Amd ryzen 7 3800x vs ryzen 9 3900x: what is their difference in games?

There is a noticeable difference in specifications and price between both AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and Ryzen 9 3900X processors, with the latter with about 12 cores and a price of 100 euros more expensive. It would be very useful to know what is the true difference between both processors when it comes to playing. Are those 4 additional cores of the 3900X getting noticed in games? We will see it in this comparison.

Index of contents

AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is an 8-core, 16-wire processor, in line with what the i9-9900K is already offering. AMD offers a Wraith Prism heatsink with RGB lighting with this model, just like the i9. Its price in Spain is around 440 euros at the time of writing these lines.

AMD Ryzen 7 3800X Technical Specifications

• Architecture: Zen 2 Transistor Size: 7nm Socket: AM4 Heatsink: Wraith Prism with RGB LED Number of CPU Cores: 8 Number of Threads: 16 Base Clock Rate: 3.9 GHz Boost Clock Rate: 4.5 GHz Total L2 Cache: 4 MBTDP / Default TDP: 105W Approximate price: € 440 (Approx. In Spain)

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

With Ryzen 9, AMD increases the number of cores in the consumer market to 12 physical cores and 24 threads. This is nothing compared to the 3950X processors that will arrive in September, which will have 16 cores and 32 threads. In this way, the 3900X is an intermediate option that has a cost of about 550 euros in Spain at the moment

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X Technical Specifications

• Architecture: Zen 2 Transistor Size: 7nm Socket: AM4 Heatsink: Wraith Prism with RGB LED Number of CPU Cores: 12 Number of Threads: 24 Base Clock Rate: 3.8 GHz Total Boost Clock Rate: 4.6 GHz Total L3 Cache: 64 MBTDP / Default TDP: 105W Approximate price: € 550 (Approx. In Spain)

Test methodology

This comparison was made by the YouTube channel Benchmark PC Tech , in which an ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard was used along with the 16GB DDR4 Ballistix Elite memories with a speed of 3600 MHz.

The tests were carried out with different graphics cards, which are the GTX 1080, 1080 Ti and RTX 2080 Ti.

Performance comparison: AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs Ryzen 9 3900X

Some synthetic tests and several current games that were tested in different resolutions and with different graphics cards were included in the comparison.

Synthetic benchmark

	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X	Ryzen 9 3900X
X265 (Coding) (+)	36.8	43.3
7-Zip (Compression) (+)	45831	47793
Truecrypt (-)	26.6	18.6
X264 (Transcoding) (+)	12.1	14.6

Synthetic tests are not surprising, we know that extra cores can be decisive in this type of task. The performance difference in X265 is around 20% and in Tryecrypt it is much larger. In 7-Zip the difference is not so palpable in favor of the 3900X, nor in X264.

This may be because X265 is a more optimized codec for multi-core processors than X264. Let's see what happens in the games below.

In-game testing: Nvidia's GTX 1080

1080p	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X	Ryzen 9 3900X
Hitman	133	134
Total War Warhammer	143	143
Rise of the Tomb Raider	144	145
Far Cry Primal	111	111

For some reason, the comparison is made with three different graphics cards, although the results do not vary too much. In 1080p resolution we see almost absolute parity in the 4 games shown.

Both processors using the Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti

1080p	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X	Ryzen 9 3900X
PUBG	110	113
Far Cry 5	118	118

With the GTX 1080 Ti it is more of the same, a lot of parity between both processors in games.

4K	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X	Ryzen 9 3900X
The Witcher 3	72	72

Now with Nvidia RTX 2080 ti

1440p	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X	Ryzen 9 3900X
Shadow of the Tomb Raider	109	109
Far Cry 5	132	132

In the next two tests we see above, The Witcher 3 was tested in 4K with the GTX 1080 Ti, and finally Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Far Cry 5 in 1440p with an RTX 2080 Ti. In these last three comparisons, parity was total in the average fps. This already gives us a fairly clear idea of ​​what to expect from both processors, especially if we plan to build a PC to play or for other purposes.

Energy consumption

	AMD Ryzen 7 3800X	Ryzen 9 3900X
Full load consumption (W)	91	142

This is the consumption of both processors during a stress test at AIDA. The difference in consumption is quite significant and those 4 additional cores are felt in the 3900X, although the latter continues to consume less than an i9-9900K.

Conclusions about AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs Ryzen 9 3900X

It seems clear, after these tests, that, if we want to build a 'gamer' PC, going for a Ryzen 9 3900X is not the most recommended option and probably the most sensible thing is the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X or even an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. The difference in games is negligible, probably because the current titles do not take advantage of such a large number of cores.

We recommend reading the best processors on the market

When we talk about productivity tasks, things change. The 3900X easily takes on video editing, 3D design, or other equally demanding tasks.

The most recommended processor, again, will depend on each pocket and what we have planned to do with our computer. What would be the best option for you?

Benchmark PC Tech Image Source