As a major force in the annual desktop processor lineup, the brand-new AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors have upgraded to the Zen5 architecture, once again setting a new standard for AMD's flagship processors in terms of performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X that we have obtained this time is expected to ascend to the throne of desktop processors, becoming the benchmark for the new generation of flagship processors.

Compared to the previous two generations of the Zen4 architecture, the AMD Ryzen 9000 series this time adopts a completely new Zen5 architecture, with significant changes in the internal structure of the processor, leading to a substantial generational performance improvement. The average IPC (Instructions Per Clock) has increased by 16%. Such a performance boost, in the context of other manufacturers' frantic incremental improvements, especially with the neighboring generation's performance increase within 5%, makes the lead of the Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors very apparent, offering a better commitment to a broad user base.

Preliminary Note: Partial Architectural Analysis

The key upgrades of Zen5 this time are focused on optimizing the computational units, increasing cache bandwidth, and enhancing the throughput of instruction sets and AI performance.

Let's take a look at the changes in the architecture. From top to bottom, it can be seen that Zen 5 has upgraded the prefetch and decode of dual-channel pipelines, which can effectively reduce latency, improve accuracy, and throughput, significantly enhancing the efficiency of data flow and data processing, without any compromise in accuracy.

The integer execution units in the middle have widened the instruction dispatch and execution channels. Zen 5 has increased from the previous Zen architecture's integer execution unit of 4 ALUs (Arithmetic Logic Units) and 3 AGUs (Address Generation Units) to 6 ALUs and 4 AGUs, providing a larger execution window. This allows for more outstanding performance during heavy loads and complex computational tasks.

The floating-point execution units on the left have also received significant updates, while still supporting the AVX-512 instruction set. Utilizing a 256-bit SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data), it executes AVX-512 instructions in two clock cycles. This results in a noticeable improvement in floating-point computational performance. Particularly when executing AI models, it can also bring more significant reaction speed and efficiency, which is a significant lead over the heterogeneous architecture processors of the competition.In the final caching section, the Zen 5 architecture has also seen significant improvements, with the L1 cache increasing from 32KB to 48KB, and the width expanding from the original 8-way to 12-way, executing 4 reads and 2 writes per cycle. This allows the maximum bandwidth of the L1 cache and floating-point units to double compared to the previous generation, improving the efficiency of data prefetching.

This combination of enhancements has led to an average IPC performance increase of 16% for the AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors under the Zen 5 architecture. In the current state of chip industry development, where improvements have reached a certain plateau, such a double-digit performance boost is still quite remarkable, demonstrating AMD's full commitment to its users.

For this initial review, we have obtained the flagship AMD Ryzen 9950X processor. This processor features a full core architecture with 16 cores and 32 threads, with a maximum Boost frequency of up to 5.7GHz. It comes with a substantial 80MB of cache and a 170W TDP.

Due to the staggered release timing, the actual performance of the recently launched AMD Ryzen 9700X and 9600X has already achieved a performance lead over their counterparts, and in many aspects, they have directly competed with the i9 series. Their energy efficiency performance is truly astonishing.

As the flagship model, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X now comes as a single processor unit and no longer includes the RGB Prism cooler. Is it because they have given away too many in the past and assume that users no longer need this cooler? However, from a personal perspective, the craftsmanship and quality of that cooler have maintained the standards of a major manufacturer, and its appearance is also quite appealing, loved by many users. A strong recommendation is to continue including it!

The new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has no visual differences from the previous 7000 series processors. It still maintains the 40*40 specifications, with a top cover designed to resemble an "octopus," and the "Made in China" information is very prominent.In terms of pin configuration, it features a contact-based design with the LGA1718 package, continuing from the previous generation. Theoretically, the 600 series motherboards are fully compatible, and this generation of processors also only supports DDR5 and incorporates PCIe 5.0 technology.

AMD has committed to supporting the AM5 socket on motherboards through at least 2027, ensuring five years of continuous maintenance and updates. This means that users can achieve compatibility with new processors by simply updating the motherboard BIOS, allowing us to obtain the greatest performance support at the lowest cost. The brand-new AM5 socket already supports DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 technology, which can fully meet the hardware requirements of the present and the next 3-5 years before DDR6 memory comes out. This is another significant reason why users exclaim "AMD YES."

Test Platform Introduction:

For this test, we have chosen the MSI MPG X670E CARBON WIFI motherboard as the test platform. This motherboard currently fully supports the AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors and continues the cool appearance of the CARBON series, with a strong esports vibe.

At first glance, the entire motherboard is essentially covered with metal armor, with very solid workmanship and materials. The iconic MSI dragon logo is present, and when the motherboard is powered on, it also features RGB lighting effects.

The MSI MPG X670E CARBON WIFI motherboard fully supports PCIe 5.0 technology, with the first PCIe slot being PCIe 5.0 x16 and reinforced to ensure stability and efficiency. Regarding the M.2 interfaces, the top two M.2 slots support PCIe 5.0 x4 and use a double-sided reinforced thermal design. Combined with the patented tool-free removable thermal cover, it balances the convenience of installation with excellent performance.Additionally, there are two single-sided cooling PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, totaling four M.2 SSD installation slots, which can meet the daily usage needs of the vast majority of users.

In terms of power supply, the MSI MPG X670E CARBON WIFI utilizes an 18+1+1 phase power design, coupled with two sets of enlarged MOSFETs with direct touch heat pipes for full coverage, ensuring the stability of power supply and thermal performance. This provides more stable and robust current support for subsequent processor overclocking, memory overclocking, and other tasks.

The motherboard's southbridge section has eliminated the design of the PCH fan, adopting an enlarged heatsink instead. This ensures cooling while also avoiding the hassle of dust accumulation and fan noise in the future, achieving maintenance-free and high-performance operation.

Debug Indicator LightsCertainly, as an esports motherboard, it also supports RGB personalized lighting effects and RGB lighting linkage, controlling the entire machine's RGB lighting effects through MYSTIC LIGHT, creating a comprehensive esports lighting atmosphere for players.

To ensure a more immersive audio experience, the MSI MPG X670E CARBON WIFI uses AUDIO BOOST 5, a high-definition ALC4080 audio processor, coupled with high-quality audio capacitors and headphone amplifier chips, bringing a more immersive and high-quality audio experience, allowing us to enjoy better sound quality.

In terms of I/O interfaces, this motherboard is also well-equipped, providing a USB 3.2 Gen2*2 Type-C interface, also known as USB4, as well as a full-featured Type-C interface that supports PD video output, and supports WIFI 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, meeting the expansion needs of the vast majority of users.

Finally, the reinforced CPU metal base on the back can provide strong support for the CPU cooler and also better protect the safety of the CPU.

In terms of memory, we used the Kingston FURY Beast DDR5 high-frequency RGB memory kit, which has a high-frequency performance of 6800MT/s, and a large capacity of 16GB*2 32G, providing stable performance support for both gaming and content creation. It supports EXPO and XMP technologies, allowing for one-click overclocking to enhance performance. The almost uninterrupted RGB light bar is very beautiful when lit, and it also supports the lighting effects linkage of mainstream motherboards. For players who like lighting effects and pursue performance, this memory stick can be chosen.

For the hard drive, we used the Kingston KC3000 flagship solid-state drive for testing in this test, which uses a PCIe 4.0*4 channel, standard 2280 specifications, with a high-speed performance of up to 7000MB/s, and a large cache capacity of 2G, providing faster game loading and stable performance. The semi-high graphene aluminum cooler can bring better heat dissipation performance, providing long-term, stable high-performance performance.We used the Colorful iGame RTX 4080 Advanced OC flagship non-reference graphics card, which is undoubtedly a top-tier performance in terms of frequency among non-reference graphics cards currently available. The iconic red ring, excellent craftsmanship, and stable, solid thermal performance are all at the flagship level.

Let's proceed to the actual performance testing.

Benchmark Performance Testing:

3DMARK CPU Profile Test Item:

In the benchmark performance testing, we can see that in the 3DMARK CPU Profile test item, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X achieved a single-thread score of 1281, leading the previous generation 7950X and slightly ahead of Intel's 14th generation Core i9-14900K.

Surprisingly, despite having fewer cores, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X still managed to outperform in multi-threaded performance, leading the Intel Core i9-14900K with 24 and 32 threads.

CINEBENCH 2024 Test:In the new version of the CINEBENCH 2024 benchmark test, we conducted a 10-minute loop test, and the single-core score of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X reached 136, with a multi-core score of 2085. The single-core score is approximately 5.4% higher than the previous generation's 7950X, and the multi-core score is 9.5% higher. In terms of competition, the single-core score is on par with the 14900K, and surprisingly, the multi-core score leads by 3.6%.

CINEBENCH R23 Benchmark:

In the CINEBENCH R23 single-core test, we can see that the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X achieved a single-core score of 2191, surpassing the previous generation's 7950X score of 2022 by 8.35%, but slightly trailing behind Intel's 14th generation Core i9-14900K with a score of 2245.

Regarding multi-threaded performance, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X leads the previous generation 7950X by about 6.27%, with a score that is marginally behind Intel's Core i9-14900K, within a 1% difference, which is essentially a tie.

GeekBench 6 Benchmark:

GeekBench 6 is one of the cross-platform benchmarking software for testing processors. In this test, we can see that in terms of single-core performance, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X's single-core score is 3364, which is about 10.5% ahead of Intel's Core i9-14900K. The multi-core score is 21196, slightly leading Intel's Core i9-14900K, showing a very good performance.

7-ZIP Decompression Performance Test:

 Decompression is also a tool we often use in our daily lives, and it is a significant test of a processor's multi-threading performance. After testing with 7-ZIP, we can see that the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X outperforms the previous generation 7950X by about 45% and leads the Intel Core i9-14900K by about 8%.

Productivity Testing:

In the CPU rendering of V-Ray, we can see that the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has scored 47,724, with a leading margin of 75%, which is a very significant advantage.

In the Benchmark test of Blender 4.2, we can also observe that the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has achieved a comprehensive lead in all categories, with a leading margin of about 10%. The performance in productivity is very impressive. For many students who require post-processing rendering and modeling, the new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X offers higher efficiency, significantly reducing unnecessary waiting time and enhancing the workflow execution rate.

Actual Gaming Performance Testing:

In terms of actual gaming performance testing, we used the RTX 4080 graphics card this time. In the online game DOTA2, the gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X leads the Intel Core i9-14900K by about 8.2%, while Cyberpunk 2077 leads by 6.6%. In Forza Horizon 5, it is slightly behind by 3 frames. Essentially, the performance of the two processors in gaming is quite similar, maintaining the same level.

Power Consumption Performance:In terms of power consumption, under the stress test conditions, the data we read from the power meter shows that the entire platform's power consumption is around 320W, and the software power consumption of the processor reads about 200W. The energy efficiency is excellent, and the actual power consumption is well controlled. The 360 water cooling can also firmly suppress this processor, further highlighting the more outstanding energy efficiency performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X.

In conclusion:

As the flagship of the Zen5 architecture processors, the comprehensive performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has significantly improved compared to the previous generation, with a satisfactory performance improvement. Compared with the Intel Core i9-14900K at the same level, it can maintain a stable lead in performance, especially in multi-core and productivity aspects, which is very good. Combined with better heat control, it can be said to be far ahead in terms of energy efficiency, basically achieving the full power performance of the neighboring family with only 70% of the power consumption.

In addition, regarding the price, this time the AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors have achieved "more quantity and lower price" compared to the previous generation, and the launch price is also 100 US dollars lower than the Intel 14th generation Core i9-14900k. Combined with its actual performance, the cost performance is in an invincible state, this time it is really too fragrant, AMD is really YES.

If you are planning to purchase an all-round flagship processor, the new AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is a more stable and wise choice at this stage.