AMD continues to lead the processor market in 2020 with its new 5000 series processors. In a change from tradition, AMD now leads the gaming rankings over Intel while maintaining a consistent lead over the rest. workloads. It doesn't look like AMD is dropping its Ryzen lineup anytime soon, but which one should you buy? In this guide to the best Ryzen processor, we'll show you our top picks.
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The Ryzen family is divided into four distinct branches, targeting the entry-level, consumer, performance and high-end sectors of the market - otherwise known as Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, and Ryzen 9. These are all great chips in their own way, but some certainly offer more value than others, and for many, the more powerful chips will be overkill.
The best entry-level Ryzen processor: Ryzen 3 3200G
AMD has always offered great value on the lower end of the processor spectrum, and that old adage is just as true with its Ryzen processors. AMD offered a wide range of budget chips with its early Ryzen processors, including great strengths like the Ryzen 3 1200 and the Ryzen 3 1300X. When we paired them with an MSI Gaming X RX 580 and the beefy Zotac GTX 1080 Ti AMP! Edition, we found them to be very capable.
3DMark's synthetic results delivered what we expected: better processors delivered higher scores. But in gaming testing, the 1200 and 1300X were found to be capable of delivering solid frame rates that were, in many cases, quite close to much more expensive Ryzen processors.
While we don't recommend these processors today, these are important results as they are roughly comparable to the overall compute performance of AMD's most recent APUs, the 2200G, 2400G, and 3200G. These chips are not only incredibly affordable between $ 80 and $ 120, but they also come with reasonably good built-in graphics.
If you have a graphics card or are planning to buy one, the Ryzen 3 3100 and the Ryzen 5 3600 are both reasonable alternatives, if you can find them in stock. These are better processors than their APU cousins, so go for them if you have other GPU plans in mind. But if you want an affordable all-in-one package for budget gaming, the Ryzen 3 3200G is our favorite at this price.
The best consumer Ryzen processor: Ryzen 5 5600X
AMD really makes sense in the mid-range price bracket, where the Ryzen 5 5600X sits. It's more expensive than our previous recommendation - the Ryzen 5 3600 - although it comes with the "X" tag, which translates to higher clock speeds. This six-core, 12-thread piece is rated at 3.7 GHz on its base clock and can boost up to 4.6 GHz, so it has plenty of juice for gaming, video and photo editing, and even light 3D modeling.
Price is the biggest limiting factor right now, with AMD releasing the 5600X for $ 50 more than the 3600X. You can save $ 50 to $ 100 (depending on sales) by opting for AMD's latest-gen part, and you'll get most of the performance from the 5600X. The two processors are equal in number of cores and threads, and the base clock is even a little higher on the 3600X. However, the 5600X uses AMD's new Zen 3 architecture, which features memory and IPC improvements over the 3000 series processors.
However, we wouldn't recommend going any further than the 3000 series. The third generation of Ryzen processors brought Zen 2, greatly improving the performance and stability of the AMD platform. If price is an issue, you can save with a 3600X, or you can buy a higher end processor from the previous generation. The Ryzen 7 3700X - our previous pick for the next section - is in stock at most retailers for around $ 300.
Not that you need to shop too much. At $ 300, the Ryzen 5 5600X is absolute powerhouse, able to handle gaming and productivity workloads without breaking a sweat. Note however that the 5600X is out of stock at the end of 2020, like all 5000 series processors. If you need a processor now, we recommend Ryzen 5 3600X or Ryzen 7 3700X for this price bracket.
The best Ryzen processor: Ryzen 7 5800X
The Ryzen 5 5600X is great for gaming with some productivity on the side. If productivity is closer to your main course, you'll need a Ryzen 7 5800X. The Series 7 part comes with eight cores and 16 threads while offering the same IPC and memory enhancements as the more affordable processor. It also requires a lot more power - 105 watts to 65 watts - and boosts higher, with a base clock of 3.8 GHz and a maximum boost clock of 4.7 GHz.
It's easy to see why the 5800X also requires so much power. In gaming, the 5800X easily beats Intel's best while matching the more expensive Ryzen 9 series parts. If you're using a latest-gen GPU like the 5700XT or RTX 2080 - a likely case, given the issues Nvidia's 30-series stock lingers - you won't notice much of a difference between a 5800X and, say, a 5900X in games. . CPU related games like Civilization VI show a slight advantage over the 5900X, although most games are GPU-related, and without Nvidia or the latest AMD you won't see a noticeable difference between the two processors.
However, there are many differences when it comes to the other tasks. In some multi-threaded workloads, the latest generation Ryzen 9 3900X can outperform the 5800X (and you can find the 3900X for around the same price). However, the 5800X, along with all of the 5000 series chips, wipes the ground with Ryzen 3000 when it comes to single-core performance.
If you need a processor now, the Ryzen 9 3900X is a great choice with its recent price drop to $ 400. If you don't mind waiting a bit, however, the 5800X shows significant improvements in single-core performance while matching or slightly lagging the 3900X in non-gaming workloads.
The best passionate Ryzen processor: Ryzen 9 5900X
AMD hasn't pulled too many hits with its 5000 series processors, and the Ryzen 9 5900X shows it. It matches the latest generation 3900X in terms of number of cores and threads, clocked at 12 cores and 24 threads, but with a slightly slower clock speed. The 5900X starts at 3.7 GHz and can boost up to 4.8 GHz. While both processors look identical on paper, the 5900X has AMD's aforementioned Zen 3 enhancements.
In gaming, the 5900X beats Intel's i9-10900K - arguably the best gaming processor on the market - in most titles, and often outperforms the 3900X by just a hair's breadth. With a bit of overclocking, Intel's current i9 offering still wins out. However, gaming credentials don't say much about the 5900X. At most, they tell us that AMD is finally catching up with Intel. If all you care about gaming, the 5900X is overkill, and the benchmarks show it. Where there is a difference between the last gen 3900X and the 5900X's 10900K, it's minor.
Other workloads show a lot more power from the 5900X. In everything from 3D rendering in Blender to Cinebench to decompressing files, the 5900X maintains a significant lead over the 3900X, and the 3900X has already beaten Intel's top consumer offerings. In single-core workloads, the gap is even greater. AMD's IPC improvements show up in single-core benchmarks, with the 5900X knocking out Intel's best processors in nearly every test.
AMD has increased the price of its main Ryzen 9 processor this time around from $ 499 to $ 549. Even at this price, the 5900X is a great processor. If you have a little more cash to spend, consider the 5950X as well, because if you can take advantage of 24 threads, you can probably take advantage of 32.
Stock issues remain a problem, however. The 3900X and 3900XT both cost around $ 400 in late 2020, and while they don't perform as well as the 5900X, they're close (and they'll save you around $ 150). Prices drop for the Ryzen 9 3950X, however, you can often find one under $ 700. More expensive, of course, but the 3950X should equal or surpass the 5900X in most cases.
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Source of content idea from: www.digitaltrends.com