Chipmaker AMD recently launched the Ryzen 9 9950X, the flagship processor in its 9000 Series. Despite having two models under the Ryzen 9 banner, the 9950X represents a significant leap in both specifications and price.
Key features of the 9950X include:
- Cores: 16
- Threads: 32
- Socket Platform: AM5
- Architecture: Zen 5
- Max Boost: 5.7GHz
- Base Clock: 4.3GHz
- L2 Cache: 16x1MB
- L3 Cache: 64MB
- Thermal Design Power (TDP): 170W
- Default Package Power Tracking (PPT): 200W
- Max Electrical Design Current (EDC): 225A
- Max Thermal Design Current (TDC): 160A
- Maximum Junction Temperature (TJMax): 95°C
- Typical Loaded Temperatures: 70-90°C
- Max Memory Speed (Non-OC): DDR5-5600 (2x16GB)
As a processor geared towards gaming and content creation, the 9950X boasts more cores and increased power consumption compared to the 9900X, although it maintains similar clock speeds and energy-efficient design.
Similar to the 9900X, it is recommended to use a 240-280mm all-in-one (AIO) cooler for optimal performance. While still being power limited, a 360mm cooler allows for full performance and overclocking headroom.
In terms of configuration, the 9950X closely resembles the previous AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, known for its high-end gaming capabilities. However, the 9950X outperforms its predecessor in performance benchmarks, offers improved cooling capabilities, and has a higher TJMax, making it a superior choice.
For testing purposes, the 9950X was installed on a Gigabyte Auros Master motherboard, accompanied by a Radeon RX 7600X 8GB GPU and 16GB of RAM. An air cooler was used for testing under power limitations, replicating an economical desktop setup.
AMD also conducted their own testing for gaming performance using the same motherboard, paired with an AMD Radeon 7900 XTX 24GB GPU. The 9950X was compared with the older Ryzen 9 7950X and the Intel Core i7K-14900K.
Benchmarking with the Unigine Superposition software resulted in an average of 87 frames-per-second (FPS) at 1080p resolution and “High” graphic settings, while it reported an average of 49 FPS at an optimized 4K resolution.
The benchmark and gameplay statistics for “Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands” (TTW) yielded an average of 109 FPS at “High” graphic settings, maintaining a 13% usage and hovering around 66 to 68°C. The TTW benchmark performance on the AMD test setup achieved an average of 286 FPS, surpassing the 7950X’s 282 FPS and i9’s 275 FPS.
The CPU usage for “Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III” (DoW 3) varied from 10-15%, with the temperature registering around 69°C. The benchmark averaged 180 FPS, while gameplay reached 215 FPS. In the AMD reference data, the 9950X achieved an average of 256 FPS, outperforming the 7950X’s 204 FPS and i9’s 210 FPS.
The benchmark and gameplay ratings of “Dirt 5” at 1080p and “High” graphic settings closely resembled the performance of the 9900X, averaging 130 FPS, while achieving 75 FPS at 4K resolution. However, the CPU usage of the 9950X was lower at around 8%. Notably, the AMD reference data showed the 9950X yielding 339 FPS, the 7950X at 327 FPS, and i9 at 289 FPS.
The Ryzen 9 9950X offers optimal performance at a competitive price point. While it may not cater to all users, those seeking a modern high-performance processor will find it to be an excellent choice. The 9900X provides slightly lower performance within the Ryzen 9 range at a lower price. The decision between the two processors ultimately hinges on the specific requirements of the system being built.
The suggested retail price of the Ryzen 9 9950X is P42,500.
