AMD Ryzen 9 5900 vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a decision by looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or different benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it 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 Prime95, Blender, UserBenchmark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, AIDA64, 3DMark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, VeraCrypt, Blender, Gears 5, SuperPi, 7zip, WPrime, MATLAB, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, PassMark, Handbrake, RealBench.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 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 9 3950X

61%

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 1% better than Ryzen 9 3950X. 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 9 3950X

58%

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 less popular games in which processors were compared: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Control, DOTA 2A, Forza Horizon 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Hitman 3.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	103.8	103.7
Valorant	118.0	117.9
Cyberpunk 2077	66.1	66.0
Apex Legends	110.9	110.8
Call of Duty Warzone	88.5	88.4
Overwatch	95.6	95.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	81.4	81.3
DOOM Eternal	59.0	58.9
Warzone	92.0	91.9
Assassin's Creed	99.1	99.0
Valheim	97.9	97.8

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. 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 5900

89%

Ryzen 9 3950X

40%

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 9 3950X 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

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the 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 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 work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	285	217
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3789	3897
Cinbench 20 Single-core	668	531
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	8653	9148
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1815	1371
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	23790	24050

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	3487	2718
Multi-Core	39560	39170

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Single-Core	1743	1286
Multi-Core	15530	15407

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 in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 9 5900	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Announcement date	January 12, 2021	October 01, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Vermeer	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 2
Generation	4	3
Turbo Frequency	4.7 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	3.5 MHz
Cores	12	16
Threads	24	32
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9400 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	65 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		1MB
L2 cache	6MB	8MB
L3 cache	64MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000062	100-000000051 100-100000051WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 3950X is 14% better than Ryzen 9 5900 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 3950X has 4 more core than Ryzen 9 5900. 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: 22
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is better: 8
Although it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3950X specs and review.