AMD Ryzen 9 5900 vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests AMD Ryzen 9 5900 vs AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and understand which is better for games or normal use for rendering, video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming. Here is useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A thorough analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like PassMark, VeraCrypt, Blender, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, 7zip, 3DMark, Gears 5, WPrime, SuperPi, Prime95, Furmark, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, MATLAB.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of parallel benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or AMD Ryzen 9 5900.

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 5900

62%

Ryzen 7 3800X

57%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900 is 8% better than Ryzen 7 3800X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 5900

59%

Ryzen 7 3800X

56%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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 little 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 CPU comparisons were performed: DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx, Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Control, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Forza Horizon 4, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	103.8	98.9
Valorant	118.0	112.4
Cyberpunk 2077	66.1	62.9
Apex Legends	110.9	105.6
Call of Duty Warzone	88.5	84.3
Overwatch	95.6	91.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.4	77.5
DOOM Eternal	59.0	56.2
Warzone	92.0	87.7
Assassin's Creed	99.1	94.4
Valheim	97.9	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. 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 5900

89%

Ryzen 7 3800X

44%

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 5900 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. 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 editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on 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 make sure that 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 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 5900	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	285	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3789	2165
Cinbench 20 Single-core	668	509
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	8653	4960
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1815	1325
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	23790	12874

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	3487	2773
Multi-Core	39560	23436

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Single-Core	1743	1393
Multi-Core	15530	10679

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. 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 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 5900	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X
Announcement date	January 12, 2021	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Vermeer	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 2
Generation	4	3
Turbo Frequency	4.7 MHz	4.5 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.9 MHz
Cores	12	8
Threads	24	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9400 millions	4600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		512KB
L2 cache	6MB	4MB
L3 cache	64MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000062	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 23% better than Ryzen 9 5900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 5900 has 4 more core than Ryzen 7 3800X. 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 5900 is better: 30
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is better: 2
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and AMD Ryzen 7 3800X before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3800X specs and review.