Ryzen 9 5900XT vs Ryzen 9 5900X: Which is the best gaming CPU?

AMD launched a new processor for the aging AM4 platform, the Ryzen 9 5900XT. The AM4 socket is seven years old and lost support for newer Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. However, AMD launched a new flagship processor in the 5000 series based on the same Zen 3 architecture. It is designed to provide more performance for those who are still on the old socket.

But which is the best gaming CPU for the AM4 platform? That's what we plan to find out in this article.

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Ryzen 9 5900XT vs Ryzen 9 5900X

Both Ryzen 9 5900XT and 5900X are based on the same Zen 3 architecture, but the new processor brings a higher core count over the other. However, a lot depends on the pricing as well. So, let's compare the two CPUs, starting with the specs.

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Specs comparison

AMD Ryzen 5000 series (Image via AMD)

Here's how the two Ryzen CPUs compare in their full spec list. We also added the Ryzen 9 5950X into the mix.

Specifications	AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT	AMD Ryzen 9 5900X	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Core count	16	12	16
Thread count	32	24	32
Max frequency	4.8 GHz	4.8 GHz	4.9 GHz
L2 cache	8 MB	6 MB	8 MB
L3 cache	64 MB	64 MB	64 MB
RAM support	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200
Max RAM capacity	128 GB	128 GB	128 GB
Thermal design power (TDP)	105W Typical | 142W Max	105W Typical | 142W Max	105W Typical | 142W Max
Manufacturing node	7nm	7nm	7nm
Socket	AM4	AM4	AM4
Price	Not available	$273	$360

As you can see, the Ryzen 9 5900XT has a higher core count with more L2 cache than the Ryzen 9 5900X, but everything else is the same. This tells us that the new AMD CPU is more like the Ryzen 9 5950X but with 100 MHz lower clocks.

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Performance comparison

AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and Ryzen 9 5900X (Image via AMD)

Since the Ryzen 9 5900XT is closer to the Ryzen 9 5950X, the benchmarks of the latter will provide a better point of view. We already know that the Ryzen 9 5950X is 15 - 30% faster in multi-core benchmarks like Cinebench, Geekbench, Blender and more. It's safe to assume the new AMD CPU will be at least 12 - 20% higher in multi-core performance than the older Ryzen 9 5900X.

However, gaming performance is more dependent on the single-core performance and clock speeds, and therefore, you will not see any practical difference between the Ryzen 9 5900XT and 5900X in gaming. A small 2 - 4 FPS difference can be there, but that would probably be due to variation errors.

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Price-to-performance ratio

AMD Ryzen 5000 series (Image via AMD)

The pricing will play a major role in how successful the new Ryzen 5900XT will become. That's because if the new CPU is priced far apart from the older AMD 5900X processor, it will not make much sense for the extra performance you will be getting. Not to mention that the performance advantage will only be visible in productivity applications, and there's little to no benefit in gaming.

The older Ryzen 9 5900X is currently selling for $273, while the Ryzen 9 5950X sells for $360. There's a $87 difference between the two CPUs. If the new AMD processor is priced closer to the older Ryzen 5900X, then it's a great deal. But if its pricing is closer to the 5950X, it wouldn't make much sense for the new CPU.

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Which is the best gaming CPU?

The new Ryzen 5900XT is the best CPU out of the two, but only in productivity. In gaming specifically, there's essentially little to no difference. Also, what value the new AMD processor brings will depend majorly on the pricing.