AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here you can find all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests such as Blender, Blender, Gears 5, UserBenchmark, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, WPrime, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, PassMark, SuperPi, Handbrake, Furmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, PCMark 10, Prime95, VeraCrypt.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 5600X or AMD Ryzen 9 3900.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen 9 3900

59%

Ryzen 5 5600X

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 3900 is 5% better than Ryzen 5 5600X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 3900

57%

Ryzen 5 5600X

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Forza Horizon 4, League of Legends (LOL), Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Monster Hunter World, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.6	97.1
Valorant	115.5	110.4
Cyberpunk 2077	64.7	61.8
Apex Legends	108.6	103.8
Call of Duty Warzone	86.6	82.8
Overwatch	93.5	89.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.7	76.2
DOOM Eternal	57.7	55.2
Warzone	90.1	86.1
Assassin's Creed	97.0	92.7
Valheim	95.9	91.6

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 9 3900

67%

Ryzen 5 5600X

90%

To make a finishing resolution 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 5600X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 3900 as it consumes less power: 65W vs. 65W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, streaming, 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 turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	258
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2922	1970
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	604
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6789	4562
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1149	1572
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16943	11268

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Single-Core	2627	3352
Multi-Core	30807	22120

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Single-Core	1324	1768
Multi-Core	13362	8968

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Announcement date	September 30, 2019	November 05, 2020
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Vermeer
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 3
Generation	2	5
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.6 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.7 MHz
Cores	12	6
Threads	24	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	4800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	768KB
L2 cache	6MB	3MB
L3 cache	64MB	32MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000072	100-000000065 100-100000065BOX 100-100000065MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 5600X is 16% better than Ryzen 9 3900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3900 has 6 more core than Ryzen 5 5600X. 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 9 3900 is better: 22
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is better: 10
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought AMD Ryzen 9 3900 and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3900 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 5600X specs and review.