AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
The Zen 3 architecture packing Ryzen 9 5900X moves AMD out of Intel’s shadow to take centre stage. Jarred Wilton and Alan Dexter are impressed.
SPECS
Socket: AM4 Arch Zen 3, 64-bit
Cores: 12
Threads: 24
Process: 7nm TSMC
Clock: 3.7GHz (4.8GHz turbo)
Cache: L1 768KB, L2 6MB, L3 64MB
Memory: 128MB max, twochannel, DDR4 3200MHz, Non-ecc
PCIe: v4.0, 20 lanes
TDP: 105W
Cooler: None
Since the launch of its first Zen architecture back in 2017, AMD has shown time and time again, with each generational advancement of its processors, that it’s got more than enough clout to take on Intel on the grand stage of CPU dominance. And with this latest third-generation architecture, it’s aiming its sights squarely on Intel’s IPC crown.
AMD’s CPU team is firing on all cylinders, making Intel’s 14nm designs like Comet Lake look increasingly outdated. AMD’s Ryzen 9 3950X was already making short work of Intel CPUs in just about every discipline – except gaming. Zen 3, also called Vermeer, aims to take on Intel in its last refuge, and the architectural changes required to do so aren’t even that significant. Like Zen 2, Zen 3 uses TSMC’s 7nm N7 process for the CPU chiplets, and 12nm FinFET for the IO chiplet. However, a few smart adjustments are set to make a significant difference.