Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X: Which is the Better CPU for Gaming?

The Ryzen 5 9600X is a mid-range CPU, but the Ryzen 7 5800X3D was once the best gaming CPU. Can the Ryzen 5 9600X beat the older gaming CPU?

Picture of Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X — Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X (Image via AMD)

Contents

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D became the world’s fastest gaming CPU when it was first launched in 2022. However, AMD believes its newer CPUs with Zen 5 architecture can beat it without requiring X3D cache. Can the budget Ryzen 5 9600X outperform one of the best gaming processors, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D? That’s exactly what we plan to find out in this article, with a detailed comparison of the two CPUs. Read on to learn more.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions.

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Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X: Detailed Comparison

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is based on AMD’s older Zen 3 architecture, while the Ryzen 5 9600X is designed on the latest Zen 5 architecture. The former has an extra layer of X3D cache, which is why it was the fastest gaming CPU. After all, games that have access to a higher cache can run with significantly improved performance. Let’s start this comparison by looking at the specs of the two processors first.

Specs Comparison

Picture of Zen 3 CPU with X3D CCD — Zen 3 CPU with X3D CCD (Image via AMD)

Here are the specs of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X:

Specifications	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
Architecture	Zen 3	Zen 5
Core/Thread count	8/16	6/12
Max clock speed	4.5 GHz	5.4 GHz
L3 cache	96 MB (32MB L3 + 64MB X3D)	32 MB
RAM support	DDR4-3200	DDR5-5600
PCIe Gen support	Gen 4	Gen 5
Platform Socket	AM4	AM5
Thermal design power (TDP)	105W Typical \| 142W Max	65W Typical \| 88W Max Extended 105W Typical \| 142W Max
Manufacturing nodes	7nm, 12nm	4nm, 6nm

As per the specs table, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has more cores and cache, which are crucial for gaming. However, it uses older DDR4 RAM and consumes more power. Its clock speed is also lower. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 9600X has significantly higher clock speeds and supports faster DDR5 RAM.

Synthetic Performance Comparison

Here’s how the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X perform in popular synthetic benchmarks:

Benchmarks	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)	1453	2154
Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)	14804	17447
Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)	2113	3334
Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)	11198	15031
Passmark CPU (Single-Core)	3234	4568
Passmark CPU (Multi-Core)	28310	30014
Blender CPU	212.46	218.13

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is around 48% faster on average than the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in single-core benchmarks. This shows that the newer architecture of the former gives it a major performance advantage. Many applications and games that rely on single-core performance will benefit from it and run faster.

In multi-core benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 9600X is about 15% faster on average than the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. This might seem surprising since the former has only six cores, yet it beats the higher core-count CPU. However, it makes sense when you realize that each individual core of the Ryzen 5 9600X is around 48% more powerful. Therefore, when you calculate that for six cores, they become faster than the eight cores of the Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

One could argue that these are synthetic benchmarks and may not translate to real-world performance. That’s why we also tested these two processors in Blender, an actual professional content creation software. The Ryzen 5 9600X still outperformed the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, even if only by a little.

Game Performance Comparison

Here’s how the Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Ryzen 5 9600X handle some of the popular games on the market:

Games	AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D	AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
Silent Hill 2	130 FPS	156 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 (RT)	90 FPS	80 FPS
Black Myth Wukong	90 FPS	101 FPS
Helldivers 2	132 FPS	149 FPS
Baldur’s Gate 3	90 FPS	98 FPS
Counter-Strike 2	428 FPS	418 FPS
Ghost of Tsushima	124 FPS	139 FPS
Forza Horizon 5	170 FPS	182 FPS

Note: The two CPUs were tested at 1080p resolution with the RTX 4090 GPU to eliminate any GPU bottleneck. All FPS numbers were sourced from the Hardware for Gamers channel on YouTube.

On average, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X delivers 5.5% higher frame rates than the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. However, it’s not a complete win, as the latter delivers more frame rates in two games: Cyberpunk 2077 and Counter-Strike 2. Once again, it shows that the newer architecture and its improvements are enough to secure a win over the older gaming CPU, despite having less cache.

Price Comparison

Picture of AMD Ryzen 5 9600X — AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (Image via AMD)

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is no longer officially sold on the market. However, it is still available for around $350 to $410 on the used market in the US, which is quite expensive. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 9600X sells around $192 on Amazon, nearly half the cost of the other CPU.

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Final Verdict on Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is the clear winner here. It delivers vastly superior performance in single-core benchmarks, so apps and games should launch faster. The Ryzen 5 9600X also wins in multi-core productivity and gaming benchmarks. It costs half as much as the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, making it the better choice despite featuring fewer cores.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is too old at this point, and its used prices don’t make sense. Even if you plan to save on platform costs by buying this processor, it still isn’t worth it. You can buy both the Ryzen 5 9600X and a decent B850 motherboard for less than the Ryzen 7 5800X3D alone. Additionally, moving to the AM5 platform will support upcoming Zen 6 CPUs, giving you a clear upgrade path for the future.

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Ryzen 7 5800X3D vs Ryzen 5 9600X: Which is the Better CPU for Gaming?