AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 3900 vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900 tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for programming, machine learning, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as AIDA64, WPrime, SuperPi, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, RealBench, MATLAB, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, 7zip, PassMark, Gears 5, Prime95, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900 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 9 5900

62%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900 is 4% better than Ryzen 9 3900. 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 9 5900

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.6	103.8
Valorant	115.5	118.0
Cyberpunk 2077	64.7	66.1
Apex Legends	108.6	110.9
Call of Duty Warzone	86.6	88.5
Overwatch	93.5	95.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.7	81.4
DOOM Eternal	57.7	59.0
Warzone	90.1	92.0
Assassin's Creed	97.0	99.1
Valheim	95.9	97.9

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance 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 9 3900

67%

Ryzen 9 5900

89%

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 9 5900 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to achieve maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since 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 9 5900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	196	285
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2922	3789
Cinbench 20 Single-core	485	668
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6789	8653
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1149	1815
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	16943	23790

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Single-Core	2627	3487
Multi-Core	30807	39560

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Single-Core	1324	1743
Multi-Core	13362	15530

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Announcement date	September 30, 2019	January 12, 2021
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Vermeer
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 3
Generation	2	4
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	12	12
Threads	24	24
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	9400 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	6MB
L3 cache	64MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000072	100-000000062

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 3900 is 3% better than Ryzen 9 5900 in terms of CPU frequency. 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: 2
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900 is better: 26
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought AMD Ryzen 9 3900 and AMD Ryzen 9 5900 before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3900 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900 specs and review.