AMD Ryzen 9 4900U vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600

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 4900U vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600 tests and see which is better for games or normal use for rendering, machine learning, video editing, programming, streaming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like PassMark, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, Handbrake, Gears 5, 3DMark, AIDA64, Dolphin Emulator, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, WPrime, Furmark, 7zip, SuperPi, Prime95, Blender, RealBench.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or AMD Ryzen 9 4900U.

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 4900U

56%

Ryzen 5 3600

55%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 4900U is 1% better than Ryzen 5 3600. 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 4900U

53%

Ryzen 5 3600

53%

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 this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.6	94.7
Valorant	107.5	107.6
Cyberpunk 2077	60.2	60.3
Apex Legends	101.0	101.2
Call of Duty Warzone	80.6	80.7
Overwatch	87.0	87.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.1	74.3
DOOM Eternal	53.7	53.8
Warzone	83.8	83.9
Assassin's Creed	90.3	90.4
Valheim	89.2	89.3

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, 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 4900U

267%

Ryzen 5 3600

63%

To make a final 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 9 4900U is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3600 as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 65W. 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 count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Cinbench 15 Single-core	208
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1398	1578
Cinbench 20 Single-core	503	472
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3307	3689
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1270	1253
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10053	9412

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	2015	2611
Multi-Core	21586	17872

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Single-Core	1203	1238
Multi-Core	6431	6578

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 you. 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS even in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Announcement date	January 12, 2021	July 07, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	FP6	AM4
Core name	Renoir	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 2	Zen 2
Generation	4	3
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	2 MHz	3.6 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200 LPDDR4-4266	DDR4
Max. Memory	32 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache	2MB	3MB
L3 cache	8MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000031 100-100000031BOX 100-100000031MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600 is 44% better than Ryzen 9 4900U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 4900U has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 3600. 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 4900U is better: 16
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is better: 19
Although it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 4900U and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 4900U specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600 specs and review.