When AMD announced the first-generation Ryzen processors, few believed in the possibility of correcting past mistakes, developing meaningful technology, and competing on a par with Intel. The manufacturer, however, consistently improved the design. Successive iterations of the Zen architecture have yielded solid performance gains, while the launch of Zen 3 will be the ultimate test of engineers’ ability. The loud announcements will be verified by the test of the AMD Ryzen 9 processor 5900 X, presented against the Intel Core i9 – 10900 K, from whom he intends to take the crown of the most efficient unit also in computer games. Will there really be a reshuffle at the very top of the charts?

Author: Sebastian Oktaba

AMD Zen 3 architecture (code name Vermeer) has passed a number of significant modifications that allowed to increase the performance of a single core by approximately 20% compared to Zen 2, eliminating, among other things, internal lags that are the biggest problems with AMD Ryzen processors. First of all, one CCX cluster now has 8 instead of 4 cores, spiced up with SMT support and 32 MB L3 cache. Individual CCX modules were created in 7 nm TSMC lithography, while cIOD with DDR4 memory controller – 2020 uses 12 nm production process. Communication takes place again via the Infinity Fabric bus, but thanks to reducing internal delays, e.g. between modules, cores, and the main memory or cache, which now has much more for each CCX, a measurable increase in throughput was achieved. The prediction and queuing of orders, management of cache structures were also improved, FPU units were accelerated by increasing their capacity, the ring bus, data collection and integration algorithms were rebuilt. The engineers really did not idle, because the list of modifications is much longer and I have listed only the most important, crucial from the point of performance. In addition, the energy efficiency has been increased, plus the Precision Boost 2 technology has been improved, achieving higher clock speeds with a lower supply voltage.

AMD Ryzen 9 processor 5900 X is positioned as a competitor to Intel Core i9 – 10900 K, which, however, is to overcome not only in programs, but also in computer games. This is to ensure an increase in IPCs and timings.

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AMD Ryzen 9 5900 X is a processor with twelve cores , additionally using SMT (Simultaneous Multithreading) technology that doubles the number of threads, which has not changed compared to its predecessor. The design is based on two CCX modules (8 + 4), received 64 MB L3 Cache and 6 MB Cache L2. Although Intel does not offer a direct equivalent of AMD Ryzen 9 5900 X, but the manufacturer the discussed processor as a competitor of Intel Core i9 – 10900 K. Although the flagship of the Blue Mo that they boast “only” ten cores, giving way to even AMD Ryzen 9 3900 X in multi-threaded utility applications, this will have a marginal impact on the shape of the graphs in most computer games. The performance of the IPC is critical in such scenarios. So far, in terms of single-threaded efficiency, Intel has reigned supreme, so the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 X with the fastest Comet Lake seems to be a bit risky. However, AMD does not lack self-confidence, because the company has ceased to meet the status of Ryzen as the best processors for quasi-professional applications – it has decided to fight for the most demanding players. The entirety of changes in architecture has been strictly focused on improving gaming results, while AMD Ryzen 9 5900 X is a tool designed to ultimately overthrow Intel’s monopoly in the above sector.

	Ryzen 9 5900 X	Ryzen 9 5950 X	Ryzen 9 3900 X	Ryzen 9 3950 X
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 3	Zen 2	Zen 2
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm	7 nm	7 nm
Clock	3700 – 4800 MHz	3400 – 4900 MHz	3800 – 4600 MHz	3500 – 4700 MHz
Configuration	12 R / 24 W	16 R / 32 In	12 R / 24IN	16 R / 32IN
L2 memory	6MB	8 MB	6 MB	8 MB
Memory L3	64 MB	64 MB	64 MB	64 MB
Multiplier	Unlocked	Unlocked	Unlocked	Refl okay
Memory controller	DDR4 – 3200	DDR4 – 3200	DDR4 – 3200	DDR4 – 3200
Controller Mode	Dual Channel	Dual Channel	Dual Channel	Dual Channel
TDP Factor	105 In	105 In	105IN	105 In
Integrated GPU	–	–	–	–
Starting price	500 USD	799 USD	499 USD	749 USD
Platform	AM4	AM4	AM4	AM4
Release date	November 2019	November 2020	July 2019	September 2019

The base clock of the AMD Ryzen 9 processor 5900 X is 3700 MHz, but in moments of greatest effort it should not fall below 4240 MHz, which I noted while loading all Cinebench R cores 20 (Multi Thread). The maximum Core Boost is theoretically 4800 MHz, although it often reaches the clock speed 4950 – 5000 MHz, also registered in Cinebench R 20 (Single Thread). The new versions of the Precission Boost and Extended Frequency Range technologies lead the cores very well, because when testing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, six were working with clock speeds exceeding 4800 MHz. The progress compared to the predecessor is therefore gigantic, because AMD Ryzen 9 3900 X scored in games mostly 4250 – 4300 MHz, while in Cinebench R 20 barely exceeded 4000 MHz. The rest of the specifications and looks familiar – dual channel DDR4 memory controller – 3200, soldered radiator, no integrated graphics, TDP factor 105 W and unlocked multiplier. Starting price vs. AMD Ryzen 3900 X increased by exactly 50 USD, while Vermeer currently supports only motherboards with series chipsets 500 – series owners 400 have to patiently wait a few weeks for the appropriate BIOSes . It is also worth remembering that the processor is sold without any cooling system.

AMD Ryzen 9 processor test 5950 X – Fiendishly Fast 16 cores

NOTE: On the penultimate pages I added performance scaling tests with ADATA XPG Spectrix D memories 60 G DDR4 – 3200 CL 16 vs. DDR4 – 3800 CL 16 (module tuning 4133 MHz CL 19) to show why instead of overclocking the CPU it’s better to invest in faster modules. All tests were carried out in synchronous mode, the Infinity Fabric bus worked with timing 3800 MHz – the measurement platform above was getting unstable.