AMD Ryzen 9 5900X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


AMD Ryzen 9 5900X CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

CPU comparison

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or AMD Ryzen 9 3950X - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has 12 cores with 24 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.80 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X was released in Q4/2020.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 cores with 32 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.70 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X was released in Q3/2019.
AMD Ryzen 9 (34) Family AMD Ryzen 9 (34)
AMD Ryzen 5000 (12) CPU group AMD Ryzen 3000 (15)
4 Generation 3
Vermeer (Zen 3) Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Predecessor --
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X Successor AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.70 GHz (4.80 GHz). The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 3.50 GHz (4.70 GHz).

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
12 Cores 16
24 Threads 32
normal Core architecture normal
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
Yes Overclocking ? Yes
3.70 GHz Frequency 3.50 GHz
4.80 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 Core) 4.70 GHz
4.50 GHz Turbo Frequency (All Cores) 4.00 GHz

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
-- AI hardware --
-- AI specifications --

Internal Graphics

The integrated graphics unit of a processor is not only responsible for the pure image output on the system, but can also significantly increase the efficiency of the system with the support of modern video codecs.

no iGPU GPU no iGPU
GPU frequency --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
-- GPU Generation --
Technology
Max. displays
-- Compute units --
-- Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory --
-- DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

no iGPU GPU no iGPU
No Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
No Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
No Codec h264 No
No Codec VP9 No
No Codec VP8 No
No Codec AV1 No
No Codec AVC No
No Codec VC-1 No
No Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X can connect up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
DDR4-3200 Memory DDR4-3200
128 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
51.2 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
Yes ECC Yes
6.00 MB L2 Cache --
64.00 MB L3 Cache 64.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
20 PCIe lanes 20
39.4 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth 39.4 GB/s

Thermal Management

The TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has a TDP of 105 W, that of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is 105 W.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
105 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
142 W TDP (PL2) 142 W
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
90 °C Tjunction max. 95 °C

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has a 70.00 MB cache, while the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X cache has a total of 64.00 MB.

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
7 nm Technology 7 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3 ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
AM4 (PGA 1331) Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q4/2020 Release date Q3/2019
549 $ Release price 650 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.2 stars (9 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.3 stars (3 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 7 CPU benchmarks
⌀ Multi core performance in 9 CPU benchmarks

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
98 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
74 (76%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
1189 (90%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
1325 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
1636 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
1371 (84%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
21878 (91%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
24050 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
1727 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
1408 (82%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
14515 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
14322 (99%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
2199 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
1697 (77%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
12637 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
11830 (94%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
637 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
531 (83%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
8491 (93%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
9148 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
308 (80%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
384 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
39295 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
39079 (99%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
647 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
523 (81%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 3.70 GHz
9520 (88%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.50 GHz
10761 (100%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.80 GHz
270 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz
217 (80%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
3684 (95%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
3897 (100%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
12C 24T @ 4.50 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz
85.4 (100%)

CPU performance per watt (efficiency)

Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
21,878 CB R23 MC @ 131 W
167 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Unknown Memory PC High End Gaming PC AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Kiebel Gamer-PC Loki [184903]

News and articles for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Why the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for the AM5 socket are currently not a good deal
Why the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for the AM5 socket are currently not a good deal
Posted by Stefan on 2022-10-11
At the end of September 2022, the time had come: AMD presented its latest desktop processors called AMD Ryzen 7000. Initially, 4 processors with 6 to 16 CPU cores were released.

The new socket AM5 (LGA 1718) is used for the first time, which is intended to replace the very durable socket AM4 introduced in 2017 as AMDs mainstream platform. This includes (depending on the chipset) PCIe 5.0 support as well as the exclusive use of DDR5 memory on all AM5 mainboards.

Officially, DDR5-5200 is the maximum, but with AMDs EXPO Technology which is similar to Intel's XMP 3.0, AMD now also has a solution for easy overclocking of the main memory. AMD itself names DDR5-6000 as the sweet spot for the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors.
The evolution of AMD Ryzen processors
The evolution of AMD Ryzen processors
Posted by Stefan on 2022-09-06
The AMD Ryzen processors are designed for the mid to high-end range and are grouped into the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 classes. AMD follows the market leader Intel, which groups its Core i series (Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Core i9) identically.

The AMD Ryzen processors were first introduced by AMD in Q1 2017. They are the successor to the not particularly successful AMD Bulldozer processors. The latter were manufactured using an outdated manufacturing process and could not keep up with the competing products from Intel. AMD lost a large portion of its desktop processor market share during this period.
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-05
In the past we had repeatedly written about our most popular processors. Since this format was quiet popular, I would like to continue this today and introduce you the most popular processors in the first half of 2022.

With more than 2 million page views per month, CPU-Monkey is one of the biggest comparison sites for processors and is currently available in 16 languages.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7800X are coming in September
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7800X are coming in September
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-20
After we published a performance assessment of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X last week, the well-known AMD leaker Greymon55 has now posted more informations via Twitter.

He predicts the first four models of the new Zen 4 desktop generation, which AMD would like to present at the end of 2022. There is also an alleged release date of September 15, 2022.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X - Cinebench R23 Benchmark projection
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X - Cinebench R23 Benchmark projection
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-10
We give you a preview of AMD's new Zen 4 desktop processors and calculate the performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X top model for the new AM5 socket. The performance data and other technical details come directly from the press kit that AMD released as part of its Financial Analyst Day on June 9, 2022.

Up to 15 percent more single-core performance and 35 percent more multi-core performance of the 16-core model are realistic !

Comparison of the two processors

With the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, two processors of the Ryzen 9 series from the AMD CPU program are compared with each other. Although the release date is more than a year apart, the specifications of the two processors are very similar.

Both the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X are manufactured using the 7 nanometer process and support the AM4 socket. Both processors support DDR4-3200 modules and the 2 available memory channels can be used to operate up to 128 main memories. ECC memory is also supported by both.

Likewise, both processors do not have an internal graphics unit (also called iGPU), but both offer 20 PCI Express lines in version 4.0 to be able to connect a dedicated graphics card or other expansion cards. PCIe 4.0 doubles the bandwidth compared to PCIe 3.0.

With that, the large number of similarities has almost been dealt with, so let's come to the differences. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core processor, whereas the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 cores. In addition, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is already based on the newer / better "Zen 3" manufacturing architecture, whereas the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is still based on the "Zen 2" architecture.

As a result, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is approx. 10% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X in the single-core benchmarks, although the maximum turbo clock is only slightly higher. In the multi-core benchmarks, the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X, but not as far as you would think with 4 cores. Due to the better architecture and the 0.5 GHz higher maximum clock, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is only 10% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X.

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