90A powerstages, a 6-layer PCB with 2oz thickened copper, all aluminum extended heatsinks with dedicated VRM heatpipe, 4 M.ii slots with double sided M.ii Shield Frozr cooling and DDR4 A-XMP back up for up to DDR4-5800.

At that place is besides a Unify-X version with just 2 retention DIMMs. MSI claims the Unify-Ten can do DDR4-5800 with 4000 G series processors and DDR4-5300 with 3rd-gen Ryzen. While the standard Unify that nosotros have can achieve DDR4-5600 with 4000 G-series though they have however to make whatever Ryzen 5000 series claims.

Later this month we'll put together a detailed Zen 3 memory functioning guide and we'll use the standard Unify for the bulk of our testing. This MSI board is priced at $290, so it's a Gigabyte B550 Chief competitor. We'll go back to more motherboard testing after our slew of Ryzen reviews.

To keep things simple for all our new Ryzen 5000 testing, we're using the same MSI X570 Godlike motherboard forth with iv 8GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3200 CL14 memory modules for a 32GB capacity. Cooling all systems is the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix AIO.

For all the productivity testing we're using an RTX 2080 Ti, but for the gaming benchmarks we've updated all our numbers with the RTX 3090, so let'due south get into the graphs...

Benchmarks

First up we have Cinebench R20 and wow, 8487 points is pretty insane. That's a 17% increment from the 3900X, making the 5900X just 8% slower than the 3950X. These are impressive numbers because the CPU packs 25% fewer cores. When compared to the Core i9-10900K which is a rough lucifer in price, the new 5900X comes in 32% faster, although information technology does have 20% more than cores.

Running the single core benchmark reveals why the 5900X is so much faster than the 10900K in Cinebench R20. Here we're looking at a xvi% boost to single-thread performance. It'due south too a 23% improvement from the 3900X, and with a similar single core score to that of the 5950X, nosotros're expecting strong gaming operation.

Nosotros too watched how the 5900X clocks in each of the Cinebench R20 tests. For the multi-core exam where all cores are heavily loaded, the 5900X clocks at around 4.3 GHz. Meanwhile, AMD advertises a base of operations clock frequency of 3.7 GHz.

In the Cinebench single core examination, the 5900X typically operated at iv.9 GHz, which is 100 MHz over the advertised spec. AMD in this instance has made sure the max heave frequency is not only hands achieved, but can be exceeded to avoid the drama seen with Zen two and its heave clocks.

7-zippo looks at compression functioning and here the 5900X is 17% faster when compared to its predecessor. It'southward likewise able to edge out the 3950X, making it 37% faster than the 10900K.

When decompressing nosotros discover that SMT is more useful and equally a event the 3950X is able to pull ahead. That said, the 5900X is eight% slower and is all the same offering a substantial eighteen% performance boost over the 3900X. As a effect, it'due south much faster than Intel'southward best, beating the 10900K past a whopping 43% margin.

AES encryption performance is slightly improved with Zen 3 and this is an area where Zen ii already excelled. Therefore it's no surprise to see the 5900X dominating the 10900K by a huge 52% margin.

Moving on to Blender, here we're looking at a 12% functioning boost for the 5900X over the 3900X and that meant it was 22% faster than the 10900K.

When compared to the 3950X information technology was 13% slower and then 18% slower than the 5950X.

Nosotros constitute when testing the 5950X that the new Zen 3 architecture absolutely shreds in V-Ray, and we're seeing exactly that with the 12-cadre model, too. Here the 5900X basically matched the older 16-cadre 3950X and that meant it was 23% faster than its predecessor and 32% faster than its primary competitor, the 10900K, so a scrap of a shellacking in that location.

The last rendering benchmark we have is Corona, where the 5900X is much faster than the 3900X, boosting performance past 22%, delivering 3950X-similar performance. That's a big gen-on-gen comeback and information technology also meant the 5900X was 24% faster than the 10900K.

For those of you interested in lawmaking compilation operation nosotros see that the 5900X is only 9% faster than the 3900X, and then i of the smaller gains we've seen and then far, in fact it might exist the smallest.

Despite that, it managed to beat the 10900K by a convincing 26% margin.

DaVinci Resolve Studio 16 using the Puget Systems Benchmark actually provides the weakest gains we've seen notwithstanding, where the 5900X was simply 8% faster than the 3900X, roughly matching the 3950X.

Adobe Premiere Pro 2022 lowers the bar even further, hither the 5900X was just 5% faster than the 3900X while it was but nine% faster than the 10900K. Still a 9% operation reward for roughly the aforementioned coin is hardly annihilation to sneeze at, certainly given it appears to be a worst case scenario.

The potent single cadre performance comes in handy when testing with Photoshop, here the 5900X matched the 5950X and that meant it was ten% faster than the 10900K and a whopping 20% faster than its predecessor, the 3900X.

We're run across strong operation gains over Zen two in After Effects, another application that relies heavily on unmarried thread performance. Here the 5900X was 15% faster than the 3900X and 13% faster than the 10900K, near matching the 5950X.

Power Consumption

For measuring ability consumption we monitored total system usage in Blender. The Ryzen 9 5900X matched the power usage of the 3900X, fifty-fifty though they both use the same 7nm process, Zen three is able to boost performance in Blender by 12%. Moreover, when compared to the 10900K, the 5900X reduced total system consumption by 23%.

In terms of temperatures, the Ryzen ix 3900X and 5900X were both tested in a 21C room on an open test demote using the Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix AIO on the MSI X570 Godlike, installed within the Corsair Obsidian 500D.

We could run across that the 5900X runs 7 to 8 degrees libation than the 3900X under the same test atmospheric condition, despite running at a slightly college clock speed using the same 7nm process. Part of this will be down to 7nm maturity, but AMD has too included a number of architectural optimizations. These enhancements also let for a slightly lower vcore which would have helped to reduce ability consumption and therefore thermals.

Gaming Benchmarks

Nosotros have the same battery of gaming tests as yesterday's 5950X review using a GeForce RTX 3090. Going in the same social club, we'll start with Far Cry New Dawn.

The 5900X matched the 5950X exactly with 128 fps making information technology 6% slower than the 10900K, but still a good overall result given the double-digit percentage comeback over the 3900X.

The 5900X also trails the 10900K in Rainbow Half dozen Siege past a small 5% margin. We see the CPU matching the 5950X to provide an 8% boost over the 3900X. This was enough to edge out some of the lower core count Intel processors such equally the 10700K.

In Lookout man Dogs: Legion we see strong operation from the 5900X, placing information technology on par with the 10700K and just two fps downwards on the 10900K. That's also a rather large 15% boost over the 3900X, which struggled against even the Core i5-10400 at this low resolution.

We're also seeing big performance gains in F1 2022 as the 5900X is 21% faster than the 3900X, hit 272 fps with the RTX 3090. That's a great event which has the new 12-core Ryzen processor a mere 2% behind the 10900K. That'southward close enough to deem a draw in our book.

The operation uplift in Horizon Zero Dawn is solid. Here the 5900X is fifteen% faster than the 3900X and crucially is able to match the 10900K, edging it out by a few frames for what is basically the same performance.

Performance in Borderlands 3 is only slightly improved. The 5900X was just 5% faster than the 3900X, though that was enough to get it inside range of the 10900K, losing past merely a 4% margin.

Every bit seen before in the 5950X review, these Zen 3 processors are beasts in Expiry Stranding and the 5900X matched the xvi-core model exactly, making it 12% faster than the 10900K and incredibly, 35% faster than the 3900X.

The 5900X is also able to match the 5950X in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, meaning information technology'due south 4% faster than the 10900K. A small win that'south shut plenty to call a tie. The new processor is beating the onetime 3900X by a 26% margin in this title.

Hitman 2 performance is also solid. Here the 5900X couldn't friction match the 5950X, simply was still 7% faster than the 10900K and 34% faster than the 3900X.

Performance in Star Wars: Squadrons is strong, matching the 10900K, though edging it out convincingly for 1% low functioning. And so we see a 27% performance heave over the 3900X, taking the average frame charge per unit from 247 fps to 314 fps.

The Serious Sam 4 results look skilful for Ryzen. The 5900X is 11% faster than the 10900K and a staggering 47% faster than the 3900X.

Gaming Operation Average

Here's a wait at the average functioning across the 11 games we tested. For the nearly office, the 5900X matches the 5950X in gaming, and so information technology's no surprise to come across them both evangelize the same 214 fps average.

This also means that overall the 5900X and 10900K are on par when it comes to gaming performance, at least in our minor sample of games. On that note, we're looking forwards to a 40 game caput to head benchmark with these processors.

It'due south also impressive to see a xx% performance increase over the 3900X. We know AMD claimed a 19% IPC comeback, but seeing that interpret into real world gains in games is something else.

Overclocking

We were able to hit an all-core 4.6 GHz overclock with the 5900X using 1.375v. This isn't quite equally good as the 5950X's 4.vii GHz, but a solid all core overclock nonetheless. This additional the Cinebench R20 multi-core performance past 7%, so information technology'due south not amazing and cipher like the 20% boost the 5950X received, but it's free operation assuming you have a decent cooler and motherboard.

With that said, we can't recommend this overclock as it reduced single cadre performance. Previously, the 5900X hit 4.nine GHz in this benchmark, now we're limiting it to 4.half-dozen GHz and that reduced the score past 7%.

The overclock is useful for running core-heavy applications if you're happy to sacrifice efficiency for more performance. The gains aren't amazing as seen in Cinebench R20'south multi-cadre test though, again nosotros're merely looking at a 6% performance boost.

For that 6% performance boost the total system consumption is increased past 16% and while that'south still eleven% less than a stock 10900K, it is a reduction in performance per watt.

For the most part, gamers won't want to overclock the 5900X, at least non the mode nosotros have. Perhaps per CCX overclocking will work out amend. Here nosotros're looking at a 5% performance reduction, though plain you'll only see that when heavily CPU bound which isn't often the case in games.

We exercise meet a slight functioning comeback in Far Cry New Dawn as the overclock increased the average frame charge per unit past two%, so that's something.

Price to Operation

Time for the price vs. performance analysis. Starting with Cinebench, nosotros encounter that the 5900X comes out costing 25% less than the 10900K, with the Intel processor priced at $550, though nosotros've seen selling as high as $600. Information technology should be priced at $530, but with spotty availability, you'll discover yourself paying a premium to get it.

Using a less favorable program like Adobe Premiere, the 5900X is still seen delivering more than value than the 10900K as it was viii% more price constructive. Not a major difference, but as we said, this was one of the less favorable applications for the 5900X.

Despite currently costing nigh $100 more than the 3900X, the 5900X yet costs v% less per frame. When compared to the 10900K, it was merely iv% cheaper per frame.

The 11 game average looks slightly different. Basically the 5900X offers the same level of value for CPU-limited gaming as the 3900X, despite costing $90 more in our comparison. Too, when compared to the 10900K nosotros're looking at the same level of value for gaming.

What We Learned

We've gotta say, equally impressive equally the Ryzen nine 5950X is, we found reviewing the 5900X a piffling more interesting, more often than not because it has a direct competitor in the same cost bracket. The Ryzen 9 5900X is a more wallet-friendly CPU and possibly the more pop of the ii for those looking to build a high-end system.

For gamers, it makes a lot more sense. The question now is, for gamers looking to build a high-stop system, which CPU should they buy, the 10900K or the 5900X? For the vast majority of people, information technology's non going to make a existent difference. Performance is going to be roughly the same, and even when CPU express 99% of the time, you won't exist able to tell the difference. Looking into the future, the 5900X is the more powerful of the two overall and also has more than cores to kicking.

When looking at the newer, more than demanding games such as Death Stranding and Serious Sam four, for instance, nosotros meet that Ryzen leads by a good margin. Therefore nosotros foresee a situation in one to ii years where the 5900X is leading the 10900K past a comfy margin in virtually enervating titles, though that's entirely speculation on our part based on what we've seen today.

For the about function, you're probable going to be GPU limited when gaming, and that means you're fifty-fifty less likely to notice the difference between the 10900K and 5900X on the short term. The 5900X does accept the advantage of greater power efficiency. There's also PCI Express 4.0 support in newer motherboards, which will evidence beneficial at some point in the future.

Then for those of y'all running any kind of awarding, peculiarly a core-heavy workload, the pick is more than obvious. Worse case scenario, the 5900X is simply slightly faster. Best example, it's around twoscore% faster and typically we saw gains in the twenty-thirty% range.

For now Intel looks to be out of the game at the high-finish, and we suspect things are but going to go worse for the blue team as nosotros work downward the Zen 3 production stack. The Ryzen 9 5900X is a mighty good CPU and for the 10900K to exist considered an option, in our opinion it'd demand to exist priced at no more than $500, or less considering the the lack of PCIe four.0.

Stay tuned tomorrow when nosotros review the Ryzen vii 5800X.

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