AMD Ryzen 5 3500X vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision after reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen 5 3500X vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, streaming, machine learning, video editing. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like WPrime, Gears 5, RealBench, SuperPi, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, Blender, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, Blender, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

DOOM: Eternal
Red Dead Redemption 2
Valorant
Overwatch
Apex Legends
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Borderlands 3
Valheim
Halo Infinite
Last Man Standing
Grand Theft Auto V
Fortnite
Death Stranding
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Cyberpunk 2077
Fallout 76
Watch Dogs Legion
Rainbow Six Siege
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or AMD Ryzen 5 3500X.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 5 3500X

54%

Ryzen 7 3800X

57%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 7 3800X is 5% better than Ryzen 5 3500X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 5 3500X

53%

Ryzen 7 3800X

56%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Microsoft Flight Simulator, Hitman 3, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghostrunner, Metro Exodus, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield V, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.1	98.9
Valorant	106.9	112.4
Cyberpunk 2077	59.9	62.9
Apex Legends	100.5	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	80.2	84.3
Overwatch	86.6	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	73.8	77.5
DOOM Eternal	53.5	56.2
Warzone	83.4	87.7
Assassin's Creed	89.8	94.4
Valheim	88.7	93.3

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 5 3500X

65%

Ryzen 7 3800X

44%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 3500X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 7 3800X since it has less power consumption: 65W vs. 105W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	188	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1129	2165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	464	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2652	4960
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1126	1325
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7797	12874

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	2562	2773
Multi-Core	13476	23436

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	1272	1393
Multi-Core	5963	10679

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 5 3500X	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Announcement date	September 24, 2019	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 2
Generation	3	3
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.6 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	6	8
Threads	6	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	4200 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	384KB	512KB
L2 cache	3MB	4MB
L3 cache	32MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000158 100-100000158CBX 100-100000158MPK	100-000000025 100-100000025BOX 100-100000025MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 7 3800X is 7% better than Ryzen 5 3500X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 7 3800X has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 3500X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3500X is better: 2
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is better: 28
Although it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and AMD Ryzen 7 3800X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3500X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3800X specs and review.