This was the ultimate niche CPU. At the time of its release, it had an optimal combination of multi-core performance without sacrificing as much single- and quad- as the higher-core CPUs, at an excellent price-point. It utilizes quad-channel RAM. If you were a content creator without external funding, had one machine in the budget, then this chip might even now in mid-2019 be what you're looking for.
The higher-end Threadrippers will throw more cores at you... for up to five times the price. If you've a home studio, running a DAW on the same PC you use for everything; or you do your own video editing; or you're an independent streamer; then those extra 12 or 18 cores aren't really going to help you that much anyway, for all that extra cash - AND those CPUs have lower performance in more common applications (single- low-thread apps). Not worth it. Intel isn't even on the table, of course.
If you're reading this in the future: these benchmarks have multiple categories for a reason. Read and think. Find the best combination for what you intend to do with it - not some arbitrary "the best" overall. There is no such thing, because you won't be using your computer for Overall, now will you? [Aug '19spacefiddle]
The Ryzen 7 3800X is an 8-core, 16-thread high end desktop Zen 2 processor, built on AMD’s seminal 7nm manufacturing process. It has a boost clock speed of 4.5 GHz, overtaking the previous Zen+ flagship, the Ryzen 7 2700X, by 200 MHz and around 16% in terms of effective speed. The 3800X is available at launch for $399 USD alongside four other new Zen 2 processors, including the similarly specified Ryzen 7 3700X. The main differences between the 3800X and 3700X being an extra 100 MHz of boost clock frequency on the 3800X and extra TDP headroom (105W for the 3800X versus 65W for the 3700X) for a $70 USD premium. The 21% higher release price translates to just a 2% higher effective speed over the 3700X. The 3800X is in direct competition with Intel’s i7-9700K, benchmarks show that, when overclocked, the 3800X is 10% worse for gaming but 30% faster for 64-core processing. The 3800X is also 15% ($50 USD) more expensive than the i7-9700K. Additionally, the 3800X's memory controller, although significantly improved over previous Ryzen iterations, still has limited bandwidth and high latency which can also impact gaming. Like the other third generation Ryzen processors, the 3800X is compatible with the new PCIe 4.0 enabled X570 chipset as well as the 400 and 300 series motherboards. At $380 USD, the 3800X offers reasonable value for purely workstation tasks such as film production but streamers should look elsewhere. Streaming with dedicated hardware such as NVENC or a separate stream PC will nearly always result in fewer dropped frames. [Jul '19CPUPro]
We calculate effective speed which measures real world performance for typical users. Effective speed is adjusted by current prices to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top CPUs. [CPUPro]
Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.