AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D evaluation: cache cash

The $ 449/£ 429 Ryzen 7 5800X3D is one thing a bit totally different from AMD, a processor that exists to exhibit the ability of the agency’s 3D V-Cache design for its upcoming Ryzen CPUs and combat off Intel’s 12900KS for the title of ‘quickest gaming processor’. It is also one thing of a final hurricane for the surprisingly long-lived AM4 platform, which debuted again in 2017 and outlasted half a dozen Intel generations as Ryzen CPUs improved in leaps and bounds.

So what precisely is a 3D V-Cache anyway? Let’s begin with the fundamentals. You possibly can consider a processor’s cache as a spot to retailer knowledge it is at present engaged on – a bit like RAM, however as a result of it is contained in the CPU it is an order of magnitude sooner to entry and an order of magnitude smaller when it comes to the quantity of information it could retailer. Trendy processors usually use three ranges of cache – L1, L2, L3 – with L1 cache being the quickest to entry however the smallest, L2 being slower however bigger, and L3 being slower and bigger once more. It is this third stage of cache that AMD has modified, transferring from a conventional 2D design to a 3D design, a stack of cache that takes up extra vertical area. This enables for far more knowledge to be saved contained in the CPU directly, thus growing the possibilities that the information wanted is already inside and dashing up any subsequent processing.

AMD is slated to make use of this expertise for its future Zen 4 processors, however within the right here and now it is simply this one particular 5800X3D, an upgraded model of the Ryzen 7 5800X that launched again in 2020. In comparison with the 5800X, the 5800X3D trades a little bit of frequency and a few overclocking controls for a considerably bigger 96MB L3 cache – triple the dimensions of the 5800X’s.

Earlier than we get into the primary take a look at outcomes, let’s briefly cowl the rig we’re utilizing. For the AMD aspect, we’re utilizing an Asus ROG Crosshair 8 Hero, whereas Eleventh-gen Intel will get an Asus ROG Maximus Z590 Hero and Twelfth-gen will get the Asus ROG Z690 Maximus Hero – all high-end boards for his or her respective platforms. DDR4 motherboards used G.Ability 3600MT / s CL16 reminiscence, whereas Twelfth-gen Intel received the advantage of sooner however higher-latency Corsair 5200MT / s CL38 RAM.

The AMD and Eleventh-gen Intel CPUs have been cooled with an Eisbaer Aurora 240mm AiO, whereas the Twelfth-gen testing was carried out with an Asus ROG Ryujin 2 360mm AiO. (And to reply the plain query: 240mm and 360mm AiOs tends to supply equal efficiency based mostly on our testing – particularly for an open air take a look at bench in cool (21C) ambient circumstances. The one distinction tends to be fan velocity, which is larger on the 240mm than the 360mm.) Our rig was accomplished with a 1000W Corsair RM1000x energy provide from Infinite Computing.

So as to scale back run-to-run variance and guarantee we’re CPU-limited as a lot as doable, we’re utilizing the Asus ROG Strix 3090 OC Version. It is a huge three-slot, triple-fan design that retains the cardboard surprisingly cool and quiet.

One of many largest questions over the 5800X3D is precisely the place that upgraded cache will are available helpful – as a result of if a sport or different utility would not match a selected efficiency profile, it could see no efficiency benefit in any respect operating on the 5800X3D – and certainly , it could even run worse as a result of clock velocity that AMD has sacrificed to make the design work.

To seek out out, we have examined the 5800X3D in a variety of content material creation and gaming eventualities – in opposition to the unique 5800X and plenty of different current AMD and Intel processors. We’re hoping to see some massive efficiency will increase, particularly in video video games, however we’ll begin with a few fast content material creation benchmarks: a Cinebench R20 3D render and a Handbrake video transcode.

Neither content material creation result’s notably spectacular for the 5800X3D, which outperforms the 5600X and Intel 12400F however falls behind its erstwhile opponents just like the 12900K, 12700K and 5800X (the latter by between two to 6 p.c). This is not a large shock – neither process would logically profit from having a bigger cache, so that you solely see the impact of the brand new CPU’s lowered core clocks in comparison with the usual 5800X. Nevertheless, the outcomes aren’t disastrous both; that is nonetheless a superbly succesful CPU for these duties that handily outperforms prior generations, simply not a class-leading one.

With these out of the best way, let’s transfer onto the enjoyable stuff: testing how the 5800X3D performs in a variety of video games. Click on the fast hyperlinks beneath to maneuver onto the titles you are most excited by, or hit the ‘subsequent web page’ button to take all of it in!

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D evaluation