The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X Review: 16 Cores on 7nm with PCIe 4.0
by Dr. Ian Cutress on November 14, 2019 9:00 AM ESTCPU Performance: Encoding Tests
With the rise of streaming, vlogs, and video content as a whole, encoding and transcoding tests are becoming ever more important. Not only are more home users and gamers needing to convert video files into something more manageable, for streaming or archival purposes, but the servers that manage the output also manage around data and log files with compression and decompression. Our encoding tasks are focused around these important scenarios, with input from the community for the best implementation of real-world testing.
All of our benchmark results can also be found in our benchmark engine, Bench.
Handbrake 1.1.0: Streaming and Archival Video Transcoding
A popular open source tool, Handbrake is the anything-to-anything video conversion software that a number of people use as a reference point. The danger is always on version numbers and optimization, for example the latest versions of the software can take advantage of AVX-512 and OpenCL to accelerate certain types of transcoding and algorithms. The version we use here is a pure CPU play, with common transcoding variations.
We have split Handbrake up into several tests, using a Logitech C920 1080p60 native webcam recording (essentially a streamer recording), and convert them into two types of streaming formats and one for archival. The output settings used are:
- 720p60 at 6000 kbps constant bit rate, fast setting, high profile
- 1080p60 at 3500 kbps constant bit rate, faster setting, main profile
- 1080p60 HEVC at 3500 kbps variable bit rate, fast setting, main profile
7-zip v1805: Popular Open-Source Encoding Engine
Out of our compression/decompression tool tests, 7-zip is the most requested and comes with a built-in benchmark. For our test suite, we’ve pulled the latest version of the software and we run the benchmark from the command line, reporting the compression, decompression, and a combined score.
It is noted in this benchmark that the latest multi-die processors have very bi-modal performance between compression and decompression, performing well in one and badly in the other. There are also discussions around how the Windows Scheduler is implementing every thread. As we get more results, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Please note, if you plan to share out the Compression graph, please include the Decompression one. Otherwise you’re only presenting half a picture.
Again, AMD's 16-core Zen 2 hardware is breezing past Intel's 18-core Skylake-Refresh family. Even with the added frequency that Cascade Lake will bring, it would be hard to see it able to topple AMD here.
WinRAR 5.60b3: Archiving Tool
My compression tool of choice is often WinRAR, having been one of the first tools a number of my generation used over two decades ago. The interface has not changed much, although the integration with Windows right click commands is always a plus. It has no in-built test, so we run a compression over a set directory containing over thirty 60-second video files and 2000 small web-based files at a normal compression rate.
WinRAR is variable threaded but also susceptible to caching, so in our test we run it 10 times and take the average of the last five, leaving the test purely for raw CPU compute performance.
As a variable threaded workload, WinRAR also probes memory performance. Both the 3700X and 3800X beat the 3950X here.
AES Encryption: File Security
A number of platforms, particularly mobile devices, are now offering encryption by default with file systems in order to protect the contents. Windows based devices have these options as well, often applied by BitLocker or third-party software. In our AES encryption test, we used the discontinued TrueCrypt for its built-in benchmark, which tests several encryption algorithms directly in memory.
The data we take for this test is the combined AES encrypt/decrypt performance, measured in gigabytes per second. The software does use AES commands for processors that offer hardware selection, however not AVX-512.
Our AES benchmark seemed a bit off - I would suggest we're being memory limited here but the Ryzen 9 3900X scores a lot higher over the 3950X. More investigation needed.
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Ian Cutress - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Different software was saying different values depending on which sensor. I'm going to go back at some point and see if I can figure out why some were +30C over others.eastcoast_pete - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Thanks Ian! I agree that, right now, the 3950X is King of the Hill in the HEDT space. Two minor flies in the otherwise good Zen 2 ointment:1. To fit the 3950X into the target thermal envelope, AMD reserves the best 7 nm dies for the 3950X, at least for now (pending Threadripper). While that makes sense business wise, it means a much lower chance for the rest of us to score a great die in the binning lottery. The fun with earlier Zen chips was that one could, with some luck, get a great die in a mainstream chip. Apparently, no more. The mainstream Ryzens are still very good, but the idea of getting a little something extra added appeal.
2. AMD has advertised the 3950X as targeted for liquid cooling. I know a lot of those who buy it will do so anyway, but there are some "air heads" left, including this one. I look forward to a comparison of liquid vs high-end and mainstream air coolers.
Overall, a great chip, that will keep Intel running to catch up, and that's good for all of us!
hansmuff - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Isn't (1) pure speculation? As far as (2) goes, even with the 3900X AMD was saying that the top frequencies need enhanced cooling, and that's not particularly true. Even on a good AIO, we're not seeing the 3900X performing better than on good air. The 3950X has similar thermal envelopes, so I think a good air cooler will be just dandy.eastcoast_pete - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
The binning part (1) was mentioned in an article in golem.de . That site is usually pretty reliable, despite their name.abufrejoval - Friday, November 15, 2019 - link
While it's one of my favorites, too, I doubt that in this specific case they have any insights AT lacks. I believe they editorialized that part.But of course sophisticated binning is a core part of the CPU business these days.
And another good one with exclusive news gems every now and then is this one: https://elchapuzasinformatico.com/
Irata - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Does AMD consider the 3950X to be HEDT ? Thought it was part of their mainstream platform.Ratman6161 - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
No. the 3950x is not HEDT. Its performance blurs the lines a bit but HEDT is more than just the CPU. Its also about PCIe lanes and RAM capacity etc.Ratman6161 - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
"the 3950X is King of the Hill in the HEDT space"The 3950x is not in the HEDT space. That's one of the most important conclusions I take away from this review. 3950x runs on a regular desktop motherboard (albeit an x570 to get full advantage of it). So besides just the price of the CPU itself, it makes everything about the system less expensive as well. My conclusion is that the 3950X is the best overall performance you can get from something that is not HEDT. This makes it much more accessible to us mere mortals...though personally I'm still looking at the 3700X.
eastcoast_pete - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
I guess one person's high-end desktop is another one's mainstream. I call a CPU that, yes, costs more than twice than a standard 8 core, yet is also faster than many other "HEDT" CPUs HEDT. In my view, HEDT is still below workstation levels, which have all the goodies you mention such as many more PCIe lanes, quad or more memory channels, support error correcting memory and lots of it, and are often multi-socketed. But then, the prices for these is eye-watering. But, regardless, this is a fast CPU.phoenix_rizzen - Thursday, November 14, 2019 - link
Time for another category, then. :)This is definitely a high-end desktop CPU. Runs in a mainstream desktop motherboard, and performs better than pretty much every other mainstream desktop processor.
Maybe it's time to call the Intel -X and AMD Threafripper lines "workstation-class" or "high-end workstation" or something along those line.
So you get desktop, workstation, and server. With low-end/high-end sub-groups for them.
So Athlon 3000G and Ryzen 3 would be low-end desktop. Ryzen 5 and 7, and the APUs, would be normal desktop. Ryzen 9 would be high-end desktop.