AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 9 5950X: The best gaming processors are here

Note: This review was first published on 6 Nov 2020.

The tide is now red

Since time immemorial in the world of personal computing, there was an unspoken belief that if you’d wanted strong multi-threaded performance for content creation and professional applications, an AMD machine will have to be your choice. Conversely, if single-core speed and superior gaming performance are your goals, then Intel always have the best CPU for you.

Well, heads up. With the new Ryzen 9 5000 Series, AMD now has both.

Based on the new Zen 3 architecture, the 5000 Series is made up of the new quartet of 5600X, 5800X, 5900X and 5950X. AMD has claimed the new architecture offers benefits in terms of core-to-core and core-to-cache communication, as well as reductions in memory latency. The 5900X, in particular, is heralded by the company as the “best processor” for PC gamers alongside the 5950X for both gamers and content creators. These are the two processors that I've reviewed in this article

Meet the new kings

Launched today at S$849, the Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core/24-thread Socket AM4 processor that replaces the Zen 2-based 3900X. It is also compatible with any motherboard that supports Ryzen 3000 series processors, which is essentially all X570 and B550 motherboards. A BIOS update will be required but there is really all there is to it, giving you another reason to go for a Ryzen option as it just seems to be the better upgrade choice. Even the older B450 and X470 motherboards will work with the new processors too, although the necessary BIOS will not be available until January 2021 at the earliest. Intel’s current 10th-Gen processors, on the other hand, required a completely new socket and motherboard (Z490), a move that understandably upset gamers who had to invest in a new motherboard to upgrade to the new processor (again).

It is also worth noting that this is not even AMD’s most expensive gaming-focused processor. That bragging right goes to the halo product, the Ryzen 9 5950X, which cost a very cool S$1,249 (more about it later). For comparison’s sake, the Core i9-10900K launched at a lower price than the 5900X but unfortunately price of it has since drifted northward to S$899 today, which adds to another disadvantage for Intel at this stage.

Of course, price is but one part of the story. Let’s understand a little bit more about the Zen 3 architecture and what makes it special.

The new Zen 3 architecture

You would be forgiven for assuming that the Zen 3 is a straightforward evolution of Zen 2 – they are both using TSMC’s 7nm node, after all. However, AMD has redesigned the architecture from the ground up to increase efficiency and IPC performance by 19%, which is not exactly the sort of boost that comes easily. Intel would know – their last few generations of processors only had modest incremental improvements.

The biggest fundamental change Zen 3 does offer over Zen 2 is the way the cores are configured now. Zen 2 has up to four cores per core complex (CCX) with each four-core cluster having access to 16MB of L3 cache. If a core from one cluster wants to access the L3 cache from another cluster it must communicate with that cluster through the I/O die using the Infinity Fabric. Zen 3 however, has an eight-core design where all eight cores can access 32MB of L3 cache directly, and it doesn't need to go through the I/O die to do so. This change not only cuts down on latency when cores are communicating with each other, but it also means that each CCX has access to a full 32MB of L3 cache, rather than being limited to 16MB of the same stuff on Zen 2.

In short, this means that while on paper the Ryzen 9 5900X  and 5950X have the same amount of L3 Cache as their predecessors - the Ryzen 9 3900X / 3950X at 64MB - each core has direct access to 32MB on the 5900X, rather than 16MB on the Zen 2 equivalents. This change has a massive boost for gaming performance, because modern games often rely very heavily on speedy cache and lightning memory access, so more cores having access to a larger block of L3 cache can see an uptick in performance all on its own.

The Ryzen 9 5900X and 5950X

The 5900X and 5950X are the newest flagships in the Ryzen 9 family of processors. Both are built on the same Zen 3 architecture, the process node, chipset, and PCIe 4.0 compatibility are identical in both CPUs as is, impressively, the TDP. Both processors even have the same L3 cache. In the key metrics of clock speed, core count, and thread count, however, the two CPUs differ.

The 5900X, with a faster 3.7GHz base clock, is geared towards the high-end gaming market and is the direct challenger to the incumbent Intel Core i9-10900K. In the battle for the “best gaming processor” crown, this processor is AMD’s hat in the ring.

The 5950X on the other hand, is designed and targeted with different users in mind. AMD has marketed the 5950X as its “best of both worlds” processor, those worlds being gaming and content creation. This is a fairly bespoke and interesting option and does not have a direct competitor in the Intel consumer product range, but rather, it goes up against Intel's high-end desktop (HEDT) offerings. However, even the 18-core Core i9-10980XE might have trouble catching up with the Ryzen 9 5950X and since it's an older and more expensive platform we'll be giving it a miss in today's article.

So here's how AMD's top 2020 processors for gamers and content creators stack up, along with Intel's and the older 3900XT for comparison:-

Now let’s go check out how the new CPUs perform in our benchmarks in the following page.

Performance Benchmarks

As mentioned earlier, the new Ryzen 9 CPUs works with current and even one-generation older motherboards. There won’t be a new chipset launched for Zen 3 Ryzen 9. This is good news, as this means we can also use the same MSI MEG X570 Godlike to test past and present Ryzen 9 processors. For gamers, this means you won’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a new motherboard again. Just for the sake of comparisons, I’ve also included the Zen 2’s flagship Ryzen 9 3900XT into the ring to give us insights on the performance gap between it and Zen 3’s flagships.

The sole Intel processor that we are putting to pace here with the Ryzen lots is obviously the Core i9-10900K, with the board used being the ROG Maximus XII Formula that’s based on the Z490 chipset. For the sake of parity, we have used the following components across both Intel and AMD’s platforms in our benchmarks:

• Memory: G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DD4 3200 32GB (4x8GB)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition 10GB
• SSD: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
• HSF: Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120R ARGB

It’s also worth noting that both GPU and SSD supports PCIe 4.0 and run as so on the Ryzen 9 platform but at PCIe 3.0 on Intel’s. For memory, both platforms run it with XMP turned on in the BIOS.

Gaming Benchmarks

My game list includes a mixture of old and recent games new test processor performance. The focus will be on CPU performance, where possible, like Ashes of Singularity: Escalation and Horizon Zero Dawn. The list isn’t exhaustive by any measure but there are enough different game engines and APIs variety to give us an idea of broader performance trends.

• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Total War: Three Kingdoms (Battle)
• Ashes of the Singularity: Escalations (CPU Focused)
• Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
• Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands

1080p Performance (Max Settings)

1080p benchmarking is a great measure of a CPU’s prowess, no thanks in part to high-performance gaming cards such as the GeForce RTX 3080 used in the benchmarks here. You see, at lower resolutions, the GPU can process and transfer data much quicker than at higher resolutions. A CPU bottleneck happens here because the processor cannot keep up with the processing speed of the graphics card. The CPU, after all, is responsible for processing real-time game actions, physics, UI, audio and other complex CPU-bound processes.

The results here are a little interesting because it shows the Core i9-10900K just barely holding up against the 5900X and 5950X – despite besting both processors in Horizon Zero Dawn. The gap may not be as wide as you have expected, after all the hype surrounding the Zen 3 CPUs. But the hype is quite real if you consider the fact that the Zen 3 CPUs bested the Core i9-10900K with a slower boost clock, lower TDP and lower SRP. It’s actually a huge strategic and tactical win for AMD here.

1440p and 4K Performance (Max Settings)

Conversely, the opposite happens at higher resolutions when the GPU takes more time to process the higher data load (more textures, etc..) and becomes the bottleneck. With 1440p, we start to see this happening, where the difference in performances pared down. Then in the 4K benchmark results, we can see how all four processors achieved performance parity because, at such high-resolution, it’s what graphics card you use that matters. That said, it's interesting to see how the Ryzen 9 5900X stands out most of the time just enough to claim pole position.

It will also be interesting to see if the Ryzen 9 5900X/5950X truly works better with the upcoming Radeon 6000 Series graphics card via the exclusive Smart Access Memory feature.

Productivity Benchmarks

The new Ryzen 9 processors are clearly targeted at gamers, but games aren’t always a true measure of a CPU's capabilities – especially when it comes to sizing up the processors’ core performance. For non-gaming benchmarks, I’ve used CineBench R20 and CPU Mark to measure all four processors single-core and multi-core theoretical throughput standings. SYSmark 25 is a great benchmark as it runs real-world applications and mimics workloads.

I can’t think of any better description: the 5900X and 5950X literally butchered the i9-10900K in both single-core and multi-core performance in CineBench R20 with the latter even lagging behind the Ryzen 9 3900XT. SYSmark 25 also shows this to be the case with the 5900X outperforming Intel’s top processor in all verticals. Results for the 5950X is a little bit more interesting, where its lower base clock of 3.4GHz no doubt gave it a lower score – but only just behind the i9-10900K - in Productivity but it more than makes up for it in Creativity where its superior core count puts it head and shoulders above everyone else.  

All hail the new kings

AMD’s ascendancy in PC gaming truly began when they launch the first generation of Zen-based Ryzen processors a couple of years back. With the Zen 3-based Ryzen 9 5900X and 5950X processors, AMD can now claim to finally have processors that can beat Intel when it comes to gaming performance – and in such a short period of time too. Intel’s missteps, which have already been well documented, certainly have helped its cause too.

While some games still run better on Intel processors, the differences are minute enough that I’ll be happy to recommend the Ryzen 9 5900X for most gamers. It’s really difficult to now consider Intel the same default choice as it once was. Even its upcoming 11th-Gen Rocket Lake gaming processor felt more like a knee-jerk reaction to AMD’s announcement of their Ryzen 9 5000 Series.

And then there’s the Ryzen 5950X. Taking into consideration its base clock, core count and performance in our benchmarks, the Ryzen 9 5950X is an unusual beast. I think AMD has created a CPU which is a true double threat to Intel, and the unquestionably high price does reflect this capability. Similar to the overpowered NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, for those interested purely in gaming, there seems little justification for the S$400 difference in price compared to the 5900X.

However, if your needs do extend to gaming and heavy content creation workloads then the 5950X is unparalleled. Many YouTube and streamers today use two separate computers to get their work done – one for gaming and the other to record and stream – and there’s now a CPU that allows them to do both in one machine.

So, in summary, if you’re looking to upgrade or build a powerful gaming rig then the 5900X is without a question the best CPU to go for at the moment. Couple it with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 and you will have a formidable PC that can handle 4K without a sweat. Or you could even wait for the upcoming RX 6000 Series GPUs, which looks like it could give NVIDIA’s RTX 30 Series a run for its money. If you’re looking to build a machine does gaming and everything else well, then the 5950X could be the one for you.

It’s really a new era for PC gaming now.

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