AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs AMD Ryzen 5 1600

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   For example you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen 9 3900X vs AMD Ryzen 5 1600 and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, 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 synthetic type tests such as VeraCrypt, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 7zip, Prime95, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, Furmark, RealBench, Blender, PCMark 10, Gears 5, WPrime, PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Blender.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

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 1600 or AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.

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 3900X

60%

Ryzen 5 1600

53%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 3900X is 11% better than Ryzen 5 1600. 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 3900X

57%

Ryzen 5 1600

53%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Battlefield V.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	101.5	93.8
Valorant	115.4	106.6
Cyberpunk 2077	64.6	59.7
Apex Legends	108.5	100.2
Call of Duty Warzone	86.5	79.9
Overwatch	93.5	86.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	79.6	73.6
DOOM Eternal	57.7	53.3
Warzone	90.0	83.1
Assassin's Creed	96.9	89.5
Valheim	95.8	88.5

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 9 3900X

42%

Ryzen 5 1600

47%

To make a final resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 5 1600 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 3900X since it has less power consumption: 105W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the processor includes all threads and cores that it has. 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 3900X	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	214	147
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3168	1094
Cinbench 20 Single-core	521	357
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7178	2501
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1342	900
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18424	6230

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Single-Core	2758	2063
Multi-Core	32949	12340

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Single-Core	1335	932
Multi-Core	13268	5690

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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 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 9 3900X	AMD Ryzen 5 1600
Announcement date	July 07, 2019	April 11, 2017
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Matisse	Summit Ridge
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen
Generation	3	2
Turbo Frequency	4.6 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3.8 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	12	6
Threads	24	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7800 millions	2800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	105 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	2667
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	768KB	576KB
L2 cache	6MB	3MB
L3 cache	64MB	16MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000023 100-100000023BOX 100-100000023MPK	YD1600BBM6IAE YD1600BBAEBOX YD1600BBAEMPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 3900X is 15% better than Ryzen 5 1600 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3900X has 6 more core than Ryzen 5 1600. 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 3900X is better: 33
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 1600 is better: 1
However, it should be understood that all the number that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 3900X and AMD Ryzen 5 1600 before making a decision which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3900X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 1600 specs and review.