Ryzen 5000 series Zen 3 processors will be released on November 5th!

Ryzen 5000 series processors will arrive on the retail market on November 5, 2020. Ubisoft's Far Cry 6 title with its processors as a promotional offer

Ryzen 5000 series Zen 3 processor configuration

AMD will release four series of processors. The entry-level model is the Ryzen 5 5600X , featuring 6 cores and 12 threads. This CPU has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a boost clock speed of 4.6 GHz. It's the most energy-efficient processor, with a TDP of 65 watts . This processor has 32 MB of L3 cache and will cost $299. Next, we have the Ryzen 7 5800X. It has 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock speed of 3.8 GHz. The boost clock speed reaches 4.7 GHz. The Ryzen 7 5800X processor has a TDP of 105 watts and will cost $449. It also features 32 MB of L3 cache.

As for the Ryzen 9 5900X, it has 12 cores and 24 threads. It features 64 MB of L3 cache and a TDP of 105 watts. The transistors in this processor switch at 3.7 GHz, reaching a boost clock speed of 4.8 GHz. It costs $549. The top-of-the-line desktop model is the Ryzen 9 5950X, which sells for $799 . This processor has 16 cores and 32 threads. It operates at a base clock speed of 3.4 GHz and reaches a boost clock speed of 4.9 GHz . This processor also has 64 MB of L3 cache and a TDP of 105 watts .

These Ryzen processor series are slightly more expensive than Intel's Comet Lake. But according to data provided by AMD, the Ryzen 9 processors significantly outperform Comet Lake across the board. They are more powerful than Intel's Core i9-10900K.

Ryzen 5000 series compatibility

Ryzen 5000 series processors are compatible with 500 series chipset motherboards featuring AGESA BIOS version 1.0.8.0 or later, such as X570, B550, and A520. BIOS updates will be available on November 5th, the launch date of the Ryzen 5000 series.

If you want to take advantage of the new Smart Memory Access of Radeon Rx 6000 Series graphics cards, you need to use Ryzen 5000 Series processors. This memory allows for fast swapping between the CPU and GPU, thus improving your gaming experience.

AMD initially announced that it would not provide compatibility support for its 400 series motherboards with the Zen 3 architecture. However, following concerns from customers who own these boards, AMD has reversed its decision and will now provide all necessary support. Its developers are currently working on the required BIOS updates, which will be released in January 2021. These motherboards will not, however, be compatible with the upcoming Zen 4 architecture.

Some motherboards, however, will not be backward compatible: Once the BIOS is updated, it will no longer be possible to reflash it to a previous version. The motherboard will no longer support older Ryzen processors and PCIe 4.0.

Furthermore, you'll need to budget an additional $40 if you want to purchase a Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 processor. This is because AMD now only offers a cooler for the Ryzen 5 5600X with a 65-watt TDP. The manufacturer believes that enthusiasts who opt for high-end processors generally purchase custom coolers. AMD recommends a 280mm or larger all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler.

Why choose AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors?

According to benchmark data provided by AMD, the Ryzen 9 5900X offers an average FPS improvement of 26% compared to the Ryzen 9 3900XT series. This test was performed on over 40 titles at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The Zen 3 architecture processors exhibit an unprecedented IPC increase compared to Zen 2 processors, at 19%. Furthermore, this new generation of processors is more energy-efficient. The maximum power delivered via the AM4 socket remains at 142 watts .

Furthermore, compared to the Core i9-10900K processor at 1080p resolution, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X processor is generally more powerful, except for certain titles like Total War. We note that AMD performs particularly well with older games such as League of Legends and CS:GO.

AMD processors are therefore more powerful than Intel processors and will dominate the market, at least until the release of Intel's Rocket Lake processors. However, these 14nm processors may not be able to compete with AMD's 7nm processors.