AMD claim its new Ryzen 9 9950X is thebest processorthe universe has ever seen , and by some metrics , that ’s accurate . It ’s the flagship of AMD ’s newZen 5range , promising performance on a level we ’ve never envision before . unluckily , a fate of AMD ’s hope do n’t hold up in practice .

The gen - on - gen improvements are here , and AMD take some victories it lost to Intel last year . But between lower pricing on last - gen Zen 4 CPUs and AMD’s3D V - Cachetech lead aside with gaming carrying out , the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X are capture in an awkward spot . It ’s hard to advocate them correctly now .

That will change . These young CPUs will cut down in monetary value as Zen 4 exemplar vanish from shelves , and they ’ll become the default AMD choice . Unlike the previous generation where you felt the generational leap in every applications programme , Zen 5 feels more tamed . They ’ll eventually be the de facto option for AMD , but we ’re not there today .

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X specs

Not much has changed with the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X compared to their last - gen similitude . AMD mystify with the same core configuration , cache amount , and even maximum cost increase clock focal ratio . The only major dispute in the specs is power , and that ’s just for the Ryzen 9 9900X. It comes with a TDP of 120 watts , while the Ryzen 9 7900X rifle up to 170W.

Pricing is what support out most , however . For both Ryzen 9 models , AMD shaved $ 50 off the recommended price . That sounds a good deal more impressivethan it really is , however . As we check with Zen 4 , AMD will quickly slash the price on novel CPUs just hebdomad after they launch . These new advocate prices do better expectations for what you ’ll really pass on a C.P.U. .

Even more important , AMD ’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs are dirt inexpensive properly now . At the time of penning , the Ryzen 9 7950X is around $ 520 and the Ryzen 9 7900X is around $ 360 . price on last - gen products always drop when there ’s a young genesis hitting the store shelves , but I ’d keep those price in creative thinker during the course of this review . The allowance for Zen 5 are n’t always that big , despite the fact that the CPUs will be much more expensive at retailer .

The specs are mostly the same , but AMD made changes in the computer architecture . window pane 5 brings a consecrated 512 - bit data path for AVX-512 educational activity , as well as a clear focus on undivided - core performance . In the expanse where those performance details weigh , Zen 5 run aside . Everywhere else , the profit are n’t as significant .

Test setup

As usual , I put together two nearly identical test benches for my results you ’ll see below . The vast majority of the data below is fresh , which I collected within the last hebdomad . There are some older models I brought in for a few benchmarks , such as theCore i9 - 12900Kin Cinebench and Ryzen 9 5950X in Handbrake that I did n’t retest , though those upshot still followed the same process that I applied to all of the CPUs I retested here .

technical school media as a whole is still working out the Zen 5 computer architecture , and there ’s been mickle of debate just within the past week about how to get the good performance out of the chips . There ’s some testingthat suggests turning off simultaneous multi - threading can give a big gaming encouragement , for illustration . For the purpose of this review , I did n’t sight around in the BIOS to squeeze out redundant performance . scant of turning on Resizable BAR and turn on the memory overclocking profile , I left everything at its default setting and keep AMD ’s Precision Boost Overdrive circle to Auto .

On the gunpoint of the BIOS , I did n’t testIntel ’s novel microcode updatethat ’s supposed to fixa wave of instabilityon 13th - gen and 14th - gen CPUs . I only had the Z690 motherboard listed above to test with , and the firmware update is n’t available for that add-in yet . gratefully , that should n’t affect performance much . Some early impressions suggest the execution deprivation is 2 % at most .

Productivity performance

AMD is back on top with these new Zen 5 processor , and sometimes in a openhanded way . Setting the level is Cinebench R23 and its multi - core test . Given that AMD keep the core counts the same , I did n’t require much bowel movement in Cinebench , but I was incorrect . The Ryzen 9 9950X is 12 % quicker than theRyzen 9 7950Xand 10 % faster than theCore i9 - 14900 K , while the Ryzen 9 9900X outpaces its last - gen counterpart by a monumental 16 % .

That ’s a critical number to keep in mind . AMD take Zen 5 bestow a 16 % increase in teaching Per Clock ( IPC ) compared to Zen 4 , which should show up in single - core performance . The chips fall a piffling light of expectation in Cinebench ’s single - core examination . Both CPUs were 12 % faster than their last - gen similitude . That ’s nothing to sneeze at , but it ’s still not quite the 16 % AMD suggest .

AMD definitely obtain closer in real diligence . In Blender , the Ryzen 9 9950X was 11 % quicker than its last - gen version , but the Ryzen 9 9900X was close to 15 % faster .

Similarly , in Handbrake , the Ryzen 9 9950X completed the transcode 14 % faster than its last - gen twin , while the Ryzen 9 9900X check the Ryzen 9 7950X and outclassed its last - gen version by 10 % . The Ryzen 9 5950X provide some crucial circumstance here , though . The jump between Zen 3 and Zen 4 was significantly enceinte than the jump from Zen 4 to Zen 5 .

AMD leads in other bench mark , too , but the gross profit margin are n’t much to take government note of . As you could see in both Photoshop and 7 - Zip , the fresh Zen 5 CPUs were just a hair faster than their Zen 4 adaptation . quicker is faster , sure , but it ’s important to keep in judgement that the Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 9 7900X are importantly cheaper now .

One tryout where there was a monumental difference was Y - Cruncher . This app account 500 million dactyl of Pi , and the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X are in a completely unlike conference when it comes to single - core functioning . There is n’t much to let the cat out of the bag about with multi - core carrying out , however .

last , there ’s Jetstream 2 , which is a internet browser - base bench mark that tests a load of internet browser applications . We ’re dealing with flagships here , so browser app performance is n’t a top concern . Still , AMD is back on top after losing some land to the Core i9 - 14900 K last year .

Overall , we ’re allot with an upthrow of around 10 % to 15 % . That ’s not bad , but it ’s of import to keep AMD ’s performance call in creative thinker . Thecompany in the first place saidthe Ryzen 9 9950X would leave the Core i9 - 14900 K by up to 56 % in Blender and 55 % in Handbrake , and that ’s not even close to the result I saw . These two CPUs are n’t spoilt , butAMD really did n’t set the right expectationsfor Zen 5 . What was placard as a raw foundation for AMD moving ahead feels more like a small refresh of the Zen 4 poser we had before .

Gaming performance

On average , the Ryzen 9 9950X is 5 % dissolute than its last - gen counterpart and 2 % faster than the Core i9 - 14900K. If you take a quick expression at my average above , you ’ll realize that ’s not my claim . That ’s AMD ’s claim . Even according to AMD ’s own internal benchmark , which it partake in with reviewers for validation purposes , these new Zen 5 CPUs render a performance uplift in the low single digits compare to the contest from Intel and AMD ’s own ( much cheaper ) last - gen choice .

My norm is a bit dissimilar — AMD is around 5 % faster than its last - gen options and 3 % dumb than Intel ’s Core i9 option . It ’s authoritative to place the stagecoach here with both average because swapping out a couple of game could wholly change the standings when you ’re deal with low single - digit performance differences . AddingStarfieldwould make the leeway more narrow , while addingLeague of Legendswould widen the gap . Even between different CPUs of the same model , you may see about a1 % to 2 % departure in performance .

Those narrow allowance become less of import when you ’re dealing with bounteous jump in performance like we saw with theRyzen 7 7800X3D. If the processor is 15 % dissolute than some competitors on average , that could show up as 13 % or 17 % — either way , you ’re arriving at a similar conclusion . The central processing unit is n’t as sensible to the retinue of game test because it has such a large performance upheaval . That ’s not the sheath with Zen 5 .

commence with the most clean win isAshes of the Singularity . Both the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X provided an very result , bypassing every other CPU I try . This is more of a glorified central processor benchmark than a game that ’s widely played , but it ’s a good gut check to check that that something is n’t wildly off with the test bench .

My solvent are n’t all that simple , though . If you look atFinal Fantasy 14 : Dawntrail , there ’s technically a generational improvement , but it ’s so modest that it might as well not even exist . Meanwhile AMD ’s own Ryzen 7 7800X3D and Intel ’s latest Core i9 CPUs discontinue through the barrier that AMD ’s Ryzen 9 models run up against .

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is really the elephant in the room when it come to play . Why in the worldly concern would you corrupt a $ 650 central processor when a last - gen chip that ’s $ 350 is often faster in games?Hitman 3andFar Cry 6put that on full display . Sure , there ’s a skilful uplift with the new Ryzen 9 part compared to their last - gen similitude , but it really does n’t count . In both cases , you ’d go with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D every meter if your fear is game .

I also testedRed Dead Redemption 2andTiny Tina ’s Wonderlands , which are include in the average at the top of this division . I wo n’t belabor the point , though . In both games , I saw a minor — almost negligible — uplift gen - on - gen , but the Ryzen 7 7800X3D still wins every time .

The other game I tested , which was n’t included in the average , wasF1 2022.you’re able to see the chart above , but I would n’t take it at face value . AMD indicate the data is wrong , but I still have n’t amaze an explanation why . What ’s strange is that I see the same statistical regression with theRyzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X , suggesting this is a larger Zen 5 issue . And even after doing a clear install of Windows between CPUs , keeping everything reproducible from the memory to the motherboard , and average out multiple runs into a single number , the public presentation decrease remained .

For every game I benchmarked , I ran three pass and averaged the result you see in the charts above . That ’s an attempt to get as close as possible to some accusative truth about how these CPU perform , but it really does n’t avail in this case . The margins are so narrow gen - on - gen that cherry tree - picking one gamey result for a Zen 5 C.P.U. and one down result for a Zen 4 mainframe would indicate a wider disruption than there actually is .

It ’s clear now after testing the Ryzen 9 portion that Zen 5 is n’t built for gamers . That ’s really not a terrible thing , though . price on Zen 4 central processing unit are extremely humble right now , and if your elementary focus is gaming , you’re able to get a bargain since you do n’t have to vanquish out for the latest and enceinte . Even theRyzen 9 7950X3D , AMD ’s previous top jewel of both play and productivity , is $ 125 cheaper than the Ryzen 9 9950X is launch at .

I necessitate to show one final chart before move onto some conclusions , and that ’s LeelaChessZero . This is an AI chess engine that uses AVX-512 pedagogy , and unsurprisingly , the Zen 5 parts arewayfaster than everything else . That does n’t really interchange the conclusion on gambling carrying into action , but it ’s good to know the 512 - bit data point path is working well if you really require to emulate PlayStation 3 games or something .

Not built for gaming

AMD is in a tough smirch . The Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X provide comely gen - on - gen gain , and they drop the ball back in Intel ’s motor lodge in productivity , but they fall totally savourless when it come to gambling . AMD ’s 3D V - Cache technical school is grotesque , but it ’s led to a level of segmentation within AMD ’s CPU lineup that ’s tough to navigate . Maybe that explains why we sawsuch piteous Zen 4 salesout of the logic gate in the previously genesis .

Even without the X3D factor , AMD is really its own bad enemy with Ryzen 9000 . I only saw big performance leaps in a few applications , and view how cheap Ryzen 7000 central processing unit are , devote up a bit of performance to save a sight of money is the way to go for most buyers .

The Intel comparison is even more concerning . AMD is picking up victories with its Modern CPUs , and some of them are quite large . However , Intel ’s Arrow Lakechips are expected to arrive before the remnant of the year . consider the narrow margins between the Ryzen 9 9950X and Core i9 - 14900 K in many covering , AMD might not control onto the carrying into action crown for long .