AMD Ryzen 9 5900X CPU Review

Few CPU launches in recent years had as much hype as AMD’s Zen 3 based Ryzen 5000 series. While 2019’s Zen 2, Ryzen 3000 series could easily go toe to toe with Intel, the higher IPC, higher-speed memory support, and the higher raw clock speed of Zen 3 have taken most of the wind out of blue sails. AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900X packs an even dozen cores, 24 threads, 64MB of L3 cache, and, maybe most importantly, out of the box clock speeds of up to 4.8GHz.

While last generations Zen 2 architecture technically provided a little more grunt per clock than team blue, the raw clock speeds just couldn’t compete, but that has very much changed. With compatible boards and sufficient coolers, those clock speeds can flirt heavily with the 5GHz range in lightly threaded workloads. On paper, this makes a very compelling reason to upgrade, or even convert to team red outright, but how does it do in the real world? Let’s find out!

PC Test Bench would like to thank our friends at Think Computers for loaning us their Ryzen 9 5900X to check out!

AMD’s Take on the Ryzen 9 5900X:

The Fastest in the Game
When you have the world’s most advanced processor architecture for gamers and content creators, the possibilities are endless. Whether you are playing the latest games, designing the next skyscraper, or crunching data, you need a powerful processor that can handle it all—and more. Hands down, the AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors set the bar for gamers and artists alike.

The Right Tool For The Job
When you have the world’s most advanced processor for designers and content creators, the possibilities are endless. Whether you are designing the next skyscraper or animating a complex character, you need a powerful processor that can handle your workflow’s full spectrum of computing demands. Hands down, the AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors set the bar for performance seeking artists and engineers alike.

The Latest Technologies – AMD Ryzen processors have all the best features to keep you in the game.
With great processing power comes the bleeding-edge technologies to support. All AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processors come with a full suite of technologies designed to elevate your PC’s processing power including Precision Boost 2, Precision Boost Overdrive4, and PCIe 4.0.

Build with Confidence – AMD Ryzen™ processors are easy to configure and easy to customize.
Not only are these processors drop-in ready on 500 series motherboards with a simple BIOS update, you can easily tweak and tune your processor with Ryzen Master and AMD StoreMI.
BIOS updates supporting the AMD Ryzen 5000 Series desktop processors on AMD 400 Series chipsets are expected to be available starting January 2021; exact availability will vary by manufacturer and motherboard model.

Specifications

• # of CPU Cores: 12
• # of Threads: 24
• Base Clock: 3.7GHz
• Max Boost Clock: Up to 4.8GHz
• Total L2 Cache: 6MB
• Total L3 Cache: 64MB
• Unlocked: Yes
• CMOS: TSMC 7nm FinFET
• Package: AM4
• PCI Express Version: PCIe 4.0
• Thermal Solution (PIB): Not included
• Default TDP / TDP: 105W
• Max Temps: 90°C
• System Memory
  • System Memory Specification: Up to 3200MHz
  • System Memory Type: DDR4
• Supported Technologies
  • AMD “Zen 3” Core Architecture
  • AMD StoreMI Technology
  • AMD Ryzen Master Utility
  • AMD Ryzen VR-Ready Premium