AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review 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 parallel examination in software tests like Furmark, Handbrake, SuperPi, Blender, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, WPrime, 7zip, RealBench, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or AMD Ryzen 9 5950X.

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 5950X

64%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5950X is 14% better than Ryzen 5 3600X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 5950X

60%

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	107.2	96.0
Valorant	121.9	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	68.2	61.1
Apex Legends	114.6	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	91.4	81.9
Overwatch	98.7	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	84.1	75.3
DOOM Eternal	60.9	54.6
Warzone	95.1	85.1
Assassin's Creed	102.4	91.7
Valheim	101.1	90.6

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: 4K, 2K 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 5950X

57%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

To make a final decision 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 9 5950X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 3600X as it consumes less power: 105W vs. 95W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program 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 5950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	277	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	4569	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	647	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	10428	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1639	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	28641	9588

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	3455	2651
Multi-Core	46183	18377

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

	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1814	1341
Multi-Core	18863	7891

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	November 05, 2020	July 07, 2019
Type	Desktop	Desktop
Socket	AM4	AM4
Core name	Vermeer	Matisse
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 2
Generation	5	3
Turbo Frequency	4.9 MHz	4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	16	6
Threads	32	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	9400 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	105 W	95 W
Memory type	DDR4	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	3200	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		384KB
L2 cache	8MB	3MB
L3 cache	64MB	32MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	100-000000059 100-100000059WOF	100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 10% better than Ryzen 9 5950X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen 9 5950X has 10 more core than Ryzen 5 3600X. 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 5950X is better: 29
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 3
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 5950X and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before making a selection which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5950X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.