Key Points
- The Ryzen 5800X lacks an integrated cooler, which is a common complaint among users.
- Another common complaint is the lack of integrated graphics, leaving users without options in the event of a GPU failure.
- The high price of the 5800X compared to its performance is a major concern for many users.
- The 5800X offers only marginal performance improvements compared to its predecessor, the 3700.
- Overclocking headroom is limited with the 5800X, with common overclocks only reaching around 5 GHz.
What are the biggest complaints about the Ryzen 5800X? AMD’s Ryzen 5800X occupies an odd place in the overall market. It lacks the overall grunt and punch of the Threadripper line, but wildly overpowers things like the 5600X.
With this in mind, it can help to take a wider look at the complaints surrounding the CPU. If you’re in the market for a new PC build, you’re likely going to be considering parts that complement a rig. Before pulling the trigger on a new CPU, let’s take a deeper dive.
After all, building a desktop PC can be an expensive endeavor, so you might as well be equipped with the facts when optimizing a build for your needs.
Ryzen 5800X Overview
- 4.7 GHz Max Boost
- 100-plus FPS performance
- Socket AM4
- Can support PCIe 4.0 on X570 and B550 motherboards
The Ryzen 5800X was released in 2020 and serves as a midpoint between the 5600X and 5900X Ryzen processors. It is part of the Zen 3 architecture and is a direct competitor with Intel’s tenth-generation processors. The Ryzen line of processors has proven rather popular with gamers and power users alike.
The starting MSRP of the 5800X was $449.00, placing it in the mid to high range for consumer-grade processors.
Specs
| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | |
|---|---|
| Core Count | 8 |
| Core Clock Speed | 3.7GHz |
| Boost Clock Speed | 4.7GHz |
| TDP | 105 watts |
| Socket | AM4 |
| Integrated Graphics | None |
| Maximum Supported RAM | 128GB |
| Manufacture Process | 7nm |
No Integrated Cooler
While the 5800X is certainly an improvement in many regards to the previous Ryzen 7 iterations, there are some odd omissions from the total package. Most CPUs you purchase new will come with a very basic CPU cooler.
Utilitarian fans are generally what you can expect, something that gets the job done with minimal fuss. AMD has provided no options with the 5800X. This is one of the most common complaints about the 5800X, is just the lack of something so seemingly basic.
Now, aftermarket CPU coolers are certainly cheap. For users looking to get their rig up and running right away, they’ll have to purchase the cooler and paste separately before starting the build.
No Integrated Graphics
Most CPUs come with a very basic graphics processor of some sort. This is helpful in many use cases, especially in the event of a GPU failure. You can still get access to your system, and can at least troubleshoot to see if the issue is faulty hardware.
A lack of integrated graphics is another of the common complaints about the 5800X. You don’t have any options in the event of a GPU failure, you’ll have to hopefully have a donor GPU or something older you can slot in.
This is a baffling omission, but one that has become increasingly common with higher-end processors.
High Price
Given what you get out of the box with the 5800X, it is priced quite high. The 5600X made waves for being a highly performant and low-cost processor. The 5800X has a suggested retail price of almost double the cost of the 5600X.
It is only $100 less than the better-performing 5900X. While time has proven it to be a perfectly capable processor for gaming, the price is definitely one of the common complaints about the 5800X.
The 5800X occupies an odd niche, where it is competing directly with the higher-end i7 and i9 processors from Intel. Its pricing is more in line with what you might expect of an i9, however.
Marginally Better Performance than Equivalent Intel Model
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Speaking of Intel, the closest equivalent in terms of performance from Intel is the i9-10900K. Synthetic benchmarks give an overall edge to Intel’s tenth-generation i9 processor. Real-world applications see a marginal lead given to the AMD 5800X.
This isn’t one of the common complaints about the 5800X from users, but rather professional tech gurus and critics. You could readily find an equivalent i9 from a newer generation that outperforms the 5800X these days.
Going just by contemporary processors, the 5800X sits in an odd place where it has a high-end price tag but only slightly better performance.
Odd Place in the AMD Product Line
The 5800X occupies a strange niche in terms of AMD’s then-current product line. The 5600X is a great mid-range choice and offers plenty of power on tap for gamers. The 5900X and 5950X have absolutely stellar performance for their price.
However, when you consider the 5800X, it is between those two extremes. You can spend a fair bit less and get the 5600X and have hours of gaming fun. If you’re a power user, you might opt instead for the 5900X which only retails for roughly $100 more.
That extra $100 gives you four extra cores, better IPC, and an overall better experience.
Not a Massive Jump in Performance from 3000 Series Ryzens
The 5800X isn’t a huge leap from the previous generation. When looking at its direct predecessor in the 3700, you’re still looking at the same RAM being used. It still has the same core count as well. The 5800X does have improvements to the power draw, being more efficient overall.
However, if you’re still using a 3700, it likely isn’t worth the upgrade to jump to the 5800X. You’re only looking at a 15 to 20% increase in performance going by synthetic benchmarks. When you consider its applications for gaming, you’re going to be bottlenecked by the GPU well before the CPU.
Minimal Overclocking Headroom
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The 5800X is capable of overclocking, but you might want to exercise extreme caution when doing so. Overclocking is generally an average when considering the different tolerances in the same model of the processor. However, you’ll find common overclocks for the 5800X only register around 5 GHz or so.
There is less overhead for overclocks, which is one of the more recurring complaints about the 5800X. If you’re a tinkerer, you might be better off looking at the 5900X or a newer Ryzen 7 CPU.
If you’re not a power user, this is a minor issue. However, for those who are squeezing every last percentile of performance out of their PCs, it is worth consideration.
Not Much Better Than the 5600X for Gaming
The 5600X is a great processor for gamers on a budget. It offers plenty of power, ample threads for parallel processing, and a whole host of other features which have made it a hit with gamers.
When looking at raw benchmarks, it isn’t really worth spending so much more on the 5800X for 5 to 10% increases in performance. You would be far better off spending that extra money on a more powerful GPU, extra RAM, NVMe SSDs, or other more impactful factors.
The 5800X can certainly do just fine with gaming, but it isn’t that much better than its cheaper counterpart. When looking at heavy applications for work purposes, like video editing or AI processing, it falters as well.
You’d be far better served opting for a contemporary Threadripper from AMD rather than 5800X if multi-threaded applications are a concern.
Closing Thoughts
The Ryzen 5800X is certainly a capable processor, but there are some common complaints you’ll find in many online spaces regarding its overall performance. If you already have a 5800X, you don’t need to worry. It is a great processor that’ll serve well for years to come.
If you are in the market for a new processor, you have more options available currently than when the 5800X was brand new.
Summary Table
| Complaint | Description |
|---|---|
| No Integrated Cooler | The 5800X does not come with a basic CPU cooler, which is usually included with most CPUs. Users have to purchase the cooler and paste separately before starting the build. |
| No Integrated Graphics | The 5800X lacks an integrated graphics processor, which can be useful in case of a GPU failure. Users will need a backup GPU to access their system in such cases. |
| High Price | The 5800X is priced quite high compared to its performance and what it offers out of the box. It is almost double the cost of the 5600X and only $100 less than the better-performing 5900X. |
| Marginally Better Performance than Equivalent Intel Model | The 5800X has only slightly better performance than Intel’s equivalent i9-10900K, despite its high-end price tag. |
| Odd Place in the AMD Product Line | The 5800X occupies a strange niche in AMD’s product line. It is more expensive than the 5600X but offers less performance than the 5900X, which is only $100 more expensive. |
| Not a Massive Jump in Performance from 3000 Series Ryzens | The 5800X does not offer a significant performance increase from the previous generation 3700. It has the same RAM and core count, with only a 15 to 20% increase in performance. |
| Minimal Overclocking Headroom | The 5800X has limited overclocking potential, with common overclocks only reaching around 5 GHz. This is a concern for users who want to maximize their PC’s performance. |
| Not Much Better Than the 5600X for Gaming | The 5800X offers only a 5 to 10% increase in performance compared to the 5600X, which is not worth the significant price difference for most gamers. |
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