AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Review

Enthusiast Desktop processor released in 2019 with 12 cores and 24 threads. With base clock at 3.8GHz, max speed at 4.6GHz, and a 105W power rating. Ryzen 9 3900X is based on the Matisse 7nm family and part of the Ryzen 9 series.
Price 70%
Speed 73%
Productivity 61%
Gaming 91%
Category Desktop
Target enthusiast
Socket Compatibility AM4
Integrated Graphics None
Cooler Included Yes
Overclock Potential 1 %
Year 2019 Model
Price 420 USD
Number of Cores 12 Cores
Number of Threads 24 Threads
Core Frequency 3.8 GHz
Boost Frequency 4.6 GHz
Max Stable Overclock 4.6 GHz
Power Consumption 105 W
Manufacturing Process 7 nm
L3 Cache 64 MB
Maximum Supported Memory 128 GB
Price-Value Score 70 %
Speed Score 73 %
Productivity Score 61 %
Gaming Score 91 %
Max 1080p Bottleneck 16.8 %
Max 1440p Bottleneck 8.4 %
Max 4K Bottleneck 4.2 %
Overall Score 54/100

The Ryzen 9 3900X is one of AMD's enthusiast Desktop processors. It was released in 2019 with 12 cores and 24 threads. With base clock at 3.8GHz, max speed at 4.6GHz, and a 105W power rating. The Ryzen 9 3900X is based on the Matisse 7nm family and is part of the Ryzen 9 series.

Ryzen 9 3900X is also the successor of AMD's last gen Ryzen 7 2700X processor that was based on the Zen+ and 12nm process and was released in 2018.

This processor packs 12-cores and 24-threads in a mainstream package for the first time, and does it at a similar price point as the Core i9-9900, a processor with just 8-cores and 16-threads.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X marks yet another blast from Team AMD, ramping up the intensity of the AMD vs Intel processor war. Still, though, there’s more than just core counts when it comes to a mainstream processor, as single-core performance needs to be on point, especially if you’re hoping to play the best PC games.

Now, we're asking ourselves whether or not the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X finally dethrones the Core i9-9900 as the de facto ruler of the mainstream processors. Ultimately, it depends: the Ryzen 9 3900X doesn't reach the same single-core performance as Intel, but we're starting to see more games adopt multi-threaded CPUs, so that doesn't matter as much.

AMD Ryzen 9 3rd Generation, and the Zen 2 architecture itself, is notable because it leads 7nm processors to the mainstream for the first time. But, there’s a lot more going on under the hood than just a smaller manufacturing node.

Increased IPC improvements, along with the massive turbo boost of 4.6GHz mean that even in single core performance – long a weak link of AMD’s processors – comes within reaching distance of rival chips.

One thing that the switch to 7nm silicon has allowed for however, is an increase in cache size. AMD is now describing its L3 and L2 cache in a combined spec of 12 x 512 kB and 64. But, because the 7nm CPU cores are contained within their own chiplets, AMD was able to pack much more in – with a whopping 12 x 512 kB and 64. This is a really big deal, as it allows for much faster performance, especially when you’re shooting for high framerates in 1080p games, and will be especially effective in old esports titles like Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

It shouldn’t be too terribly surprising that a 12-core, 24-thread processor with a 4.6GHz boost clock performs like an absolute monster. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is straight up the fastest piece of silicon you can buy without wading into the HEDT scene – at least until moving to the Ryzen 9 3950X.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is an absolute behemoth of a processor, as it absolutely should be with its 12 cores, 24 threads and high price tag. If you’re looking for the absolute best processor money can buy on a mainstream processor, then look no further. Whether you’re playing PC games or even doing hardcore video and 3D work, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X can handle them with ease.

However, you should be aware that there are some workloads where the Core i9-9900 will still perform a little better. Old games that are completely single threaded, like World of Warcraft, will still run better on an Intel processor – but that gap is definitely starting to narrow.

Over the last couple years, AMD has been reaching for dominance in the desktop CPU world, and with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, it's finally there.

AMD's Zen 2 series has landed, upping the ante with Intel in its high-stakes game for desktop PC market dominance with a well-rounded lineup of new chips that push mainstream platforms to higher core counts and more raw compute than we've ever seen. As a result, Intel's commanding presence in the enthusiast space is threatened in a way we haven't seen in over a decade.

The Ryzen 9 3900X slots in beneath the Ryzen 9 3950X, which comes with 7nm compute die to yield a 16-core 32-thread part. AMD has worked wonders to reduce the impact of this sort of multi-chip arrangement, but it's fair to assume that the Ryzen 9 3900Xs single-compute-die design, paired with a higher TDP rating that facilitates more aggressive boost clocks, could actually rival the Ryzen 9 3950X in some applications – games included.

The Ryzen 9 3900X takes the basic ingredients of the Zen 2 microarchitecture, which brings an average of 15% more instructions per cycle (IPC) throughput, and 7nm process and melds them into a high-performance chip that is impressive across our test suite, especially when we factor in the competitive pricing, backward compatibility with most AM4 socket motherboards, unlocked overclocking features, and bundled cooler.

As we've seen, gaming remains an advantage for Intel, so if squeezing out every last frame is all you care about, Intel's processors are a good choice. Much of that performance advantage will be less noticeable when gaming at higher resolutions, or if you pair the processors with a lesser graphics card.

Out of the box, the Ryzen 9 3900X is a better all-arounder than the Core i9-9900 and offers incrementally higher performance than its downstream counterpart. The bundled cooler reduces platform costs, and a wide array of motherboards offers plenty of choices for builders.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X, like the rest of AMD's Matisse processors, is built on a 7nm manufacturing node – the smallest in a commercially available CPU. What this means for most people is lower power consumption and much improved performance at the same time.

This decision to 7nm has brought a beefy 15% boost to IPC (instructions per clock) performance. Effectively, compared to a Ryzen 9 2-Generation processor at the same clock speed, you will get a straight 15% increase in performance. That’s not big enough to be evident in day-to-day workloads, but it does still mean something.

What this all means is that the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is an absolute beast when it comes to multi-threaded workloads, especially at this price point. If you're counting on doing some video editing or compiling one hell of an Excel spreadsheet, you're going to see firsthand a performance boost with the Ryzen 9 3900X.

Bear in mind, however, that if you already have something like the Ryzen 7 2700X, this generation doesn't offer the biggest boost in performance. You might want to wait another year or so before dropping a few hundred bucks, or even opt to splurge on a higher-end but pricier chip.

If you're mostly playing games on your PC, you will be happy buying either processor. Both proved to be solid options and are evenly matched with a slight advantage to the Intel chip if you don't tune up the Core i9 processor. The base performance we showed for the Ryzen 9 3900X can be achieved with $90 memory, while the Core i9-9900 will require $110 - $120 memory in order to enable the frame rates shown here. It’s not a big cost difference and right now with anything less than an RTX 2070 or Vega 64 you’ll more than likely become GPU limited.

Today we’ll be taking a closer look at the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core desktop processor that was released in Jul 2019. AMD offers the Ryzen 9 3900X without integrated graphics. It runs $420 shipped and is ideal for those that plan on using it a system with a dedicated graphics card.

One of the nice things about the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X processors is that the retail boxed models come with a CPU cooler. So, you can pick something like the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X up for $420 and don’t need to spend any extra money on CPU cooling.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X retail boxed processor comes with the traditional ‘pancake’ CPU cooler. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done on this processor which is rated at 105W TDP. You do not need to have an aftermarket cooling solution unless you want to.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X seems to be a decent performing chip that is readily available for $420 at your favorite retailer. The main competition for this processor is the Core i9-9900 8-Core unlocked desktop processor with Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics ($505 shipped).

With Ryzen 9, AMD continues to innovate on its new architecture and 7nm process. Like Ryzen 9, AMD has engineered Ryzen 9 to operate on a AM4 chipset with all the modern amenities of computing. This includes support for DDR4 RAM, the fastest NVMe SSDs and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Now the biggest question is can AMD’s Ryzen 9 processor play games? The answer is simply yes as it got a respectable gaming score of 91% in our benchmarks.

Regardless of those external factors, the Ryzen 9 3900X proves it has the chops to be your main gaming system and a just as effective media creation platform – two things that are becoming intrinsically connected in this age of live-streaming, eSports and uploading gameplay videos.

The Ryzen 9 3900X clocks up to 4.6Ghz just as it promises on the box, and with AMD’s software you can take one of the cores all the way up to 4.7GHz. However, don’t expect to get much beyond that without seriously upgrading your cooling solution and manually tweaking voltages behind the operating system level.

That said, to squeeze out all the potential of this surprisingly potent enthusiast chip, you’ll want (and need) to splurge on an enthusiast-grade X370, X470, X570 motherboard.

Fresh from a successful roll-out of mainstream Ryzen 9 CPUs, AMD's attack on Intel now extends down into the enthusiast with its Ryzen 9 3900X processors, which the company is making available as of Jul 2019.

Right out of the gate, Ryzen 9 should sell for $420, going up against Intel's almost-$505 Core i9-9900. In threaded workloads, the 12-core Ryzen 9 should enjoy an advantage against Intel's 8-core models. Of course, AMD doesn't give you integrated graphics like Intel does, but for enthusiasts building cheap gaming PCs, it isn't much of a draw anyway.

Although the 105W-rated cooler doesn't feature a copper base or the LEDs found on AMD's higher-end thermal solutions, it does handle Ryzen 9's heat output deftly enough to facilitate XFR-triggered frequencies. This gives you an extra 200 MHz. We were even able to overclock the Ryzen 9 3900X to 4.8 GHz within a reasonable temperature range. The fan also blows down onto the motherboard, which provide additional cooling around the socket. If you need more bling, AMD recently announced that it now offers the LED-equipped cooler separately.

Like all other Matisse chips, the Ryzen 9-series CPUs drop into any Socket AM4 motherboard. But most will find a home on boards equipped with the A320 chipset, which has provisions for overclocking and offers plenty of connectivity options. Unlike Intel, AMD plans to utilize its current socket until 2023, so upgrading to future models shouldn't require a new motherboard.

Which GPU to Pick for AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

Below is a comparison of all graphics cards average FPS performance (using an average of 80+ games at ultra quality settings), combined with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X.

Graphics Card Price Cost Per Frame Avg 1080p Avg 1440p Avg 4K
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB $ 1,599 $ 4.9 329.2 FPS
277.3 FPS
183.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 2.6 307.2 FPS
258.8 FPS
171.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB $ 999 $ 3.4 297.1 FPS
245.7 FPS
148.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB $ 1,199 $ 4.2 285.3 FPS
240.2 FPS
159.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB $ 799 $ 2.9 274.1 FPS
230.7 FPS
152.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB $ 899 $ 3.3 270.1 FPS
223.4 FPS
134.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24GB $ 1,499 $ 5.8 256.4 FPS
208.3 FPS
130 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT 16GB $ 1,099 $ 4.5 245.4 FPS
203 FPS
122.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti 24GB $ 1,999 $ 8.3 241.4 FPS
203.3 FPS
134.8 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB $ 999 $ 4.2 240.4 FPS
196.4 FPS
120.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16GB $ 649 $ 2.9 226.3 FPS
184.9 FPS
113.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 20GB $ 799 $ 3.6 223.5 FPS
185.2 FPS
119.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 10GB $ 699 $ 3.1 223.4 FPS
181.6 FPS
113.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 12GB $ 599 $ 2.8 215.8 FPS
177.2 FPS
116 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 10GB $ 599 $ 3.1 191.7 FPS
157 FPS
99.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6800 16GB $ 579 $ 3.2 179.2 FPS
146.5 FPS
89.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB $ 499 $ 2.9 170.9 FPS
138.9 FPS
86.6 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN RTX 24GB $ 2,499 $ 15.9 157 FPS
131.7 FPS
82.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB $ 1,299 $ 8.5 152.8 FPS
128.2 FPS
80.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB $ 479 $ 3.2 150.9 FPS
124.2 FPS
75.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB 8GB $ 399 $ 2.7 148.4 FPS
123.5 FPS
79.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB $ 399 $ 2.8 140.1 FPS
116.8 FPS
74.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB $ 699 $ 5 138.7 FPS
115.2 FPS
72 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3 133.8 FPS
110.6 FPS
68.2 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN V 12GB $ 2,999 $ 22.6 132.9 FPS
111.5 FPS
71.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 8GB $ 299 $ 2.3 132.8 FPS
111.1 FPS
71.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 7600 8GB $ 269 $ 2 132.8 FPS
109.9 FPS
67.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB $ 699 $ 5.3 131.1 FPS
107.8 FPS
66.7 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT 8GB $ 379 $ 3 125.5 FPS
103.3 FPS
63.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB $ 759 $ 6.2 122.9 FPS
102.8 FPS
64.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB $ 499 $ 4.1 122.1 FPS
99.2 FPS
61.8 FPS
NVIDIA TITAN Xp 12GB $ 1,199 $ 10 120.5 FPS
99.2 FPS
63.3 FPS
AMD Radeon VII 16GB $ 699 $ 5.8 120.5 FPS
98.5 FPS
60.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 8GB $ 399 $ 3.4 117.3 FPS
95.9 FPS
58.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB $ 499 $ 4.3 115.7 FPS
92.7 FPS
58.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 8GB $ 200 $ 1.7 115.7 FPS
95.9 FPS
61.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB $ 329 $ 2.9 114.9 FPS
93.6 FPS
59 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8GB $ 400 $ 3.7 109.5 FPS
86.3 FPS
53.5 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5700 8GB $ 349 $ 3.2 107.5 FPS
87.9 FPS
53.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB $ 499 $ 4.8 104.4 FPS
84.1 FPS
51.6 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB $ 350 $ 3.4 103.1 FPS
79.4 FPS
48.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB $ 279 $ 2.8 101.4 FPS
82.2 FPS
50.2 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 295X2 4GB $ 1,499 $ 15.3 97.8 FPS
77.7 FPS
50.8 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB $ 499 $ 5.1 97.5 FPS
79.8 FPS
48.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB $ 409 $ 4.2 96.7 FPS
77.9 FPS
47.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 6GB $ 249 $ 2.6 94.6 FPS
75.6 FPS
47.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X 12GB $ 999 $ 10.6 94 FPS
74.8 FPS
45.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB $ 279 $ 3 92 FPS
74.1 FPS
45.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8GB $ 399 $ 4.4 91.4 FPS
74.6 FPS
45.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB $ 399 $ 4.5 89 FPS
71 FPS
43.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6GB $ 229 $ 2.6 86.7 FPS
69.9 FPS
42.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB $ 649 $ 7.9 81.8 FPS
65.5 FPS
40.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 6GB $ 220 $ 2.7 81.6 FPS
65.7 FPS
40.2 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 590 8GB $ 279 $ 3.6 77.5 FPS
60.6 FPS
36.3 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY X 4GB $ 649 $ 8.7 74.3 FPS
62.3 FPS
39.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4GB $ 160 $ 2.3 71.1 FPS
57.1 FPS
34.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB 8GB $ 199 $ 2.8 70.4 FPS
55.1 FPS
32.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB $ 549 $ 7.8 70.2 FPS
55.6 FPS
34.3 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB $ 229 $ 3.3 68.7 FPS
53.6 FPS
31.9 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 Nano 4GB $ 649 $ 9.6 67.6 FPS
55.7 FPS
34.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN BLACK 6GB $ 999 $ 15.3 65.5 FPS
51.5 FPS
33.1 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 FURY 4GB $ 549 $ 8.6 63.9 FPS
52.4 FPS
32.4 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB $ 254 $ 4 63.7 FPS
50.2 FPS
30.8 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB 4GB $ 169 $ 2.7 63.1 FPS
49.5 FPS
29.5 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390X 8GB $ 429 $ 7 61.5 FPS
50.3 FPS
31.2 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 3GB 3GB $ 170 $ 2.8 60.5 FPS
47.7 FPS
29.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB $ 329 $ 5.5 59.4 FPS
46.4 FPS
29.6 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 480 8GB $ 400 $ 6.9 57.8 FPS
46.8 FPS
29.4 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 390 8GB $ 329 $ 5.7 57.4 FPS
45.9 FPS
26.8 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB $ 169 $ 3 56.7 FPS
45.3 FPS
27.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB $ 149 $ 2.7 54.2 FPS
43.3 FPS
26.4 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB $ 179 $ 3.5 50.6 FPS
40.6 FPS
24.8 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380X 4GB $ 229 $ 5.4 42.5 FPS
33.8 FPS
21.1 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 285 2GB $ 249 $ 6.5 38.2 FPS
30.4 FPS
17.9 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 380 2GB $ 199 $ 5.3 37.9 FPS
30.1 FPS
17.9 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB $ 169 $ 4.5 37.3 FPS
29.8 FPS
18.2 FPS
AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB $ 279 $ 7.5 37 FPS
29.7 FPS
17.1 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB $ 199 $ 5.5 36.5 FPS
28.9 FPS
17.5 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 3GB $ 169 $ 5.3 31.8 FPS
25.1 FPS
15.1 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 560 4GB $ 99 $ 3.4 29.4 FPS
23 FPS
13.8 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 2GB $ 159 $ 5.5 28.8 FPS
22.5 FPS
14.1 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB $ 149 $ 5.3 28.3 FPS
21.2 FPS
13.3 FPS
AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB $ 149 $ 5.3 28.1 FPS
20.5 FPS
12.9 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 460 4GB $ 140 $ 5.4 26 FPS
20.4 FPS
12.3 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB $ 149 $ 5.9 25.1 FPS
17.5 FPS
11.1 FPS
AMD Radeon RX 550 2GB $ 79 $ 3.9 20.5 FPS
16.2 FPS
9.7 FPS
NVIDIA GeForce GT 1030 2GB $ 79 $ 4 19.6 FPS
15.4 FPS
8.9 FPS

Related Discussions and Issues

A
akaSovereign July 16, 2020

Ryzen 3900X Voltage Help

Hi all,

I recently installed Ryzen Master and noticed that my voltage seems high. I have seen it go to 1.488 so far and it seems to constantly be above 1.44. This is just by default - no overclocking and just on the "default" Ryzen Master profile. Should I be concerned, and if so, what can I do to try and rectify this?

Thanks in advance!

A
AMD_tech_SuperFan July 17, 2020

my Ryzen 3700 has been on continuously for over 1 year now...i never turn it off...with under 4 Threads active i'm between 1.45 and 1.5 V ..... i also run my fans full out all the time....

F
Fr1tzOS July 17, 2020

I built a new rig at the weekend using a Ryzen 7 3700X. Was just as surprised as you, coming from an Intel CPU, to see it pulling a similar voltage at idle and boosting so aggressively.

I’ve come to learn that’s completely normal for Ryzen chips, and nothing to worry about. They tend to stay boosted most of the time so that they’re quicker and more responsive - this leads to higher idle voltages and often higher temperatures than an Intel chip, but less of an increase when they go under load. For example my chip hovers around 40-50C at idle, but only goes up to between 60-70C while gaming (using the stock cooler).

A
akaSovereign July 16, 2020

Decided to check today without changing anything and it's sitting at 1.1 or lower as per Ryzen Master and HWInfo

K
Kilz-Knight July 16, 2020

Go in the bios put a voltage offset of -0.05v your 1.488v are gonna become 1.438v :P

T
tre2012 July 16, 2020

I have a 3900x as well, and a asus tuf x570 board, mine was reading pretty damn high as well so i set mine manually with an offset.. can't remember off hand what I set it to but it's running good.. what most people don't realize is.. SURE it won't fry your chip or your board, but 1) it's using way more electricity than needs to be and most importantly 2)cuts down the life span of the chip for really no benefit

when you can drop it lower and keep the same performance.. why not do it?

A
Arup65 July 16, 2020

Turn off PBO in your BIOS, on my ASUS B350 board it had to places where it was on auto, I turned it off on both places, one was overclock section, after that my volts stay on average of 1.1v and occasionally go up to 1.35v. With PBO on auto 1.45 was frequent.

E
EspressX July 16, 2020

Depends on the motherboard mfg. I own a 3950x on an Asus x570 tuf WiFi plus and in bios mine does 1.45 also in games it gets usually 1.4v this is to boost single core threaded performance and as long as voltage is on auto it only does it when utilization is low because low current (amperage draw) combined with high voltage is safe (can be seen by sub 75c temps) However high current draw plus high voltage ( for total watts being higher) is what is unsafe for the cpu and causes degradation as /buildzoid has pointed out on a few of his videos

D
djallalbenfadel July 16, 2020

there is few youtoub videos about trinking with voltages on ryzen chips i recommend "gamer nexus"

A
akaSovereign July 16, 2020

Thanks guys, I just did a lot of reading before that typically voltage shouldn't be that high and my FX8350 at 4.4 OC was never that high so I was a bit concerned! Temps seem fine, was just worried it might be harming the chip, but I guess not!

B
BretG57 July 16, 2020
  • it's completely normal

  • ryzen master is shit.

  • use hwinfo!!! I don't know why anyone is recommending any other program. It is the only program worth using.

  • P
    pakeco August 04, 2020

    help with new .ryzen 9 3900x cpu.

    I have a msi x570 unify motherboard, updated to the latest bios revision.

    now i have a ryzen 7 2700 working.

    Tomorrow a ryzen 9 3900x arrives. I have to do something in bios when I put the new cpu ?.

    I have to restart bios ?.

    any advice?.

    Thank you

    M
    mista_r0boto August 04, 2020

    I would reset to defaults in bios before installing the new chip. This will put memory back to 2133/2400 which will help you get a clean post on your first boot with the new cpu.

    Once the 3900x posts, you can put ram back to xmp profile.

    S
    SnavlerAce August 04, 2020

    Make sure to apply the proper amount of thermal goo when you attach the cooling unit to the cpu; and that the unit is snug to the cpu as well.

    P
    pakeco August 04, 2020

    Thank you.

    If I am going to take advantage and put a custom liquid refrigeration.

    I was just waiting for the cpu and it arrives tomorrow.

    S
    Specimen78 August 04, 2020

    It's x570 so it should already have a compatible bios as it was made for 3rd gen chips. Just make sure you power it down completely and detach the power cable just to be sure.

    P
    pakeco August 04, 2020

    thanks for your answer.

    If you already knew that, I mean to reset the bios before installing the 3900x

    B
    Bowser360 August 04, 2020

    [Help CPU] AMD 3900x is barely being used while gaming

    AMD 3900x is barely being used while gaming, which causes the GPU to use more load! For example, if I'm playing Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy @ Ultra settings the CPU core only uses 3%-12% and The GPU load is at 94% Also how do you use more than one core for gaming, editing videos, etc?

    K
    kaisersolo August 05, 2020

    A classic case of buying a crazy potent CPU without knowing it!

    Basically your fine.

    You want 100% on your gpu. You don't want 100% usage of your CPU otherwise you be suffering like a intel 4 core when your trying to play a heavy multi-threaded game or trying to do other thing while gaming., I.e. it will like be a slide show, a stutter mess

    B
    Bowser360 August 06, 2020

    Yeah I only did a little research before buying just to know if I should get AMD over Intel

    J
    JokerMNE87 August 05, 2020

    Is normall. Is better for CPU to lad on lower %. GPU have longer life than CPU if are both on heavly use.

    In my case, depends of the game my CPU was about on 35% and GPU 65% and more

    D
    deusm August 04, 2020

    this is normal and fine, the higher resolution you play on the less you CPU dependent you are and the more GPU dependent.

    Wait 5 years for GPUs to catch up to get even near your CPU.

    J
    just_another_cabelo August 04, 2020

    Hey I’m not a pro but usually my 3700x (which has way less cores) is at like 10%-20% maximum. And gpu (2080S) is a 100% in use. Is this similar to what’s happening?

    Because that’s kinda normal.

    W
    winner1923 August 05, 2020

    Thats normal...my 3700x use 30-40% in heavy games

    P
    PhotojournalistOwn23 August 04, 2020

    4.16% of a 3900x's CPU usage is the equivalent of a single core using 100% CPU. (If when you do the math you count all hyperthreading cores, so that would be 24 cores.)

    If it's using 12% CPU that's about 3 full cores using 100% CPU. Games are usually, at the most, multithreaded to run on 3 cores at max. You're seeing a normal amount of CPU usage for a game.

    L
    Lazy_Revolution August 04, 2020

    TIL. Thank you so much for the easy to understand explanation. Some of us are real noobs here.

    B
    Bowser360 August 04, 2020

    Thanks, I never knew that the CPU work that way.

    G
    gr33nbits August 04, 2020

    What resolution do you play?

    At lower resolutions the GPU renders frames quicker and so the CPU is generally what is the culprit for slowing down the system, as the GPU finishes its work fast.

    At higher resolution it takes longer and it's more work for the GPU to render those same frames ,so the CPUs inadequacy's are less apparent because now it has more time because the GPU is working harder and longer to render a greater amount of pixels or resolution


    Best to keep in mind that its not a "bottleneck" that causes this, but rather, at lower Res your not fully using the abilities of strong GPU's, when switching out to higher Res, you ARE using that GPU's abilities, so I would say at lower Res a CPU isn't a bottleneck, but rather at lower Res, your GPU isn't performing to its abilities, but when res is increased, that is no longer the case.


    It's normal that a beast like the 3900x needs a more "heavy" game to make it "get warmer"

    D
    darmkidz28 August 04, 2020

    They probably had vsync on or else they frame limiter on and you don’t. When you don’t have vsync or a frame limiter on your graphics card will be 100% utilized and it’ll push out as many frames as possible. And due to your cpu not being a bottleneck your gpu will be able to be 100% utilized with a small portion of cpu usage

    B
    Bowser360 August 04, 2020

    Gaming PC Specs:

    AMD Ryzen 3900x 4.10GHz

    Gskill 32GB Of RAM

    Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 TI

    U
    urlond August 04, 2020

    The game you're playing is doing just fine. Most newer end games will end up using more GPU before CPU.

    B
    Bowser360 August 04, 2020

    Yeah it's just that when I saw someone else's video on youtube that has the same settings as I do in-game but their GPU usage percentage is in the 60s and mine are in the 90s

    M
    mista_r0boto August 04, 2020

    You don't need to do anything. If it an app capable of using more cores it will do it automatically.

    R
    rumple9 August 04, 2020

    Games don't need or use lots of cores. Probably wasted your money

    S
    Space_Shifter July 18, 2020

    Need help with last finishing touches for my first PC build! Can't decide on either a RYZEN 3700x or 3900X!

    So after my last post on here and receiving a lot of generous help and direction, I think I finally was able to narrow it down my parts for my first gaming/streaming build in my price range. After going back and forth between AMD and Intel, I chose AMD since I will be doing both gaming and streaming and saw that it was the better choice.

    The only thing I need help is choosing the right motherboard that works with my CPU and a CPU decision between two models!

    Cant decide between the below and any input will be greatly appreciated.

    CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 3700X or AMD RYZEN 9 3900X

    Motherboard: MSI - B450 TOMAHAWK MAX or ASUS - ROG Strix B450-F Gaming

    Need help with a case and monitor options!

    Case I am 99% leaning towards: Fractal Design Define 7

    Price Range for all parts around $2,000


    PC Build:

    https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rjKNMc


    Current combo I keep going back and forth on. *Note, I will be gaming and streaming at the same time. Possibly editing video but more likely doing that on my iMac.

    AMD RYZEN 7 3700X with GeForce RTX 2080 super

    or

    AMD RYZEN 9 3900X with GeForce RTX 2070 Super

    R
    RoseGold_T July 18, 2020

    If you already have an iMac for productivity tasks, then get the Ryzen 7 with the 2080 SUPER. Ryzen 9 for productivity would be a different story if you DIDNT have the iMac.

    S
    Space_Shifter July 18, 2020

    Ok thanks for the input! I am assuming that the Ryzen 7 can easily game and stream at the same time? Also, does it matter if its 2 or 3 fans with either the 2070 super or 2080 super? Not sure what the difference is regarding the fan situation on them.

    E
    etnguyen03 July 18, 2020

    Gaming/streaming - 3700X will be fine. You won't benefit from the extra cores. Are the rest of your parts up for changing as well?

    S
    Space_Shifter July 18, 2020

    Let me know what you recommend to change out. I am assuming if I am going with the 3700x, then I will just get the GeForce 2080 super GPU. Probably something like the below list but with the GeForce 2080. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7gLbJb

    T
    tempest_87 July 18, 2020

    Side note outside of your question:

    Make sure to verify that your RAM is on the QVL for your motherboard. There are many that are incompatible with ryzen and will not clock higher than 2133mhz regardless of what you do.

    S
    Space_Shifter July 18, 2020

    How can I tell if the motherboard and RAM below are compatible.

    MB: GIGABYTE B550 AORUS PRO https://www.newegg.com/gigabyte-b550-aorus-pro-ac/p/N82E16813145216?Item=N82E16813145216&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https%3a%2f%2fpcpartpicker.com%2fproduct%2fFMxbt6%2fgigabyte-b550-aorus-pro-ac-atx-am4-motherboard-b550-aorus-pro-ac&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-KtALzMxbIyFhzlSFcjzpfg

    RAM: G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 32GB https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-32gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232906?Item=N82E16820232906&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https%3a%2f%2fpcpartpicker.com%2fproduct%2fjxH8TW%2fgskill-trident-z-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr4-3600-memory-f4-3600c16d-32gtzrc&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-f83cfEtt8g04hgenp8CvuQ

    S
    shadowlid July 18, 2020

    Go with the 3900X and get the 2070S my reasoning.....

    The 3900X has went down on price a little with the release of the 3900XT. Towards the end of the life cycle of the next gen consoles the (PS5/Xbox series X) games will be using 8C/16T the extra 4C/8T of the 3900X will be needed for back ground tasks etc. Another reason is the next gen Nvidia cards are rumored to be complete beasts like the RTX3060 is rumored to be as fast as the 2080Ti at least why ray tracing is enabled and the 3080ti/3090 what ever it's gonna be called is gonna be up to 50% faster than the 2080ti across the board. So it's gonna be alot easier to pop out your gpu and upgrade in the future if the rumors are true the RTX3060 could be a great upgrade and then you didn't waste as much money. And if the rumors aren't true the 2070s is still a great card. Good luck either way!!

    S
    Space_Shifter July 19, 2020

    This is actually helpful. Thank you! I might just do that then. Is the rest of my build good so far? If I do the 3900x and 2070super, will the motherboard I have be fine? https://pcpartpicker.com/list/CGqnf9

    S
    Space_Shifter July 19, 2020

    Ok so if I go with the 3900x and the 2070super, will the motherboard I currently have in my pcpicker list be fine? Also, would I need to adjust anything else?

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    Critics Reviews

    The Ryzen 9 3900X's base clock is actually 100MHz lower than the Ryzen 7 2700X's, for example. (The 2700X was the highest-end AM4 chip before the current generation rolled out.)
    The Ryzen 9 3900XT is a great chip, but it doesn't make much sense compared to the 3900X, which can be picked up for a lot less and performs almost as well. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X was released ...
    The Ryzen 9 3900XT is a 12-core, 24-thread desktop CPU with a base clock of 3.8GHz and a maximum boost clock of 4.7GHz (up from 4.6GHz in the original Ryzen 9 3900X), 6MB of L2 cache and 64MB of L3.
    El Ryzen 9 3900X con sus 12 cores y 24 threats doblado el número de threads, y cada core es unas 5 veces más rápido. Ahora las máquinas virtuales (una mezcla de Linux, Windows Server 2012 y Windows Server 2019) se levantan en 5 segundos.
    The Ryzen 9 3900XT managed an all-core overclock frequency of 4.3GHz at just 1,325V, which is reasonable but not outside the realms of something I've achieved with my 3900X sample, albeit with ...
    The Ryzen 9 3900XT is the flagship of the new AMD Ryzen XT series. It comes with higher boost clocks and can sustain them better, which helps with single-threaded workloads. In our Ryzen 9 3900XT review, we also saw better overclocking and lower temperatures than on the original Ryzen 9 3900X.
    The Ryzen 9 3900X redefines our expectations for the mainstream desktop with 12 cores and 24 threads for roughly the same price as Intel’s eight-core Core i9-9900K. The extra cores deliver big ...
    The Ryzen 9 3900XT is a 12-core, 24-thread desktop CPU with a base clock of 3.8GHz and a maximum boost clock of 4.7GHz (up from 4.6GHz in the original Ryzen 9 3900X), 6MB of L2 cache and 64MB of L3.
    The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 3.8 GHz 12-Core AM4 Processor is a powerful 12-core processor with 24 threads, designed for socket AM4 motherboards. Built with Zen 2 architecture, the third-generation 7nm Ryzen processor offers increased performance compared to its predecessor. It has a base clock speed of 3.8 GHz and can reach a max boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz.
    The stock Ryzen 9 3900 gives you significantly more performance-per-watt than the eight-core 3700X in these tests, but you gain some thermal headroom compared to the standard Ryzen 9 3900X.