In our thoughts, the greatest processors are those that ship excellent efficiency at an affordable value level. And, the Ryzen 9 3900X completely nails this idea.
This processor packs 12-cores and 24-threads in a mainstream bundle for the primary time, and does it at an analogous value level because the Intel Core i9-9900Ka processor with simply 8-cores and 16-threads.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X marks yet one more blast from Group Crimson, ramping up the depth of the AMD vs Intel processor conflict. Nonetheless, although, there’s extra than simply core counts relating to a mainstream processor, as single-core efficiency must be on level, particularly in the event you’re hoping to play the greatest PC video games.
Now, we’re asking ourselves whether or not or not the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X lastly dethrones the Intel Core i9-9900K because the de facto ruler of the mainstream processors. Finally, it relies upon: the 3900X would not attain the identical single-core efficiency as Intel, however we’re beginning to see extra video games undertake multi-threaded CPUs, so that does not matter as a lot. And, now that individuals are going to be shopping for extra CPUs for Black Friday, this may make for a extra heated processor battle.
Worth and availability
Talking of which, if you would like a high-end desktop (HEDT) 12-core processor that may compete with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, you’re going to should drop fairly a bit additional cash and get one thing just like the $1,189 (£1,329, AU$1,799) Intel Core i9-9920X. And, even in the event you do go along with this Intel Basin Falls Refresh chip, you gained’t essentially find yourself with the identical degree of efficiency.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is offered now for $499 (about £390, AU$720). That is truly an amazing value level, because it stands up towards the $488 (£498, AU$777) Intel Core i9-9900K whereas providing an additional 4 cores. It doesn’t enhance as excessive, and the retail field isn’t as cool, however any creatives which can be searching for an amazing processor with out leaping for a Threadripper 2nd Era chip ought to take discover.
Options and chipset
AMD Ryzen third Eraand the Zen 2 structure itself, is notable as a result of it leads 7nm processors to the mainstream for the primary time. However, there’s much more happening below the hood than only a smaller manufacturing node.
An important enchancment, and the best to know, is the large enhance to IPC, or directions per clock. AMD claims that it was in a position to enhance IPCs in its third technology Ryzen chips by as much as 15%, which works an extended option to explaining why single-core efficiency sees such a lift over one thing just like the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X.
That elevated IPC enhancements, together with the large turbo enhance of 4.6GHz imply that even in single core efficiency – lengthy a weak hyperlink of AMD’s processors – comes inside reaching distance of Group Blue’s chips.
One factor that the change to 7nm silicon has allowed for nevertheless, is a rise in cache measurement. AMD is now describing its L3 and L2 cache in a mixed spec of ‘GameCache’ – despite the fact that it’s principally the identical factor. However, as a result of the 7nm CPU cores are contained inside their very own chiplets, AMD was in a position to pack rather more in – with a whopping 64MB of L3 and 6MB of L2, for a mixed 70MB of GameCache. This can be a actually huge deal, because it permits for a lot sooner efficiency, particularly once you’re capturing for prime framerates in 1080p video games, and will probably be particularly efficient in previous esports titles like Counter Strike: International Offensive.
One other enchancment that comes with AMD Ryzen, and extra particularly the X570 chipset, is the long-awaited inclusion of PCIe Gen 4. Now, the one graphics playing cards that use PCIe 4.0 in the present day are the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT and AMD Radeon RX 5700, however your GPU is nearly much less noteworthy than the enhancements it’s going to convey to the greatest SSDs.
We got an Aorus PCIe 4.0 SSD to check, and the speeds we noticed have been superb. We have been in a position to get sequential reads of 4,996 MB/s, a 29% enhance over our earlier quickest SSD, the Samsung 970 Professional. Out of all of the options that Ryzen third Era brings to the desk with the brand new X570 chipset, this is perhaps one of the vital significant – and likewise explains the plethora of high-end AMD motherboards in the marketplace this time round.
Lastly, the shrink all the way down to 7nm permits for a lot better vitality effectivity. Due to the Zen 2 structure, AMD Ryzen third Era processors just like the Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen 7 3700X needs to be as much as 58% extra environment friendly than comparable Intel processors. This isn’t probably the most noteworthy function right here, however, hey, it ought to translate to decrease electrical energy payments, and in in the present day’s economic system each little bit helps, proper?
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Take a look at system specs
CPU: 3.8Ghz AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (12-core, 70MB cache, as much as 4.6GHz)
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
RAM: 16GB G.Talent Royale DDR4 (3,400MHz)
Motherboard: ASRock Taichi X570
Energy Provide: Corsair RM850x
Storage: 2TB Gigabyte Aorus M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4) Case: Corsair Crystal Collection 570X RGB
Working system: Home windows 10
Efficiency
It shouldn’t be too terribly shocking {that a} 12-core, 24-thread processor with a 4.6GHz enhance clock performs like an absolute monster. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is straight up the quickest piece of silicon you should purchase with out wading into the HEDT scene – no less than till the Ryzen 9 3950X comes out in September 2019.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X actually reveals what it’s product of relating to multi-threaded workloads. As an illustration, in each Geekbench and Cinebench R15, the 12-core processor scored a whopping 44,160 and three,097, respectively. In comparison with the Intel Core i9-9900K, which scores 33,173 and 1,873 in the identical assessments, it’s an evening and day distinction. For about the identical value level, the Ryzen 9 3900X is between 25%-40% sooner than the Intel Core i9-9900K in multi-threaded masses.
Sadly, this doesn’t fairly translate to as robust of a single-core efficiency, even when AMD is nearer than it’s ever been to matching Intel core for core. In our single-core GeekBench and Cinebench assessments, the Ryzen 9 3900X scored a 5,569 and 203, respectively. That is undoubtedly an enormous leap over the Ryzen 7 2700X, nevertheless it’s slower than the 9900K, which scored a 6,333 and 211 in the identical assessments. However, that’s nonetheless between a 4% and 13% distinction, so the multi-core features usually outweigh them.
And, relating to gaming, the overall rule of thumb for about so long as we might bear in mind is that single-core efficiency guidelines supreme. Nonetheless, in loads of trendy video games – probably because of the prominence AMD Ryzen processors have gained – multi-core efficiency is changing into increasingly more utilized. As an illustration, in Complete Struggle: Warhammer II, we have been experiencing larger body charges at 1080p with the 3900X than with the Intel Core i9-9900K coupled with the identical Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPU – as much as 17%, the truth is.
The massive draw back right here, although, is the chip’s energy consumption and thermal efficiency. Now, we needs to be abundantly clear right here: we examined utilizing the included Wraith Spire cooler, slightly than using an AIO liquid cooling resolution. Nonetheless, we noticed temperatures hit 83 levels Celsius, and energy consumption attain all the way in which as much as 145W. So, whereas the included thermal resolution will do in a pinch, we advocate selecting up an aftermarket cooler – one thing potential prospects for a chip of this caliber will in all probability do in any case.
Last verdict
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is an absolute behemoth of a processor, because it completely needs to be with its 12 cores, 24 threads and excessive price ticket. In case you’re searching for the very best processor cash can purchase on a mainstream processor, then look no additional. Whether or not you’re enjoying PC video games and even doing hardcore video and 3D work, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X can deal with them with ease.
Nonetheless, try to be conscious that there are some workloads the place the Intel Core i9-9900K will nonetheless carry out just a little higher. Previous video games which can be utterly single threaded, like World of Warcraft, will nonetheless run higher on an Intel processor – however that hole is unquestionably beginning to slim.
The inclusion of PCIe Gen 4.0 can also be an enormous boon to picking the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, because it ought to contribute to a sooner system total, because of speedier SSDs – and that’s one thing you may solely at the moment get with Ryzen 3000 and X570. Over the past couple years, AMD has been reaching for dominance within the desktop CPU world, and with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, it is lastly there.
