AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X and 9900X land but can’t dethrone the 7800X3D

Following the launch final week of its first two Zen 5 CPUs, the 9700X and 9600X, AMD has as we speak launched the 2 high tier chips in its new processor lineup, the Ryzen 9 9950X and 9900X. These highly effective new chips pack spectacular total efficiency, with extremely low working temperatures, however aren’t your best option for many players proper now.

Whereas these new chips are worthy of a spot on our greatest gaming CPU information in some methods, the quick model is that it’ll be since you need nice total efficiency moderately than the very best gaming efficiency and worth proper now. For that, you’ll need to be turning to a different of AMD‘s CPUs.

The specs and worth of the 2 new chips are proven within the desk beneath, with the 9950X being a 16-core half identical to the 7950X (and 7950X3D) that preceded it. Likewise, the 9900X is a 12-core chip identical to the older 7900X. The 2 new chips – that match into the identical AM5 motherboards as present 7000 collection CPUs – are being launched at a worth of $649 for the 9900X and $499 for the 9700X, making them considerably dearer than the present costs for AMD’s equal 7000 collection CPUs.

So to their efficiency and, sure, the quick model is that when you’re searching for peak gaming efficiency from a CPU proper now, the 7800X3D remains to be our best choice because it’s both the quickest or trails solely to the 7950X3D, in response to exams of the brand new 9000 collection chips by website’s similar to club386 and Anandtech.

The margins for gaming efficiency are small, with a mean of below 4% separating the older chips from the brand new ones throughout a variety of gaming exams, and even then the broader variations are solely when working at 1080p with body charges of effectively over 200fps. At greater resolutions, the distinction is usually far lower than 1%.

In the meantime, in relation to productiveness, AMD’s new chips blow the water out of each present AMD and Intel chip, topping the charts within the overwhelming majority of exams. This features a new document rating in Cinebench 2024 for a consumer-grade CPU, with club386 recording scores of 139 within the single thread check and a pair of,308 within the multi-thread check for the 9950X. In Anandtech’s Blender check runs the 9950X additionally topped the charts with the 9900X solely trailing AMD’s personal 7950X and 7950X3D.

In the meantime, energy consumption is first rate for these two new chips, although it isn’t fairly so stunningly low because the 9700X and 9600X fashions. Whereas these two chips consumed below 190W at full load, the 9900X hit 278W and the 9950X ballooned to 329W. These figures are decrease than the likes of the 14900K (370W) and 7900X (339W) however are loads greater than the 7950X3D (241W).

As an alternative, it’s the temperature of those chips that’s so astonishing. The 9900X hit simply 74.4°C and the 9700X simply 68.3°C below full load. That compares to 87.2°C for the 7950X and over 90°C for the 14900K, once more in response to club386’s figures.

This all provides as much as the 9900X and 9700X being wonderful selections when you’re after a CPU that’s simply broadly very quick, moderately than simply quick at gaming. Nonetheless, the worth of those chips is excessive proper now, with AMD’s older 7000 collection CPUs having been steadily discounted since their launch and now providing significantly better worth total.

As an alternative, in relation to gaming CPU choices, it’s going to probably be when X3D variants of those 9000 collection CPUs land that we’ll actually see a significant improve in gaming efficiency. For now, although, the gaming efficiency, common productiveness efficiency, low energy consumption, and nice worth of the 7800X3D (on the present worth of $365) make it our go-to alternative.

For extra of a significant gaming efficiency improve, try our greatest graphics card information, which incorporates the GPUs that can really unlock huge positive aspects in your body charge.