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Key Points:
- The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, launched in November 2020, was designed to compete with the most powerful processors on the planet: The Intel Core i9 series.
- With 12 cores and 24 threads, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X supports high-performance gaming and other uses such as video editing, graphic design, and advanced rendering.
- Some better options to consider if you are looking for a more inexpensive processor would be one of AMD’s Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 series processors.
With the release of the new AMD Ryzen 9 5900X processor and the rest of the Ryzen 5000 lineup, Intel finally has some competition for single-core and multi-threaded performance. Ever since the first Ryzen series processors started coming out a few years ago, each new iteration has brought with it notable improvements and upgrades in performance.
The war between Intel and AMD has been going on for well over a decade, but it has always been thought that Intel made the better processor. The new Ryzen CPUs challenge this idea, and the Ryzen 9 5900X goes head to head with the best Intel processors on the market.
Today we’re going to dive deep into what makes this processor special. We’re going to talk about why this processor is one of the best choices for the serious gamer or professional, and show you just where to find the best deals if you are looking to upgrade your PC.
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AMD Ryzen 9 5900x: Best Deal Today
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X may be a great processor, but if you can’t find it for a good price, you will be at a major disadvantage. That’s why we have compiled sources from across the internet. These are the best prices for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X available today.
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (Amazon) – $397
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (Newegg) – $399
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (BestBuy) – $399
AMD Ryzen 9 5900x: Overview
Let’s check out some of the must-know information about the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. When shopping for a new processor, it’s important to know all the details in order to make the most informed buying decision.
Release Date and Price
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X was launched in November 2020, with a price tag of $549. The 5900X was designed to compete with the most powerful processors on the planet: The Intel Core i9 series. For a slight difference in price, you get a very comparable CPU, but is it really better than the legendary Intel Core i9?
Similar Models
AMD released the Ryzen 9 5900X as a replacement for the Ryzen 9 3900X which had been released the previous year. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X was a noticeable improvement over the 3900X in several ways. Although the specs of the two processors remain very similar, most user benchmarks show that the Ryzen 9 5900X surpasses the Ryzen 9 3900X in many critical performance areas:
- Lower memory latency
- Faster single-core performance
- Faster multi-core performance
- Better overclocking abilities
- Higher gaming performance
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is only surpassed by the next model up, the Ryzen 9 5950X. For an additional $200+ you get a 16-core, 32-thread processor with a higher boost clock speed. The additional cores in the Ryzen 9 5950X provide higher frame rates in the most popular games and faster processing speed.
Compared to the Intel Core i9 processors, the Ryzen 9 5900X provides a slight increase in single-core and multithreaded performance. The 5900X also comes with a higher core count and thread count than the Intel Core i9. This difference is made apparent when put to the test in benchmarks. When benchmarked alongside the 10th generation Intel Core i9, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X shows up to 10% faster dual-core processing speed.
Features
The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is based on the new Zen 3 architecture from AMD. This new architecture is an update from the Zen 2 architecture of the previous generation. The most significant upgrade is the direct access to the L3 cache provided by the new Ryzen 5000 series.
This new design means that games and applications have direct access to the L3 cache to provide more instructions per clock. Compared to the previous generation, this improvement leads to a somewhat noticeable increase in gaming performance.
As far as power requirements, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X draws up to 105 watts at peak power. This means your CPU is going to account for a significant amount of your power usage, coming second only to your graphics card. If you have anything less than a 500-watt power supply in your PC, you may want to upgrade before installing this CPU.
Another thing you’ll want to keep in mind is that the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X requires an AM4 socket motherboard, similar to the rest of the current Ryzen lineup. So, if you already have the previous generation Ryzen CPU in your build, you won’t need to upgrade. On the other hand, if you are considering a switch from Intel or a much older AMD processor, you’ll also need to upgrade your motherboard.
Like all Ryzen processors, the 5900X comes with full support for DDR4 ram, with speeds up to 3200MHz. With dual-channel capabilities, you’ll be able to install enough memory alongside your processor to stand up to the most demanding tasks.
Specs
When comparing the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X to the previous generation, we can see that they have nearly identical specs. So what did AMD really improve with this new version of their famed CPU? The specs don’t tell the full story, as the differences are in other areas.
| 5900X | 3900X | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Cores | 12 | 12 |
| Number of Threads | 24 | 24 |
| Base Clock Speed | 3.70GHz | 3.80GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 4.80GHz | 4.60GHz |
| L2 Cache Size | 6MB | 6MB |
| L3 Cache Size | 64MB | 64MB |
| Unlocked? | Yes | Yes |
| TDP Rating | 105 Watts | 105 Watts |
| Memory Type | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| PCI Version | PCI-E 4.0 | PCI-E 4.0 |
| CPU Socket | AM4 | AM4 |
| CPU Architecture | 7NM | 7NM |
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X: Review
When the new 5000 series lineup of processors came out, AMD promised a huge generational leap in performance from the last generation. But with such similar specifications, is the 5900X really as big of an upgrade from the 3900X as AMD promised?
We’ve been using the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X for a few weeks for the purpose of bringing you the best possible review. The minor differences between the Ryzen 5000 series processors are not apparent during regular desktop use; they only become noticeable when pushed to the limit. That’s why we made sure to run benchmarks across a variety of the most popular games to see just how the new processors stack up.
We tested the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X in our build paired with an Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060S. The following table displays some of the average frame rates we saw across some of the most popular games, compared with the previous model.
| 5900X | 3900X | |
|---|---|---|
| CSGO: | 318 FPS | 233 FPS |
| GTA V: | 108 FPS | 105 FPS |
| Overwatch: | 142 FPS | 130 FPS |
| PUBG: | 133 FPS | 124 FPS |
| Fortnite: | 121 FPS | 141 FPS |
As we can see, even on 1080p resolution and running at max settings, the most popular games are no match for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. With frame rates well over 100, your gaming experience on this processor will be immersive and responsive.
Even though the previous generation AMD Ryzen 9 3900X does not score nearly as well on our benchmarks, certain games like Fortnite actually ran better than on the new CPU.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X: Pros and Cons
With all the amazing features and benefits you get with the Ryzen 5000 series processors, does it have any disadvantages?
| Pros! | Cons! |
|---|---|
| High core-count and multithreading | Still one of the more expensive CPUs |
| Beats similar Intel series processors | Need to switch motherboards if upgrading from Intel |
| Very power efficient | |
| Unlocked for overclocking |
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X: Is It a Buy?
With so many processors out there to choose from, it can be overwhelming to make a decision. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices between AMD and Intel, you simply need to figure out if the processor you have chosen is a good value. So is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X a good buy? As with most things, it depends.
Buy it if…
You need a high-core count multi-threaded processor with extensive overclocking capabilities. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a great choice of CPU if you are looking for a lot of bang for your buck.
With 12 cores and 24 threads, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X packs all the processing power you need for high-performance gaming as well as tons of other uses such as video editing, graphic design, and advanced rendering.
If you already have an AM4 socket motherboard, the Ryzen 9 5900X makes for an easy upgrade. All you’ll have to do is swap out your old CPU with the new one and enjoy the increase in performance.
Don’t buy it if…
You’re on a tight budget. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X gives you a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to raw processing power, but it still comes in at over $500. If you’re putting together a budget build or trying to get the cheapest possible CPU, the Ryzen 9 5900X may not be the best choice for you.
Some better options to consider if you are looking for a more inexpensive processor would be one of AMD’s Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 series processors.
If you have an Intel motherboard or an older AM3+ socket motherboard, you may want to reconsider buying the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, since you will need to replace your motherboard in order to use it.
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