AMD’s AM4 socket has been round 5 years now, and what a run it’s had. Since its launch alongside first-generation Ryzen CPUs, this socket has been a mainstay, with unprecedented help from Crew Pink that permits use of first-gen motherboards with present processors.
AM4 will quickly cede middle stage to AM5 later this yr, however not everybody will want PCIe 5.0 or wish to shell out for costly DDR5 reminiscence. Which means Ryzen 5000 chips—the ultimate batch of AM4 processors—might show to be a way more cost-effective improve for individuals who need higher efficiency.
That makes the current launch of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, AMD’s first CPU to boast its spectacular new 3D V-Cache know-how, a very tantalizing prospect. So when our pattern crossed our desks, we determined to reply the query that many individuals would have. We cracked open our outdated Ryzen 7 1800X construct, pulled the newer 3800X and 5800X off the shelf, and put them face to face with the 5800X3D, all to see simply how a lot this new chip improves upon its predecessors—and to see how far AMD’s venerable AM4 has come since Ryzen’s early days.
How we examined
Adam Patrick Murray / IDG
For our benchmarks, we repurposed and upgraded this Ryzen 7 1800X construct from 2018. Its elements record is as follows:
- CPU Cooler: Cooler Grasp MasterLiquid ML240L RGB
- Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair VI Excessive X370
- RAM: Corsair Dominator DDR4/3600 CL16 (2 x 16GB)
- SSD: Corsair MP600 Professional XT PCIe 4.0 SSD
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Version (driver ver. 512.15)
- PSU: Corsair RM750i 750W 80+ Gold
- Case: Cooler Grasp H500P White Mesh
- OS: Home windows 10 21H2
The Asus X370 motherboard was up to date to BIOS 8503 (Agesa v2 PI 1206), with PCIe Resizable BAR (a.ok.a AMD’s Sensible Entry Reminiscence) turned on. Core Efficiency Increase was on for the Ryzen 7 1800X, and Precision Increase Overdrive (PBO) was left on Auto for the 3800X, 5800X, and 5800X3D. The Cooler Grasp AIO cooler had its followers and pump set to one hundred pc. Reminiscence was clocked right down to DDR4/2933 CL20 for full compatibility throughout all CPU generations. Home windows 10 used the Greatest Efficiency energy mode, with VBS and GPU {hardware} accelerated scheduling turned off. No encryption was enabled.
Our CPU line-up encompassed the Ryzen 7 1800X, 3800X, 5800X, and 5800X3D. Second-generation Ryzen chips weren’t included as a result of an absence of comparable half (AMD by no means produced a Ryzen 7 2800X) and a comparatively delicate distinction between first- and second-gen Ryzen. We used the identical construct for all benchmarks, swapping the CPUs out and in of the motherboard to compile our set of benchmark outcomes.
PCWorld
Efficiency outcomes
As made clear when the Ryzen 7 5800X3D’s evaluations printed in late April, this processor has a transparent, singularly defining objective—gaming. (Less than pace on the small print? Listed here are 5 issues you must find out about 5800X3D.) In comparison with the usual Ryzen 7 5800X and modern Intel rivals just like the Core i7-12700K and Core i9-12900K, it has a tangible affect at 1080p. It additionally affords smoother efficiency at larger resolutions like 1440p and 4K, with larger body charges when wanting on the worst one % of efficiency (aka one-percent lows). Nonetheless, The Ryzen 7 5800X3D can also be weaker in productiveness and content material creation benchmarks because of clock speeds, that are barely decrease than the non-3D model.
That’s when speaking about its modern rivals, although—the usual 5800X and Intel’s Core i7-12700K and Core i9-12900K. For these benchmarks, we’re inspecting the increase to efficiency you get in comparison with a Ryzen 7 1800X or 3800X, as a result of it makes extra sense to think about the 5800X3D as an improve chip, fairly than the go-to for a brand new construct.
And as you’ll see, ditching an older Ryzen CPU may end up in mammoth efficiency positive factors, and never simply in gaming.
Manufacturing
Longer bars point out higher efficiency (apart from Blender, which is the other). You’ll be able to click on and drag every slide together with your mouse (or swipe) to navigate between slides.
We’ll begin with the production-oriented benchmarks, that are the 5800X3D’s weak spot in comparison with modern rivals—together with its sibling, the usual 5800X. Simply as in different 5800X3D evaluations, this chip trailed behind the 5800X and its quicker clock speeds in our rendering, video modifying, and photograph modifying benchmarks.
However the slugfest between immediately’s chips isn’t the story we’re after right here. As a substitute, we’re how a lot efficiency you achieve if you happen to’ve acquired an older Ryzen chip. The reply is fairly a dang lot if you happen to’re a Ryzen 7 1800X proprietor. In take a look at after take a look at, you’re sizable double-digit positive factors—between 29 and 60 % for rendering, 27 % in Premiere Professional, 50 % for Photoshop and Lightroom.
For 3800X house owners, an improve to the 5800X3D affords extra modest positive factors—the largest will increase prime out across the 15 % mark. That’s not unhealthy, however for most individuals who concentrate on this type of use, not sufficient to compel a swap. A special, extra reasonably priced Ryzen 5000 sequence chip can be a greater choice.
Workplace productiveness
Longer bars point out higher efficiency in Procyon 2.0. For the Excel eSports spreadsheet, it’s the other. You’ll be able to click on and drag every slide together with your mouse (or swipe) to navigate between slides.
Most individuals don’t assume a lot about efficiency in apps like Microsoft Phrase, however your processor could make a distinction when creating slideshows, modifying paperwork, or replying to electronic mail. And that’s what the aggregated scores for Procyon Workplace revealed. This benchmark, which measures efficiency in Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, confirmed a whopping 57 % enchancment stepping up from an 1800X to a 5800X3D.
That stated, those that push Excel to the max gained’t see as a lot of a achieve, as proven within the benchmark created for us by Excel eSports competitor Jason Moore. However the 5800X3D was by no means the appropriate chip for that type of core-hungry work—as simply seen above within the manufacturing benchmark outcomes. Additionally just like the manufacturing benchmarks, going from a 3800X to a 5800X3D affords a much more modest enhance in efficiency. Procyon Workplace posts an 15 % uptick in its aggregated rating.
Would you improve a chip solely for Microsoft Workplace? Probably, however the $450 5800X3D wouldn’t be your best option for that. However these outcomes definitely contribute to enhancing the chip’s attraction.
Internet searching
Longer bars point out higher efficiency. You’ll be able to click on and drag every slide together with your mouse (or swipe) to navigate between slides.
Talking of benchmarks that additional the 5800X3D’s attraction—net searching benchmarks aren’t the numbers that flip heads, however this type of laptop use is the sensible stuff nobody talks about however impacts everybody. You’re going to make use of your PC to browse the net for not less than some portion of your day.
Upgrading from an 1800X to a 5800X3D will make your time spent in Chrome, Edge, or Firefox all however sing. The leads to Speedometer, Jetstream, and WebXPRT 4 present efficiency will increase starting from about 50 to 60 %. Switching from a 3800X to a 5800X3D isn’t as dramatic, with positive factors between 13 and 22 %.
Once more, you gained’t be shopping for this chip to surf the net (effectively, maybe you’re, however most of us aren’t rolling in that type of dough). However it’s good to see that regardless of the decrease efficiency in manufacturing duties, the 5800X3D affords tangible advantages in different, extra frequent varieties of PC use.
Gaming
Longer bars point out higher efficiency. Extra outcomes will be discovered beneath. You’ll be able to click on and drag every slide together with your mouse (or swipe) to navigate between slides.
You in all probability already guessed—the 5800X3D slays the 1800X in gaming, too. However the older 3800X sees extra sizable positive factors on this space as effectively.
When wanting on the common of the 17 video games we benchmarked, the 5800X3D affords a staggering 72 % efficiency enhance in comparison with the 1800X at 1080p. For the 3800X, you’ll see a 38 % bump. This end result isn’t a complete shock if you happen to’ve already learn up on the 5800X3D—it clearly has an edge in gaming, even when pitted towards contemporaries. (Be aware the way it outdoes the usual 5800X by 9 % in these 17 video games.)
You don’t lose this uptick instantly as you scale up in decision, too. At 1440p, the 5800X3D nonetheless notably improved on the 1800X. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, it was a 40 % achieve, whereas in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege it was 101 %. For the 3800X, it was 15 % for Shadow of the Tomb Raider and almost 40 % for Rainbow Six Siege.
Longer bars point out higher efficiency. You’ll be able to click on and drag every slide together with your mouse (or swipe) to navigate between slides.
When you develop into GPU sure, the 1800X does start to carry its personal in some video games. Transferring as much as a 5800X3D at 4K decision is a mere two % enchancment in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. (For the 3800X, it’s a scant one %.)
However as you possibly can inform from the dialogue of particular person benchmarks, outcomes can range, and wildly at that. Switching from an 1800X to a 5800X3D in Metro Exodus at 1080p solely nets a comparatively delicate enchancment of 13 %. However in Rainbow Six Siege at 4K? 26 %.
So whereas changing an 1800X with a 5800X3D will supercharge your 1080p gaming on common, players who play just some video games (or the identical sport commonly) ought to take note of particular person benchmark outcomes. That’s particularly so if you happen to play extra typically at larger resolutions.
Energy draw
You’ll be able to click on and drag every slide together with your mouse (or swipe) to navigate between slides.
We’ll take a fast take a look at energy draw earlier than wrapping up these benchmark outcomes. This data is essential if you happen to care about how a lot electrical energy your system consumes and/or warmth generated. The previous issues if you happen to stay someplace with costly charges, and the latter is related if you happen to stay in a heat local weather or have a PC case with restricted cooling.
For this take a look at, we ran Cinebench R23 on its default setting, which is a ten minute loop of the render. Of the chips in our lineup, the 5800X3D and 3800X drew a bit much less energy than the 1800X, which nonetheless got here in underneath the 5800X’s calls for. The 5800X3D did have a number of extra spikes than the 3800X within the single-core benchmark, however not many total.
Remaining ideas
Willis Lai / IDG
As we simply noticed, Ryzen 5000 smokes first-generation Zen. It posts an honest increase over Zen 2 as effectively. However the 5800X3D doesn’t settle the query of whether or not or to not improve on AM4. In reality, it truly complicates issues somewhat extra.
The Ryzen 7 1800X could seem pathetic based mostly on a few of the benchmark outcomes above, nevertheless it nonetheless faithfully serves in a lot of PCs, together with the one nonetheless utilized by PCWorld’s very personal Brad Chacos. Most house owners have solely been interested in an improve—not determined. They’ve questioned about switching to Intel, ready for Ryzen 7000, and if they’ve a suitable motherboard, going with a Ryzen 5000 chip.
The 5800X3D and its $450 price ticket provides yet another fork to the Ryzen 5000 determination tree, fairly than being an answer that overwrites the present 5600X, 5800X, and 5900X. It’s a must to actually take into consideration your funds and the way you employ your PC. Efficiency isn’t the problem. Moderately, if the purpose of dropping in a brand new AM4 CPU into your system is to spice up efficiency whereas saving money, one other Ryzen 5000 chip might supply extra bang to your buck. A 5600X ($200 avenue value) might make extra sense for a 4K gamer, whereas a 5900X ($390 avenue value) affords extra firepower for content material creators.
Gordon Mah Ung / IDG
That stated, selecting the 5800X3D continues to be less expensive than changing your processor, motherboard, and probably additionally reminiscence—as you’d must do with an improve involving an Intel processor or Ryzen 7000. Furthermore, the truth that you even have these granular selections is unbelievable. AM4 has lasted 4 CPU generations with full backward compatibility. In the meantime, the competitors can’t at all times be relied upon to final two generations. To go from a Ryzen 7 1800X and its early democratization of core depend to a Ryzen 7 5800X3D and its face-melting efficiency in video games is an easy CPU alternative. That’s it. You don’t must swap something instantly, both—you’ll in all probability have the ability to snag the 5800X3D for much less as soon as Ryzen 7000 launches later this yr. PC constructing was not like this earlier than.
Talking of Ryzen 7000, AM5 can be round for some time, too. Throughout a CES 2022 interview, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su stated that as with AM4, we should always count on AM5 to be a long-lived platform as effectively. No actual variety of years got, however with the precedent set, right here’s to hoping for a continued legacy of beneficiant help.
Editor’s observe: This text was up to date on 6/10/2022 to incorporate our YouTube retrospective video.
