and Ryzen 9 3900X
The real deal.
B
ack when first
generation Ryzen
CPUs launched,
we lauded their
newfound competitiveness,
particularly under highly
threaded workloads. Power
efficiency was also strong,
but it lacked that bit of
single-threaded
performance that kept Intel
in the overall lead. 2nd
generation Ryzen closed
that gap, but only a tiny bit.
Now we have 3rd generation
Ryzen. It’s just as important
for AMD and the market as
the first generation was. If
the first generation was
laying a foundation, then
third generation is more
like the culmination.
Straight up, Ryzen 3 is the
real deal and it brings AMD
to a level of competitiveness
mid to high end models first.
The entry level CPUs for now
are the 3600 and 3600X
hex-core Ryzen 5 models.
We’d expect budget quad
core versions to follow later
in the year. Based on spec
alone, our pick of the bunch
would be the Ryzen 7 3700X.
It’s an 8c/16t part that’s
notable for having a healthy
4.4GHz boot clock at a very
impressive 65W TDP. The
3800X is a higher clocked
eight core model with a
3.9GHz/4.5GHz boost with
a 105W TDP.
Topping the range are the
Ryzen 9 3900X and 3950X.
These models pack 12 and 16
cores into a very respectable
105W TDP. Compare this to
the likes of the 16 core
Threadripper 2950X at
180W, along with Intel’snot seen since the Athlon 64
glory days.
We have to start by
drawing attention to just
how much of an engineering
undertaking Ryzen 3 is. We’d
be covering it if there was an
architectural change, a
process change or a
fundamental shift to a
chiplet design. Ryzen 3rd gen
is all three of those things,
with the added challenge of
not even changing the
socket. There’s also the fact
that PCIe 4.0 makes its PC
debut. AMD really does
deserve credit for
accomplishing all that
at the same time.COMPETITION ACROSS
THE RANGE
The Ryzen 3rd gen line-up
debuts with the launch of the165W Kaby Lake-X models and
it’s clear that AMD’s power
efficiency has taken a massive
step forward. It also means
there isn’t a requirement for
powerful cooling. The 3900X
is on sale now while the 3950X
is expected to come on sale in
September.
All Ryzen CPUs come with a
bundled cooler. Our 3700X and
3900X samples come with the
highest spec Wraith Prism
RGB model. It’s a capable
cooler, though it won’t be able
to compete with the larger
surface area air coolers or
decent AiO’s. It certainly looks
good with an attractive splash
of RGB lighting.A MONUMENTAL
ENGINEERING FEAT
Ryzen 3rd gen CPUs mark the
debut of the Zen 2
architecture. The ‘Matisse’
desktop family we’re covering
here will be joined by the
‘Rome’ server CPU family
(very exciting for AMD) as
well as future Threadripper
and likely APUs in the more
distant future.elab A
$519&$780|WWW.AMD.COM
CPU
Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen 9
“Topping the range are the Ryzen 9 3900X
and 3950X. These models pack 12 and 16
cores into a very respectable 105W TDP. ”