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The new AMD Ryzen 9 5900X processor and the rest of the Ryzen 5000 series have been released, giving Intel some competition for single-core and multi-threaded performance for the first time. Each subsequent edition of the Ryzen series processors since the first ones debuted a few years back has brought with it observable enhancements and performance gains.

Although Intel and AMD have been at war for well over a decade, it has long been believed that Intel produced the superior chip. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X competes head-to-head with the best Intel processors currently available, challenging the notion put out by the new Ryzen CPUs.

We’ll delve further into what makes this CPU unique today. We’ll discuss why this CPU is a top option for serious gamers and professionals, and we’ll also show you where to seek for the best discounts if you’re ready to upgrade your PC.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Specifications

The AMD Zen 3 architecture serves as the foundation for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X. The Zen 2 architecture from the previous generation has been updated with this new architecture. The new Ryzen 5000 series’ direct access to the L3 cache is the biggest improvement.

Due to the improved design, games and programs can give more instructions per clock by having direct access to the L3 cache. This enhancement results in a marginally perceptible improvement in gaming performance over the previous generation.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X consumes up to 105 watts of electricity at its maximum performance. This indicates that your CPU will use a sizable portion of your power, second only to your graphics card. Before installing this CPU, you might wish to upgrade your PC’s power supply if it is anything less than 500 watts.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, like the rest of the current Ryzen range, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X requires a motherboard with an AM4 socket. Therefore, you won’t need to update if your computer is already equipped with a Ryzen CPU from a prior generation. On the other hand, you’ll also need to upgrade your motherboard if you’re thinking about moving away from Intel or an incredibly old AMD processor.

Like every other Ryzen processor, the 5900X offers full DDR4 ram support, with speeds of up to 3200MHz. You may add enough RAM alongside your processor to do even the most difficult jobs if your processor has dual-channel capabilities.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Specs

Platform	Boxed Processor
# of CPU Cores	12
Base Clock	3.7GHz
Default TDP	105W
CPU Socket	AM4
Launch Date	11/5/2020
Product Family	AMD Ryzen™ Processors
# of Threads	24
L2 Cache	6MB
Processor Technology for CPU Cores	TSMC 7nm FinFET
Thermal Solution (PIB)	Not included
*OS Support	Windows 10 – 64-Bit EditionRHEL x86 64-BitUbuntu x86 64-Bit
Product Line	AMD Ryzen™ 9 Desktop Processors
Max. Boost Clock	Up to 4.8GHz
L3 Cache	64MB
Unlocked for Overclocking	Yes
Max. Operating Temperature (Tjmax)	90°C

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Performance & Tests

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is, by a wide margin, the fastest processor we’ve ever evaluated on a mainstream platform. The Ryzen 9 5900X greatly outperformed not only its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 3900X, but also its major rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, in all but one of our tests.

This time, we concentrated our testing on the top PC games available because AMD is now emphasizing that use-case, and for good reason.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X outperforms the Intel Core i9-10900K by 8% in Assassins Creed Odyssey, the game with the highest CPU load in our test suite. This results in a frame rate increase exceeding 80 fps. But in this test, it is roughly on par with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.

However, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X deviates more from Intel processors in Total War: Three Kingdoms, a title that has always favored Intel processors. When playing this game at 1080p with the Ultra quality level, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X averages 116 frames per second, outpacing the Intel Core i9-10900108 K’s frames per second. There is also a 7% difference there.

The Time Spy physics test is the one area where Intel has an advantage. Instead of reporting the overall score for this test, we only consider the CPU score. In comparison to Intel’s 13,888 points, the Ryzen 9 5900X earns 12,885 points. That turns the tables in that synthetic gaming task, giving Intel a 7% advantage. What’s remarkable is that it has already caught up to the Ryzen 9 3950X, the top model from the previous generation.

Now that we’ve moved on to CPU-only workloads, it should come as no surprise that the Ryzen 9 5900X destroys the Core i9-10900K in multi-core workloads, but the same was true of the Ryzen 9 3900X. However, the Ryzen 9 5900X now outperforms the Intel Core i9-10900K by 24% in the GeekBench 5 multi-core test, up from the Ryzen 9 3900X’s 11% advantage.

The multi-core lead jumps to a huge 31% in Cinebench R20, which simulates rendering for creative applications. The Ryzen 9 5900X has the smallest advantage in terms of pure CPU performance; it is only 18% quicker on the SISoft Sandra CPU Arithmetic test, but that advantage is still sizable.

The major development here is the substantial improvement in single-core speed made possible by the Zen 3 architecture’s complete redesign. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X achieves a score of 618 in the Cinebench R20 single-core test, up from the Ryzen 9 3900X’s 518, representing a 19% generational improvement. In this test, the Intel Core i9-10900K earns 522 points, which is 18% less than AMD.

That pattern appears again in each of our sandbox single-core testing. In Cinebench R15 single-core, GeekBench 4, and GeekBench 5, the Intel Core i9-10900K performs 21% slower, 9% slower, and 12% slower, respectively.

Finally, AMD has reclaimed Intel’s top spot for single-core performance. Although benchmarking software clearly shows this, the way that this is represented in actual game performance is more astounding. With Zen 3, AMD sought to produce the finest processor for gaming, and according to every test we’ve conducted, Team Red has succeeded admirably.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Conclusion

However, if you plan to run a mix of games and programs, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is unquestionably the best option given what Intel is currently providing and at what price. The Ryzen 9 5800X is a better choice if you mostly play video games or exclusively use low-threaded programs because it costs less ($450) and performs equally well or better in those tasks. Check out our Ryzen 5 5600X review as well; it costs $300 and outperforms most Intel CPUs in terms of productivity and gaming.