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 9 5900X is second in AMD’s line-up of new Zen 3 CPUs. The 12-core hyper-threaded processor has base/boost clock speeds of 3.7/4.8 GHz, a 70 MB cache and a TDP of 105W. The 5900X took center stage in the 5000 series launch presentation where AMD gunned for Intel’s “best gaming CPU” crown. They showed the 5900X as being 26% better for gaming than the previous generation’s Ryzen 9 3900XT, attributing this to the new architecture’s faster single core speeds and lower latency. AMD also stated that the 5900X achieves, on average, 6.8% faster gaming performance than Intel’s 10-core i9-10900K. The details around AMD’s testing were not disclosed but it is safe to assume that 6.8% is the highest average lead that AMD are willing to stand by. Our benchmarks show that the 5900X’s slightly faster cores and the 10900K’s slightly lower memory latency balance out to yield similar performance. Whilst presenting their figures, AMD admitted that their 3000 series CPUs were far from “best for gaming” and conceded that the 10900K is approximately 19% faster than the 3900XT (our effective speed marks the gap at just 14%). Despite this clear performance deficiency, AMD supported 3000 series sales with an aggressive and successful marketing campaign to easily outsell Intel over the last 12 months. Given the real performance uplift observed in the 5000 series, and the absence of any meaningful marketing from Intel, we expect CPU sales to shift even further in AMD’s favour. Gamers that do not wish to pay “marketing fees” should investigate Intel’s $175 USD 11400F, the $660 USD savings would be far better spent on a higher tier GPU. [Nov '20CPUPro]
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.