Ryzen 9 5900X vs 7900X: Hardware & Performance Comparison
7900X is perfect if you’re building a future-proof CPU
3 min. read
Published on
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team Read more
When it comes to choosing between the Ryzen 9 5900X and the Ryzen 9 7900X, many users find themselves weighing the performance benefits against the costs and practical implications. Let’s dive into the key differences and see which CPU might be the best fit for your needs.
AMD Ryzen 5900X vs 7900X, which one is better?
Hardware differences
Ryzen 5900X is a Zen 3 CPU and it comes with the following specs:
- 3.7 GHz base speed and 4.8 GHz turbo
- 12 cores, 24 threads
- 105W TDP
- PCIe 4.0 support
- Supports DDR4 RAM
- Uses 7 nm technology
Ryzen 7900X is newer, and it’s a Zen 4 model. It comes with the following specs:
- Base clock 4.7 GHz, Boost clock 5.6 GHz
- 12 cores, 24 threads
- 170W TDP
- PCIe 5.0 support
- Uses DDR5 RAM
- Uses 5 nm technology
As for the hardware, while both models have the same number of cores and threads, 7900X offers higher frequency and support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 RAM. However, it has a 47% higher TDP.
Benchmark results
According to CPU Benchmark, 7900X outperforms 5900X in almost every regard, which is expected since it’s a newer-generation CPU.
As for CPU Mark tests, 7900X outperformed 5900X by 24.4% which is impressive.
We got similar results during the single thread testing and the 7900X won by 18.6%.
In other tests, 7900X outperformed 5900X in every single test. The difference was noticeable, especially during multicore tests, and the performance difference ranged from 53.21% to 61.91%.
| 7900X | 5900X | |
| Cinebench R23 Multi Core | 29289 | 15441 |
| Cinebench R23 Single Core | 2020 | 1526 |
| Cinebench R20 CPU (Multi Core) | 11474 | 6104 |
| Cinebench R20 CPU (Single Core) | 783 | 603 |
| Geekbench 5.1 – 5.4 64 Bit Multi-Core | 20553 | 11914 |
| Geekbench 5.1 – 5.4 64 Bit Single-Core | 2290 | 1574 |
Without a doubt, we can say that the Ryzen 9 5900X offers better performance overall.
How much better is the 7900X than the 5900X?
In terms of performance, the 7900X offers up to 60% better results during benchmarks, but that comes with a cost, and the 7900X is more expensive than the 5900X. It also has higher power consumption by 47% so that’s something to keep in mind as well.
If you have 5900X you should stick to it for a while, since the 7900X uses Zen 4 technology and AM5 socket, so you’ll need to upgrade both your motherboard and RAM to DDR5 if you want to switch to it.
On the other hand, if you’re building a new PC, and you want a high-end CPU that is future-proof, then 7900X is the way to go.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, then you might be interested in our Ryzen 5700X vs 5600X guide.
For Intel fans, we also have an Intel N200 vs Core i5 article, so you might want to check it out.
In conclusion, while the Ryzen 9 7900X offers notable improvements, especially in productivity tasks, the Ryzen 9 5900X still holds its ground in gaming and general use. Consider your specific needs and future-proofing requirements before making the upgrade.
