The fourth Ryzen desktop processor generation 5000 with Zen 3 architecture for AM4 mainboards is launched. AMD is initially introducing four models: Ryzen 9 5950 X with 16 CPU cores, the 12 – Kerner Ryzen 9 5900 X, the 8-core Ryzen 7 5800 X and the 6-core Ryzen 5 5600 X. The chip manufacturer made the two top models available to us for testing in advance.

When designing the Zen 3 architecture, AMD concentrated on single-threading performance, which is essential for software with little parallelization and 3D Games is important. The Ryzen were already convincing in multithreading applications – 3000-Predecessor; the successors are now all-round successful overall packages with both high single and high multithreading performance.

Game benchmarks So is the Ryzen 9 5900 X Intel’s fastest gaming processor Core i9 – 10900 K is at least equal in all the games we tested, but often faster: In the action role-playing game “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey” there is a tie; in “Metro: Exodus”, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider” and “Far Cry 5” lies the Ryzen 9 5800 X, however, 5 to 9 percent ahead.

Here we have the core i9 – 10900 K within his 56 – seconds 250 -Watt turbos measured – so best-case conditions for Intel, even if the power limit is not exhausted in games. The comparison Ryzen 9 is impressive 5800 vs. Ryzen 9 3800: The frame rate increases in several games 35 to 40 Percent, but titles like “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey” pull down the cut. AMD therefore calls an average plus of 24 Percentage in games.

The 16 – Kerner Ryzen 9 5950 X falls slightly behind the 12 – Kerner Ryzen 9 5600 X back, although it has a nominally higher boost clock. An indication that the power limit is limited with so many cores.

Game benchmarks, measured under Windows 10 (2004), 16 GByte RAM (according to specification) and GeForce RTX 3080 (456. 71 WHQL) Game Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey Metro: Exodus Shadow of the Tomb Raider Far Cry 5 Settings DX 11, Full HD , High DX 12, Full HD, Normal DX 12, Full HD, High, SMAA, 16 x AF DX 11, Full HD, High, SMAA Ryzen 9 5950 X 125 186 186 168 Ryzen 9 5900 X 126 195 189 179 Core i9 – 10900 K 127 186 175 164 Ryzen 9 3950 X 120 138 138 124 Ryzen 9 3900 X 120 143 136 131 Ryzen 7 3700 X 112 140 132 124 High boost Part of the jump in performance comes from high clock rates. The frequencies specified by AMD are for the Ryzen – 4910 – Processors are no longer to be understood as fixed points: In the test, the boost for both processors was around 150 MHz above the expected values ​​- normal according to AMD, as long as parameters such as power consumption, current flow and cooling do not limit. On the other hand, we have the Ryzen 9 5900 X under synthetic full load with Prime 95 (Small FFTs) frequencies below the base clock seen.

150 MHz means more clock in the case of the Ryzen 9 5950 X up to 5, 10 GHz that the processor achieves ex works. For the CPU chiplets, AMD continues to use 7 nanometer technology from the chip order manufacturer TSMC, as is already the case with the Ryzen 3000 XT was used. The separate I / O dies with Globalfoundries’ 11 – AMD takes over nm technology from the Ryzen – 3000 – CPUs.

Fleet 8-core cluster More in-depth changes affect the architecture, in particular the structure of the CPU chip sets: At Ryzen 3000 one of these consisted of two quad-core clusters (CCX) each with 16 MByte level 3 cache, whereby the two clusters could only communicate with each other via the I / O die. If a thread jumped between the CCX, it cost latency and thus performance.

With Ryzen 5000 a CPU cluster now consists of eight cores with a common 32 – MByte L3 pool. This has two advantages: thread jumps no longer cost as much performance, and individual CPU cores can use the full 32 Access MByte L3 cache. This helps in applications that use few cores.

New structure of the cache compute dies with eight common CPU cores instead of two four.

(Image: AMD)

Further improvements include optimizations to the caches, branch prediction and execution units as well as widened integers – and floating point pipelines.

Cinebench best scores The adjustments to two Ryzen generations are enough to almost double the performance per CPU core within three years, like a look at the comparable Cinebench render benchmark R 20 shows: The 16 – Kerner Ryzen 9 5950 X works well in the multithreading test 10. 000 points – the 32 – Kerner Ryzen Threadripper 2990 WX (Zen +, in August 2018 introduced) continues with about 11. 500 Points only slightly before that.

In the single-threading Cinebench create the Ryzen 9 5950 X and Ryzen 9 5950 X those promised by AMD 640 to 650 Points. Intel’s Core i9 – 10900 K lags with scarce 540 Points behind

Benchmark Cinebench R 20 mode Singlethreading Multithreading Ryzen 9 5950 X 652 10. 184 Ryzen 9 5900 X 639 8639 Core i9 – 10900 K 537 6384 Ryzen 9 3900 X 534 9188 Ryzen 9 3900 X 534 7372 Ryzen 7 3700 X 513 4910 Conclusion: strong Introduction Who is currently an s Looking for a fast game processor, you can go to AMD’s Ryzen without hesitation – 5000 – grab series. In the upper class the Ryzen 9 5600 X represents the most attractive overall package: It offers 12 fast CPU cores with high clock frequencies without the power consumption is limited. The surcharge of 100 Euro or 22 percent to Ryzen 7 5800 X falls for 50 Percent more CPU cores moderately. A cheaper eight-core in the form of a Ryzen-7 – 3700 AMD has not yet introduced the X successor.

Specifications Ryzen 5000 vs. Ryzen 3000 XT (CPU version AM4) Processor Cores / Threads Base / Boost clock L3 cache TDP Price Ryzen 9 5950 X 16 / 32 3.4 / 4.9 GHz 64 MByte 105 W 800 € Ryzen 9 3950 X 16 / 32 3.5 / 4.7 GHz 64 MByte 105 W 670 € Ryzen 9 5900 X 12 / 24 3.7 / 4.8 GHz 64 MByte 105 W 550 € Ryzen 9 3900 XT 12 / 24 3.8 / 4.7 GHz 64 MByte 105 W 430 € Ryzen 7 5600 X 8th / 16 3.8 / 4.7 GHz 32 MByte 105 W 450 € Ryzen 7 3800 XT 8th / 16 3.9 / 4.7 GHz 32 MByte 105 W 310 € Ryzen 5 5600 X 6 / 12 3.7 / 4.6 GHz 32 MByte 65 W 300 € Ryzen 5 3600 XT 6 / 12 3.8 / 4.5 GHz 32 MByte 95 W 200 € User of an X 570 – or B 550 – Mainboards can upgrade the processor after a BIOS update. For X 470 – and B 450 – Boards should start with corresponding versions 2021 appear.

In the upper class, there is hardly a purchase argument for Intel as long as the current Core-i – 10900 – Models do not get cheaper: Ryzen 5000 is faster and at the same time more efficient in almost all respects. Intel’s answer will probably only come in March 2020 in the form of 11. Core-i-Generation (Rocket Lake-S).

You can find a comprehensive test with further architecture details, application benchmarks and measurements of power consumption in the c’t 24 / 2020 and at heise +.

(mma)