AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU Review: Best Mainstream Processor By All Means

Ryzen 5950X Specifications

• Number Of Cores: 16
• Number of Threads: 32
• Base Clock Speed: 3.4GHz
• Boost Clock Speed: 4.9GHz
• Total L2 Cache: 8MB
• Total L3 Cache: 64MB
• PCI Express Version: PCIe 4.0
• CMOS: TSMC 7nm FinFET
• Package: AM4
• TDP: 105W

System Configuration

• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-Cores @4.9GHz
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 / GeForce RTX 2060 Super
• RAM: HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB(8GBx2)
• Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 SSD 250GB
• Motherboard: Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi)
• Power Supply: Corsair VS650
• Thermal Solution: AntecKuhler H2O - K240 RGB

Pricing And Availability

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is the most expensive and the most powerful CPU from the Ryzen 5000 series. The product is priced at Rs. 60,990 (without taxes) and is available via online and offline stores across the country.

Unlike some of the entry-level and mid-tier CPUs from AMD, the Ryzen 9 5950X doesn't come with a thermal solution. For this review, we used the AntecKuhler H20 - K240 RGB water cooler with dual radiators.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X New Features

As mentioned in the specs sheet, the Ryzen 9 5950X uses PCIe 4.0 express lanes that offer faster bandwidth when compared to the PCIe 3.0 used on some of the competitive CPUs. We were able to test the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X on the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi), which we also used to review the last generation Ryzen 5 3500 CPU with just a BIOS update.

The Ryzen 9 5950X is also one of the first processors to support the StoreMI feature, which helps to improve the read and write speed of a PC that uses both HDD and SSD. The software is available free of cost and works with AMD X570, B550, 400 Series, X399, or TRX40 motherboards. We were not able to test this feature, as our test PC was based on an NVMe SSD, and we did not use any hard drives.

AMD Ryzen Master Makes Overclocking Easy

AMD is also providing an in-house overclocking tool for the Ryzen 5000 series of CPUs. Using the Ryzen Master, one can overclock a CPU with just a single click. Besides that, the tool also showcases parameters like real-time temperature, clock speed, current, voltage, active power drawn, and more.

It does offer an option to automatically overclock the CPU (Auto OC), else one can manually enter the parameters like current and voltage to get desirable performance. However, only use the manual overclocking option if you have prior experience with the same, else your PC might just stop working.

In our testing, we ran benchmarks and games with the default setting to obtain realistic numbers. On top of that, make sure to have a capable thermal solution, as an overclocked CPU will generate a lot of heat, and only a capable cooler (probably a liquid cooler) can keep the temperature in check.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Geekbench 5 CPU Performance

Geekbench 5 is one of the most used CPU benchmark tool, which measures both single-core and multi-core performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X posted 1603 on singe core and 13429 on multi-core CUP performance, respectively.

In comparison, the Intel Core i9-10900K scored 1409 points on single-core and 11051 points on multi-core CPU performance. When compared to the Ryzen 9 5950X, the Intel Core i9-10900K has fewer cores. However, when it comes to CPU clock speed, Intel's offering has a peak CPU clock speed of 5.3GHz, which is higher than the 4.9GHz.

Even with the lower clock speed, the Ryzen 9 5950X managed to outperform the Intel Core i9-10900K, which indicates AMD has definitely improved IPC when compared to the competition.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Cinebench R20 Performance

Cinbench R20 is yet another tool that depicts the multi-core performance of a CPU. On Cinebench R20, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has posted 9705 points, making it one of the most powerful mainstream CPUs. On the contrary, the Intel Core i9-10900K has scored 6160 points, indicating that the Ryzen 9 5950X is at least 30 percent faster in multi-core performance.

If you are planning to build a PC mainly for high-resolution (4K and above), then the Ryzen 9 5950X seems like an exceptional choice that also happens to offer great single-core performance, helping with the gaming aspect as well.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Cinebench R15 Performance

Cinebench R15 is a tool that can depict both CPU and GPU performance. On Cinebench R15, the Ryzen 9 5950X scored 4207 points. In comparison, the Intel Core i9-10900K scored 2640 points, again reiterating the fact that the Ryzen 9 5950X is a better CPU amongst the lot.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU-Z Performance

On CPU-Z, the Ryzen 9 5950X posted 665.1 on single-core, and 11561.1 on multi-core performance. The Intel Core i9-10900K logged 627 points on single-core and 7730 on multi-core performance. Yet again, CPU-Z confirms that the Ryzen 9 5950X shines in both single-core and multi-core CPU performance when compared to the Intel Core i9-10900K.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 3DMark and PCMark 10 Performance

On the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, the Ryzen 9 scored 8903 points. Similarly, on PCMark 10, the processor scored 7138 points. While running these benchmarks, we used the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super GPU. When we ran PCMark 10 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, the PC posted 7738 points.

While running PCMark 10 benchmarks, the CPU ran with an average clock speed of 3.4GHz, and the temperature stayed well below 75-degree throughout the testing. Similarly, at the time of running 3DMark, the CPU percentage utilization was within 30 percent.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Superposition Benchmark

When we ran the GPU intensive Superposition Benchmark with the Ryzen 9 5950X, the PC scored 11712 (87.60fps) points on at 1080 high graphics settings with the NVIDIA RTX 2060 GPU. Similarly, the PC scored 23444 (175.35fps) points with the RTX 3080 GPU at 1080 high graphics settings and 14507 (108.51) at 4K resolution.

These numbers indicate that the Ryzen 9 5950X when combined with a capable GPU can easily handle even 4K gaming without any issue. In fact, we also ran Superposition Benchmark at 8K resolution and we got a score of 6313 with an average FPS of 47.22.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Gaming Performance

We ran The Shadow Of The Tomb Rider with the RTX 3080 GPU. At 1080p, when the ray-tracing setting was set to ultra the PC scored an average FPS of 120. When the ray-tracing quality was reduced to high, the PC outputted an average FPS of 123.

When the ray-tracing quality was set to medium, the computer posts an average FPS of 156. Lastly, when the ray-tracing was turned off, the computer posted an average FPS of 167.

When we ran Rocket League at 1080 with max graphics settings, the computer outputted a constant FPS of 250 without any issue, offering a high-refresh-rate gaming performance without any issue.

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X from all aspects is the best performing mainstream CPU in the market. Given the price tag, the Ryzen 9 5950X offers high price-to-performance ratio and outperforms the Intel Core i9-10900K in every benchmark that we ran.

For an average gamer, the Ryzen 9 5950X might be overkill. However, for an enthusiast, the Ryzen 9 5950X offers great single-core and multi-core performance, making this a tailor-made CPU for content creators, gamers, and streamers.

It was also interesting to see that we were able to use the Ryzen 9 5950X with the last generation motherboard with just a BIOS update. If you are in the market, looking for a flagship CPU that can offer the best performance at least for three years, then get the Ryzen 9 5950X.