Summary
AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 seriesdesktop CPUs are here, and they are better than ever. The new lineup, for now, includes four SKUs; the Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 7 9700X, Ryzen 9 9900X, and the Ryzen 9 9950X, covering the three main categories of budget, mid-tier, and high-performance chips. These new CPUs come with a host of improvements over the previous generation, including the newer and more efficient Zen 5 architecture.
AMD Zen 5 Architecture Improvements Over Zen 4
AMD’s Zen 5 architecture is a 4nm manufacturing technology that is more efficient, accurate, and has higher throughput compared to the Zen 4 architecture’s 6nm manufacturing process. This makes the new Ryzen 9000 series of CPUs much more efficient and capable of higher clock speeds, as well as lower base clock speeds, and consumes even less power than before.
AMD says the Zen 5 architecture has brought 16% improvement in single-threaded IPC or instructions per cycle compared to the previous generation. On paper, this may not seem like much, but theimprovements become more apparent in real-world performance.
AMD Ryzen 9000 Series: CPUs and Specifications
Here’s all you need to know about the new AMD Ryzen 9000 series desktop CPUs:
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a budget friendly offering that features six cores, 12 threads, and a boost clock speed of 5.4 GHz. It is even more efficient than the Ryzen 5 7600X as it consumes only 65W of power, but delivers better overall performance.
AMD’s CPU lineup continues to be fairly straightforward and consistent with the previous generation of CPUs. Starting with the budget friendly Ryzen 5 9600X, it carries the same six core 12 thread configuration as the older Ryzen 5 7600X, as well as the amount of L3 cache of 32MB, but where it sees improvements is boost clock speed and efficiency. It also now supports up to 192GB ofDDR5 RAMclocked at 5600 MHz.
The Ryzen 5 9600X can boost up to a slightly higher 5.4 GHz and AMD has managed to drop the base clock speed to 3.9 GHz instead of the 4.7 GHz on the 7600X. This makes the new chip more efficient, which is also reflected in its lower TDP of just 65W (compared to 105W for the 7600X).
Not only is the newer Ryzen 5 9600X capable of performing better than the previous generation chip, but it does so at a lower power draw, which goes to show how much more efficient the AM5 architecture and AMD manufacturing process has become. Plus, these gains are true across the board.
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a mid-tier offering in the latest Ryzen 9000 series of CPUs, and it brings eight cores, 16 threads, and a boost clock speed of 5.5 GHz. The new chip is more efficient than its previous generation counterpart, and it supports more DDR5 RAM clocked at 5600 MHz.
The Ryzen 7 9700X offers similar improvements as its younger sibling. It has a higher boost clock compared to the Ryzen 7 7700X and a lower base clock of 3.8 GHz (4.5 GHz on the 7700X), but the core count remains the same. The L3 cache remains the same at 32MB, though the TDP has been brought down to 65W, as opposed to 105W. The Ryzen 7 7700X is already a great value option, offering performance levels that in a lot of casesexceed its Nvidia counterparts.
Another upgrade that comes with the 9700X is support for more capacity and faster DDR5 memory. The CPU now supports 192GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 5600 MHz. The 7700X, for comparison, can support 128GB of DDR5 at 5200 MHz. While these may seem like minor improvements on paper, the real-world implications are more significant.
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
The Ryzen 9 9900X from AMD is a high-performing desktop CPU that is based on the Zen 5 architecture and boasts better efficiency and higher clock speeds compared to its previous generation counterpart. The 9900X brings 12 cores and 24 threads along with a boost clock speed of 5.6 GHz. It can deliver better performacne than the 7900X at a lower TDP of 120W.
As with the Ryzen 7000 series of CPUs, AMD has announced two of its high-performing chips from the latest series, the Ryzen 9 9900X and the Ryzen 9 9950X. The Ryzen 9 9900X carries the same core count as the Ryzen 9 7900X, as well as the same amount of L3 cache, and even the boost clock speed remains the same. The base clock speed dropped slightly to 4.4 GHz from 4.7 GHz, but theTDP is just 120W now, compared to 170W on the older chip. The overall improvements that come with the Ryzen 9 9900X are not as significant as the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 offerings when compared to the previous generation. That being said, real-world performance gains may tell a different story.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X desktop CPU is the top-of-the-line offering in the latest Ryzen 9000 series of processors. It comes with 16 cores, 32 threads, and a boost clock speed of 5.7 GHz. The CPU has 64MB of L3 cache and a TDP of 170W. It delivers considerably higher multi-core and single-core performance than the Ryzen 9 7950X at the same power draw, which is a testament to its efficiency and IPC count gain claims.
The Ryzen 9 9950X sits at the top of the series, but on paper, the differences between it and the previous generation, Ryzen 9 7950X, are minimal. The newer Zen 5 based chip has the same boost clock speed, same L3 cache, and the same TDP. The base clock has dropped from 4.5 GHz to 4.3 GHz and there is slightly more L1 cache this time. It is likely that the performance gains will not be as significant here compared to the previous generation.
AMD Ryzen 9000 Series: Compatibility
Even though the manufacturing process has improved and become more efficient, the new Ryzen 9000 series CPUs use the same CPU socket as Ryzen 7000 CPUs, i.e. AM5. This means you will not need toupgrade your motherboardif you don’t want to, which is great news for those who may have recently purchased a top-of-the-line AM5 motherboard. The new CPUs will work perfectly with any A620, X670E, X670, B650E, or B650 motherboard, or even the new X870E and X870 boards.
However, depending on the motherboard, you may need a BIOS update to make it work optimally with the newer processors.
AMD Ryzen 9000 Series: Pricing and Availability
The Ryzen 9000 series CPUs have just hit the market and are in high demand, so availability will be questionable at best. They are available via Amazon, Newegg, and other major retailers. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is priced at $279 and isavailable on AmazonandNewegg. The Ryzen 7 9700X ispriced at $359while the Ryzen 9 9900Xcosts $499. The top-of-the-line Ryzen 9 9950X ispriced at $649and is available on Amazon.
The newer CPUs have surprisingly launched at a cheaper price point than the previous generation, which means the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs offer even better value. As of now, there are quite a few spots to be filled in the lineup of CPUs, and AMD is expected to release more SKUs, includingthe “X3D” chips, in the coming months. As of now, there is no information on if, or when, these CPUs will arrive.
FAQ
Q: What chipset will Ryzen 9000 use?
The Ryzen 9000 series of AMD desktop CPUs use the current AM5 socket, which means they can work with any current gen motherboard, be it A620, X670E, X670, B650E, B650, X870E, or X870.
Q: What RAM is supported by Ryzen 9000?
AMD Ryzen 9000 series CPUs support DDR5 RAM clocked at up to 6000 MHz.
