AMD Zen 4 Ryzen 9 7950X and Ryzen 5 7600X Review: Retaking The High-End
by Ryan Smith & Gavin Bonshor on September 26, 2022 9:00 AM ESTSPEC2017 Single-Threaded Results
SPEC2017 is a series of standardized tests used to probe the overall performance between different systems, different architectures, different microarchitectures, and setups. The code has to be compiled, and then the results can be submitted to an online database for comparison. It covers a range of integer and floating point workloads, and can be very optimized for each CPU, so it is important to check how the benchmarks are being compiled and run.
We run the tests in a harness built through Windows Subsystem for Linux, developed by Andrei Frumusanu. WSL has some odd quirks, with one test not running due to a WSL fixed stack size, but for like-for-like testing it is good enough. Because our scores aren’t official submissions, as per SPEC guidelines we have to declare them as internal estimates on our part.
For compilers, we use LLVM both for C/C++ and Fortan tests, and for Fortran we’re using the Flang compiler. The rationale of using LLVM over GCC is better cross-platform comparisons to platforms that have only have LLVM support and future articles where we’ll investigate this aspect more. We’re not considering closed-sourced compilers such as MSVC or ICC.
clang version 10.0.0
clang version 7.0.1 (ssh://git@github.com/flang-compiler/flang-driver.git
24bd54da5c41af04838bbe7b68f830840d47fc03)
-Ofast -fomit-frame-pointer
-march=x86-64
-mtune=core-avx2
-mfma -mavx -mavx2
Our compiler flags are straightforward, with basic –Ofast and relevant ISA switches to allow for AVX2 instructions.
To note, the requirements for the SPEC licence state that any benchmark results from SPEC have to be labelled ‘estimated’ until they are verified on the SPEC website as a meaningful representation of the expected performance. This is most often done by the big companies and OEMs to showcase performance to customers, however is quite over the top for what we do as reviewers.
Starting off with single-threaded performance in SPECint2017, we can see that AMD's new Zen 4 core performs when compared directly with its previous Zen 3 and even more so, its Zen 2 microarchitecture. In 500.perlbench_r, the Ryzen 9 7950X has a 27% uplift over the previous Zen 3 based Ryzen 9 5950X, with a massive 94% uplift in single-threaded performance over the Zen 2 based Ryzen 9 3950X. This in itself is impressive, with similar levels of performance increase in other SPECint2017 tests such as a 23% increase over the previous generation in 525.x264_r and 30% in the 548.exchange2_r test.
The performance increase can be explained by a number of variables, including the switch from DDR4 to DDR5 memory, as well as a large increase in clock speed.
Moving onto our SPECfp2017 1T results, we see a similar increase in performance as in the previous set of 1T-tests. Focusing on the 503.bwaves_r, we are seeing an uplift of 37% over Zen 3. Interestingly, the performance in 549.fotonik3d, we see an increase of around 27% over the Ryzen 9 3950X, although Intel's Alder Lake architecture which is also on DDR5 is outperforming the Ryzen 9 7950X.
Perhaps the biggest increase in Zen 4's improvement in IPC over Zen 3 is through doubling the L2 cache on the 7950X (16MB) versus the 5950X (8MB). Similarly, both the Ryzen 9 7950X and 5950X have a large pool of L3 cache (64MB), but the 7950X boosts up to 5.7 GHz on a single core providing the core temperature is below 50°C, or 5.6 GHz if above 50°C.
As it stands at the time of writing, AMD's Ryzen 9 7950X is the clear leader in single-core IPC performance, with a pretty comprehensive increase in IPC performance over Zen 3. Although Intel's Alder Lake (12th Gen) provided gains over AMD's Ryzen 5000 series in a multitude of ways including frequency, optimizations, and its complex hybrid architecture. There is no doubt that the latest Zen 4 microarchitecture using TSMC's 5 nm node gives AMD the single-thread performance crown, and in terms of single-threaded applications, it's the most powerful x86 desktop processor right now.
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Gigaplex - Wednesday, September 28, 2022 - link
Because there's a massive market for gamers that aren't gaming at 4K. Competitive e-sports comes to mind, where the CPU matters. Replyscrizz - Thursday, September 29, 2022 - link
FACTS ReplySilver5urfer - Saturday, October 1, 2022 - link
A CPU is not just "muh Gaming" only processor. Which is why we have a ton of benchmarks here apart from Games. Second part is 1080P resolution is still one to bench, esp when you talking about sub i5 and R6 CPUs they are going to be a 1080P machine not a 4K display.Second, Nvidia is a trash company do not even try to defend that - Ampere GPUs shoved with GDDR6X for Bandwidth nice but on purpose for mining, okay fine it's all Crypto and etc. But the PCB designs for RTX3090 is dumpster fire. They put Memory module near PCIe interface which will get a ton of mechanical stress AND the whole MSVDD power rail is complete pile of BS. It is prone to failure because of horrible VRM components and to make it worse Nvidia marked the 3090 price 2x of 3080 and had like 15% boost and then the VRAM on the back total fail. They fixed all of them with 3090Ti but at the end of cycle. Now they will "optimize" the drivers to gimp RTX3090Ti to make 40 series good, thats how this garbage company rolls. Imagine DLSS2 getting EOLed by FSR and then killed by DLSS3. That's pure trash garbage.
Now the new RTX40 series is coming with rip off 4070 silicon at trash 192Bit bus which means it's a 4K class pricing (RTX3090 is $950, 3090Ti is $1K) but doesn't have proper memory and 12GB, plus the DLSS3 is fake trash, giving BS frames to get idiots drool over the frame counter which is funny because the frames are NOT real.
HEDT is dead, nobody wants to buy them because nowadays people only play trash games like Apex, Fortnite, COD and etc GaaS trash titles and they buy PC for that only, and how many people do you think care about X670E PCH bandwidth being same as X570 nobody, you did not even mention. Market killed it, I also want HEDT but it won't come again, AMD destroyed their own HEDT with half cooked trash worse than X299. Intel SPR is delayed so HEDT is not coming back ever again it's all TR Pro, XEON W. Shame. Reply
Qasar - Sunday, October 2, 2022 - link
you come across as one angry person. wow ReplySilver5urfer - Sunday, October 2, 2022 - link
I bought a 3090FE and now planning to sell it off because of it's TRASH VRAM on the back and BS power delivery system, Nvidia themselves revealed on RTX4090FE using literally 1:1 PCB from RTX3090Ti and claiming much lower power excursions.Now It's my fault but the thing I bought the 3090FE year back while 3090Ti came this year, It's a mistake on my part but Nvidia has been doing this BS since a while now. GTX970 VRAM fiasco, 2070 cutting silicon a step down just like now RTX4070, and the RTX3000 series awful power delivery VRM. Now DLSS3 which is fake the game runs at same lower FPS but they add fake data to make the people think they are running at higher FPS and rendering the game. Scam on top of scam. Reply
vortmax2 - Sunday, October 16, 2022 - link
Maybe focus on the content of his post instead of the demeanor. ReplyQasar - Thursday, October 20, 2022 - link
" Maybe focus on the content of his post instead of the demeanor. "you obviously havent seen his previous posts. Reply
Cristian - Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - link
The section : "Ryzen 9 7950X at 65 W (ECO Mode): Zen 4 has Superb Efficiency" is exactly what I was looking for (and will build) .Thank you very much Anandtech ( Ryan Smith & Gavin Bonshor) ! ;) Reply
TheinsanegamerN - Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - link
A 7600x3d would be a superb gaming chip, if AMD makes one. Limit zen 4 to 65w and honestly these are pretty tasty. Curious how cool a 7600 runs on limited TDP. Replynandnandnand - Tuesday, September 27, 2022 - link
It would be interesting if they could put a bottom yield chip with less cache on the 7600X, and bump up the price by $30. Otherwise I don't think they'll bother.Limit the TDP yourself. Reply