AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT Review

The Ryzen 9 3900XT is one of AMD's enthusiast Desktop processors. It was released in 2020 with 12 cores and 24 threads. With base clock at 3.8GHz, max speed at 4.7GHz, and a 105W power rating. The Ryzen 9 3900XT is based on the Matisse Refresh 7nm family and is part of the Ryzen 9 series.

Ryzen 9 3900XT 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 i9-9900K, a processor with just 8-cores and 16-threads.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT 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 3900XT finally dethrones the Core i9-9900K as the de facto ruler of the mainstream processors. Ultimately, it depends: the Ryzen 9 3900XT 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.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT is available now for $499. This is actually a great price point, as it stands up against the $530 Core i9-9900K while offering an extra four cores. It doesn’t boost as high, and the retail box isn’t as cool, but any creatives that are shopping for a great processor without jumping for a server generation chip should take notice.

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 4.7GHz 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 4.7GHz boost clock performs like an absolute monster. The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT 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 3900XT 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 3900XT can handle them with ease.

However, you should be aware that there are some workloads where the Core i9-9900K 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 3900XT, 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 3900XT 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 3900XTs 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.

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.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, like the rest of AMD's Matisse Refresh 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 3900XT 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 3900XT.

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 3900XT can be achieved with $90 memory, while the Core i9-9900K 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 3900XT 12-core desktop processor that was released in Jul 2020. AMD offers the Ryzen 9 3900XT without integrated graphics. It runs $499 shipped and is ideal for those that plan on using it a system with a dedicated graphics card.

The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT seems to be a decent performing chip that is readily available for $499 at your favorite retailer. The main competition for this processor is the Core i9-9900K 8-Core unlocked desktop processor with Intel UHD Graphics 630 graphics ($530 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 3900XT 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 3900XT clocks up to 4.7Ghz just as it promises on the box, and with AMD’s software you can take one of the cores all the way up to 4.8GHz. 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 3900XT processors, which the company is making available as of Jul 2020.

Right out of the gate, Ryzen 9 should sell for $499, going up against Intel's almost-$530 Core i9-9900K. 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.

Like all other Matisse Refresh 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.