AMD has finally revealed the next generation of processors for consumer desktop computers. On October 8th, the company announced its Ryzen 5000 series, based on its latest Zen 3 architecture. Four new models were announced, with prices (MSRP) starting at $299 and going up to $799.
The first processor shown was the Ryzen 9 5900X. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. The 5900X is capable of 3.7GHz base and 4.8GHz boost frequencies. AMD claims this is the best gaming processor on the market. It also has 64MB L3 cache, which is distributed across two chiplets, and the TDP is 105W.
The 5900X has an MSRP of $549 and will replace the Ryzen 9 3900X, which was announced at a price of $499 during its launch. This processor will be a direct competitor to the 10-core Intel Core i9-10900K.
Next, we saw the Ryzen 7 5800X. An 8-core processor with 16 threads and frequencies of 3.8GHz (base) and 4.7GHz boost. Here we have a single chiplet design, where all 8 cores and the full 32MB cache are in a common CCX "pool". The 5800X also has a TDP of 105W and replaces the previous 3800X, again at a slightly higher price - $449 compared to $399. It will directly compete with the 8-core Intel Core i7-10700K.
And the cheapest CPU that AMD showcased was the Ryzen 5 5600X, which has 6 cores and 12 threads. Here we again see a 3.7GHz base frequency and a slightly lower boost - 4.6GHz. It also has 32MB L3 cache in a common CCX "pool" for all 6 cores, but with a reduced TDP of 65W. The 5600X is the only one of the announced processors that will include a boxed cooler in the package. It is priced at $299 and will replace the $249 3600X. Its competition is the 6-core Intel Core i5-10600K.
Finally, AMD unveiled the big monster, namely the Ryzen 9 5950X. With its 16 cores and 32 threads, it is capable of reaching a base frequency of 3.4GHz and a boost frequency of 4.9GHz. The company claims that the 5950X has the highest performance of any other consumer processor on the market, both for tasks that rely on a single core and for those that load all cores. The CPU features a massive 64MB L3 cache, distributed across 2 chiplets. It also has surprisingly low TDP, given its many cores and high performance.its performance - 105W.
Ryzen 9 5950X starts at a price of $799 and replaces the previous 3950X, being again $50 more expensive than its $749. Due to the lack of direct competition from Intel in this class, we assume that the direct opponent is the 18-core Intel Core i9-10980XE.
AMD has not yet revealed all the details about the new Zen 3, except for the statement that it is an architecture built entirely from scratch, instead of the expected improvement of the previous two editions. The company promises a 19% improvement in IPC (instructions per cycle), which is the most common unit of measurement for processor efficiency.
Thanks to the improvements in efficiency, AMD manages to increase performance without requiring an increase in power consumption. The new Ryzen chips have the same TDP and similar consumption as their predecessors from the previous generation. This practically means that you get more work done by the processor, with the same amount of energy consumed.
If you watched the presentation, you may have noticed the change in the design of the chiplets. AMD uses them instead of the monolithic design that we are used to seeing with Intel. This allows them to make processors with more cores, but at the cost of increased latency due to the need for communication between the CCX modules.
In Zen 3 processors, the maximum size of the CCX module is now 8 cores - double that of previous generations, which had a maximum of 4 cores in the CCX module. This means that each core has direct access to 32MB L3 cache. Chips like 5800X and 5600X can have only one CCX, which significantly reduces latency and the need for constant access to system memory. This also applies to chips with more cores, like 5900X and 5950X, but there remains the need for a dual CCX, which thanks to its larger size also has much lower latency than previous models.
Another thing that stands out, as you may have noticed, is the price increase of $50 compared to the previous generation. Additionally, this time no "non-X" models were shown. AMD claims that there are currently no plans to release more models. However, this does not mean that the company has completely abandoned its other classes and that they will not be announced at a later stage. Time will tell whether this will happen or not.
On the other handWell, this also means that AMD is literally competing with itself, as processors from previous generations are already cheaper and will certainly become more attractive for some buyers looking for a budget solution or a cheap upgrade. As for Intel, AMD's prices are already similar (if not higher), but they still face the problem of global availability of higher models, which also causes their prices to see an increase.
And speaking of Intel, AMD also showcased some impressively high gaming results during the presentation. Naturally, being results provided directly by the company, we recommend taking them with a grain of salt. Still, we couldn't help but be impressed by what was achieved. The 5900X combined with RTX 2080 Ti and 16GB DDR4 3600MHz memory, against the 10900K with a similar configuration, showed higher results compared to Intel.
And as a finale, Lisa Su quickly showcased the Radeon RX 6000, an unspecified model from the series that she proudly held in her hand. Three results from the games Borderlands 3, COD Modern Warfare, and Gears 5 were also shown, which are extremely impressive, as they are similar to those of RTX 3080. The company's CEO also stated that he can't wait to make a full reveal of the new cards on October 28th.
The new Ryzen 5000 processors will be compatible with all B550 and X570 motherboards as soon as they hit the global market on November 5th, while owners of B450 and X470 chipset motherboards will have to wait until January 2021.
Expect official prices from us very soon, as well as an early presentation!
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