Breaking tradition again, AMD brought its Zen 5 microarchitecture to the mobile market with the Ryzen AI 300 series instead of doing so with a desktop variant. Typically, the desktop processors roll off the line before the mobile variants. This is not the case here, as AMD launched the mobile processors first—the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, for example. Two mid-tier products have been released regarding the desktop platform: the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Ryzen 5 9600X.
Out of the four official Ryzen 9000 series processors, today we are reviewing a 6-core and 12-thread part based on Zen 5 cores for the Ryzen 5 9600X while topping out for a maximum boost of as high as 5.4 GHz, accompanied by the blonde lady known as the 8-core and 16-thread Ryzen 7 9700X, which pushed its boost to be all the way up to 5.5 GHz.
Key Features of Zen 5 Microarchitecture:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Process Technology | TSMC’s N4P process, 11% execution enhancement, 22% power efficiency improvement |
| Core Complexes | Up to 16 cores per die, 1 MB L2 cache per core, 32MB L3 cache per CCD |
| Cache | 1 MB L2 cache per core, 32 KB I-Cache, 48 KB D-Cache |
| Execution Units | Six integer ALUs, six FP ops/cycle |
| AVX-512 Support | Full active AVX-512 data path |
| SMT | Simultaneous Multi-Threading, two threads per core |
| Integrated GPU | RDNA 2 architecture, 1 WGP, 2 CUs |
| I/O Support | 128-bit DDR5 at 5600 MT/s, 28 PCIe Gen. 5 lanes, USB 3.3 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A |
| Additional SoC Features | Dedicated video encoding/decoding accelerators, audio co-processors, support for four displays |
Staying true to the commitment of having long-lived platforms, the Ryzen 9000 series still utilizes the AM5 socket. As such, existing X670E/X670 and B650E/B650 boards continue to function with the new CPUs – update the firmware. The new X870X motherboards have been pushed back instead.
So with Zen 5 coming to desktops—except the highest-end Ryzen 9 9950X and 9900X, which should arrive a few weeks later—the real question was where Zen 5 is landing compared to Zen 4, both single-threaded workloads and multi-threaded; AMD claims to have seen as much as a 16% gain in IPC. What’s interesting, though, is that, with a TDP of 65W, the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X are rated for the traditionally non-X model range—very peculiar with Zen 5. This question places us in a dilemma regarding where performance and efficiency stand.
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, Ryzen 5 9600X: Desktop’s New Challengers
Since AMD launched Zen 5 at Computex 2024, myriad studies on its microarchitecture have taken place. While retaining the same IOD as Zen 4, at least partly, AMD had rolled up improvements to stay core-focused. Now, with Zen 5, the Ryzen 9 models will pack as many as two core complexes, but the I/O die itself is fabricated using TSMC’s 6 nm process.
Zen 5 is a tremendous improvement over the last generation Zen 4 in caching and instruction fetching. The new L2 cache has doubled to 1 MB per core, sitting next to I-Cache and D-Cache size, now bumped up to 32 KB and 48 KB, respectively. New dual I-Fetch/decode pipes improve the cores’ capability in handling instructions; meanwhile, execution units now have six integer ALUs and six FP ops/cycles for higher throughput and efficiency.
Zen 5 also improves data flow and power efficiency, supporting 512b AVX-512 workloads with four load pipes and wider L2 cache paths. While Zen 4 could process AVX-512 instructions in its execution units, Zen 5 includes a single full active AVX-512 data path for improved efficiency. Zen 5 continues to feature SMT on the multi-threading side, allowing two threads per core.
This Zen 5 comes with TSMC’s N4P process, which will move on and build up for considerable upgrades against the 5 nm process in Zen 4. TSMC has clarified an additional execution enhancement of 11% and a power effectiveness enhancement of 22% in contrast to the N5 hub, combined with a 6% expansion in thickness regarding the transistor density. The N4P process further decreases creation costs by another 6%, generally owing to more extreme EUV layers.
- The Zen 5 die supports up to 16 cores, each with a 1 MB L2 cache. Further, support exists for as much as 32MB of L3 cache per CCD—core complex die.
- Lastly, the integrated GPU is based on the RDNA 2 architecture and remains the same as Zen 4, packing 1 WGP or Work Group Processor and 2 CUs or Compute Units.
Specifically, the Granite Ridge SoC also houses dedicated video encoding/decoding accelerators, micro-controllers, audio co-processors, etc. At the same time, it is accompanied by support for up to four concurrent displays.
I/O-wise, it supports 128-bit DDR5 memory running at 5600 MT/s and 28 PCIe Gen. 5 lanes, which allow for one full-length PCIe 5.0 slot powered at x16 or two when operating at x8/x8. Besides the PCIe lanes for a couple of PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 SSDs, there are several USB ports, including a USB 3.3 Type-C and a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A.
AMD Ryzen 9000 series processors and Zen 5 Microarchitecture — Granite Ridge
| Processor | Cores/Threads | Base Clock | Boost Clock | L2 Cache | L3 Cache | TDP | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 9 9950X | 16C/32T | 4.3GHz | 5.7GHz | 16MB | 64MB | 170W | $649 |
| Ryzen 9 9900X | 12C/24T | 4.4GHz | 5.6GHz | 12MB | 64MB | 120W | $499 |
| Ryzen 7 9700X | 8C/16T | 3.8GHz | 5.5GHz | 8MB | 32MB | 65W | $359 |
| Ryzen 5 9600X | 6C/12T | 3.9GHz | 5.4GHz | 6MB | 32MB | 65W | $279 |
The Ryzen 9000 series boasts four SKUs, but the top-of-the-line is the Ryzen 9 9950X, which offers a huge 16 cores with a 5.7 GHz max boost and 80 MB of total cache. Next in line is the Ryzen 9 9900X, equipped with 12 cores, which ramp up to a 5.6 GHz boost and a TDP reduction of 120 W—down on its predecessor by a full 50 W to its existing 170 W.
Today, in the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X, we have quite impressive specs at lower TDPs than their Zen 4 counterparts—which means AMD has put a little emphasis on power efficiency. With boost clocks that tickle the territory of needing to be near, it is noted that Zen 5 currently works according to the reduced voltage/frequency curve, indicating higher efficiency.
AMD AM5 Chipset Comparison
| Chipset | PCIe Support | USB Support | SATA Ports | Wi-Fi Support | CPU Overclocking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X870E | PCIe 5.0 | USB 4.0 | 8 | Wi-Fi 7 | Yes |
| X870 | PCIe 5.0 | Optional USB 4.0 | 4 | Wi-Fi 7 | Yes |
| X670E | PCIe 5.0 | Optional USB 4.0 | 8 | Wi-Fi 6E | Yes |
| X670 | PCIe 4.0 | Optional USB 4.0 | 8 | Wi-Fi 6E | Yes |
| B650E | PCIe 5.0 | Optional USB 4.0 | 4 | Wi-Fi 6E | Yes |
Although the Ryzen 9000 series still uses the AM5 socket, just like with the Ryzen 7000, new motherboards will be ready based on the X870E and X870 chipsets. The two new features of these boards are support for USB 4.0 for added connectivity stuffing and performance and Wi-Fi 7 to satisfy connectivity and wireless performance.
The Ryzen 7 9700X‘s price is set at $359—this is a reasonable drop in the price, as it is $40 less than its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 9600X arrives at $279 and introduces itself with a $20 dive compared to the Ryzen 5 7600X. This pricing strategy gives quite good marketability to AMD’s Zen 5 chips. Equated to this, while assessing the performance of Zen 5 at the desktop level, it’s very ripe to compare Zen 4 and Intel’s 14th Gen Raptor Lake Processors. The following reviews will prove how well Zen 5 stands against its forerunners and rivals.
Thank you for reading.
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