To put things bluntly, Intel should be pretty shook by the upcoming Zen 3 processors from AMD, especially considering the Ryzen 7 5800X. There’s still no telling if Zen 3 will have any worthwhile overclocking headroom to speak of, but even if the eight-core/sixteen thread 5800X is flat out incapable of boosting past 4.7GHz, it spells trouble for Intel’s current flagship 10900K.

AMD has boasted roughly 20% instructions per clock (IPC) improvement for Zen 3 over Zen 2 thanks to their new architecture and L3 cache restructure. This means that, despite the 5800X having fewer cores and slower clock speeds than the 10900K, it may not matter in the face of superior technology on a smaller process. Worst of all, for Intel, the 5800X will be nearly $100 cheaper than the 10900K.

Even though we’re due for an announcement of Intel’s 11^th Generation CPUs, the fact that they’re still stuck on 14nm, compared to AMD on 7nm, there’s no guarantee that Intel will be able to maintain their last bastion: gaming performance. AMD isn’t pulling any punches, and they may very well end up with another crown.

Of course, we will have to wait until Zen 3 and Rocket Lake are both out (and Intel is holding off until next year) to see how they truly stack up. Regardless, the 5800X might not be the guaranteed best bet, but it’s guaranteed to be a damn good one. So if you’re placing that bet, today we’re going to help you also place your order for the best motherboards depending on your preferred style of build.

Best Motherboards for Ryzen 7 5800X – Our Recommendations

Award	Motherboard	Design	VRM	Price
Best Entry-Level Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X	Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC		50A 14 Phase (12+2)	$180
Best Overall Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X	Asus ROG STRIX X570-E Gaming		60A 16 Phase (12+4)	$300
Best High-Performance Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X	MSI MEG X570 Ace		60A 15 Phase (12+2+1)	$360
Best mATX Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X	Asus TUF Gaming B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi)		50A 10 Phase (8+2)	$175
Best mini-ITX Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X	Asus ROG STRIX X570-I Gaming		70A 10 Phase (8+2)	$250

Best Entry-Level Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X

Perhaps you’re not only eyeing a brand new 5800X, but you’re interested in a brand-new chipset as well. Thanks to B550, builders have the option to save a bit of money (or opt-out of the slightly more extensive PCIe 4.0 and connectivity support) they’d potentially waste on an X570 platform. That is where the Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC comes in!

B550 motherboards are somewhat restrictive due to having only a PCIe 3.0 link between the CPU and chipset, where X570 has PCIe 4.0. While you still get PCIe 4.0 lanes from your CPU, the lower bandwidth PCIe 3.0 chipset link forces motherboard manufacturers to sacrifice some features in favor of others, chief among them being rear I/O USB connectivity. Some B550 motherboards only have a total of 5 USB ports on their rear I/O, with maybe a couple of USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Gen 1 ports. However, a handful of B550 boards prioritize the rear I/O, especially the B550 Aorus Pro AC, which is usually the deciding factor when determining the best B550 options.

Featured on the B550 Aorus Pro AC are 50A Power Stages, a direct 14 Phase VRM (12+2), support for up to 128GB DDR4-5200MHz memory, 2x M.2 slots (1x PCIe 4.0 x4), Intel AC 3168 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2, Realtek 2.5G LAN + ALC1220-VB Audio CODEC, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 is Type-C), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 + 6x USB 2.0 ports, 6x SATA III 6Gb/s ports, an internal USB 3.2 Gen 1 header, and BIOS Flashback.

At $190, the B550 Aorus Pro AC manages to pack some impressive connectivity options, on top of a real finned VRM heatsink and integrated I/O shield, into a package that lives up to the stellar design and build quality of the Aorus name. If you’re looking for a reliable platform to get the job done in gaming and light productivity work, the B550 Aorus Pro AC won’t disappoint.

Best Overall Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X

The 5800X, if the 3800X was any indicator, should be a powerhouse in workstation tasks but should also be exceptional for gaming, and one of the best overall homes for it is the Asus ROG STRIX X570-E Gaming for $300.

The X570-E Gaming is another remarkable entry to Asus’s ever-popular ROG STRIX series. ROG/STRIX components have always offered top-tier features and performance and some of the best proprietary software solutions, user interfaces, and build quality, all complimented by strong design language.

The X570-E Gaming offers 60A Power Stages, a 16 Phase VRM (12+4), support for up to 128GB DDR4-4400MHz memory, 2x PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, Intel Gigabit LAN + AX200 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0, Realtek 2.5G LAN, SupremeFX S1220A Audio CODEC, 8x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 is Type-C) ports, 8x SATA III 6Gb/s ports, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 + 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 internal headers, BIOS Flashback, and a POST code readout.

Asus has been one of the most popular and premier PC hardware manufacturers for what seems like an eternity for one main reason; consistency. Of course, every company makes mistakes or missteps here and there, but it’s no coincidence Asus controlled at least 45% of the market share in the motherboard market (2017-2019). You’re always going to find rock-solid motherboard options in nearly any Asus lineup, and the X570-E Gaming is one of the best overall X570 motherboards available for the 5800X.

If you’re not fond of Asus for some reason, or if you’re specifically looking for features like onboard Power/Reset and Clear CMOS buttons, check out the MSI MEG X570 Unify for the same price!

Best High-Performance Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X

When it comes to enthusiast-class X570 motherboards, at least ones that won’t cost you a month’s worth of utility bills, you have only a few options, all with relatively similar features and pricing. Today, our award for the best high-performance motherboard for the Ryzen 7 5800X goes to the MSI MEG X570 Ace. The X570 Ace certainly isn’t the king of the hill over the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme regarding VRM thermals, but that board costs $700. Further, if you want that highest tier VRM for AMD with a cheaper price tag by opting for their B550 Aorus Master, you end up losing out on the bandwidth/connectivity of an X570 chipset. Hence our decision, because MSI’s X570 Ace is one of the most popular, well-reviewed, and well-rounded enthusiast X570 motherboards ($350-$700) with arguably the best balance of features, build quality, and aesthetic design.

Here, $370 nets you 60A Power Stages, a 15 Phase VRM (12+2+1), support for up to 128GB DDR4-5000MHz memory, 3x PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, Intel Gigabit LAN + AX200 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0, Realtek 2.5G LAN + ALC1220 Audio CODEC, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 is Type-C) + 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 + 2x USB 2.0 ports, 4x SATA III 6Gb/s ports, an internal USB 3.2 Gen 2 header, onboard Power/Reset buttons, Clear CMOS + BIOS Flashback buttons, and a POST code readout.

The X570 Ace is one of only two platforms MSI didn’t decide neglect after the release of X570 about a year ago. Many of the options priced under the Ace at the time, like the Gaming Edge Carbon and Gaming Edge (Wi-Fi), had worrisome issues with thermal throttling, even for some Zen 2 chips! However, MSI eventually addressed those issues and, as a response, released their MEG X570 Unify, which is essentially a slightly more affordable, blacked-out version of the Ace. If you want one of the sleekest and most potent X570 motherboards on the market, though, consider MSI with their “ace in the hole” .

Best mATX Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X

mATX motherboards are overlooked and underappreciated. It’s a disservice and a tragedy that we don’t see as many high-end mATX options as we should. Until recently, there was only one mATX option for the X570 chipset from ASRock, and it was mediocre at best. Thankfully, with the release of the new B550 chipset, we now have access to several mATX Ryzen motherboards with great VRMs, and the best of the bunch is the $180 Asus TUF Gaming B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi).

The B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi) comes with 50A Power Stages, a 10 Phase VRM (8+2), support for up to 128GB DDR4-4600MHz memory, 2x M.2 slots (1x PCIe 4.0 x4), Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0, Realtek 2.5G LAN + ALC S1200A Audio CODEC, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 is Type-C) + 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 + 2x USB 2.0 ports, 4x SATA III 6Gb/s ports, and BIOS Flashback.

Despite the general disinterest in mATX compared to full-sized ATX and mini-ITX PCs, mATX can offer the best of both worlds. You can reduce your rig’s overall size from standard ATX while avoiding much of the hassle associated with the extensive hardware compatibility research and tedious build process required for most mini-ITX systems. Now, thanks to Asus and their ubiquitous TUF Gaming series, we have a spectacular mATX motherboard that’s capable of driving even a 5950X. However, it may not keep up with any serious overclocking if Zen 3 turns out to have some headroom to play with, which Zen 2 essentially didn’t, so keep that in mind. But, if you’re itching to shrink your footprint and you don’t want a shoebox PC, the B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi) offers some of the best mATX VRM quality and USB connectivity for Ryzen CPUs to date, making it the clear winner for those looking at the 5800X.

Best mini-ITX Motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X

While we may not ever experience the same sort of droughts for mini-ITX motherboards that we do for mATX, there’s quite often one option to choose from each of the major manufacturers. Today, we’ve chosen the Asus ROG STRIX X570-I Gaming for $250.

Asus has managed to cram an impressive feature-set onto this little guy with; 70A Power Stages, a 10 Phase VRM (8+2) with active cooling, support for up to 64GB of DDR4-4800MHz memory, 2x PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, Intel Gigabit LAN + AX200 Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0, SupremeFX S1220A Audio CODEC, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 is Type-C) + 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and 4x SATA III 6Gb/s ports.

Not only does the STRIX X570-I have competitive VRM performance for ITX AM4 motherboards overall, but it also sports some of the best rear I/O USB connectivity and memory overclocking support. Builders who want the best possible SFF (small form factor) PC for high-end Ryzen CPUs like the 5800X, you cannot go wrong with the X570-I Gaming.

Summary

AMD continues to dominate the CPU market with Zen 3, and based on their consistent and dramatic improvements, things might start to get tense in the GPU market later this year when Big Navi finally drops. Even though Zen 3 brought a price hike, the performance improvements more than justify an additional $50 on top of what was already a reasonable ask for each tier of Ryzen. However you feel about any PC hardware company, competition is almost always a marvelous thing. We have tons of crazy developments headed our way for at least the next few years because of it.

Best Entry-Level: Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC – This is the best option under $200 for builders looking to leverage PCIe 4.0 with a 5800X who may not want to “waste” features like support for multiple Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs on the more expensive X570. The B550 Aorus Pro AC also prioritizes rear I/O USB connectivity more than most other available B550 options.

Best Overall: Asus ROG STRIX X570-E Gaming – Consistency, quality, and reliability are typically the hallmarks of ROG STRIX products, and the X570-E Gaming is no different. With a rock-solid VRM, plenty of USB 3.2 and SATA III ports, and a POST code readout, Asus has one of the most well-rounded high-end X570 boards perfectly suited for the 5800X. If you’re not a fan of Asus, or you specifically require onboard Power/Reset and Clear CMOS buttons, check out the MSI MEG X570 Unify for the same price instead.

Best High-Performance: MSI MEG X570 Ace – For $370, the X570 Ace is one of the best enthusiast-class motherboards with a competent high-end VRM, gorgeous design, and similar features to even $700 boards like the MEG X570 Godlike or Gigabyte’s $700 X570 Aorus Xtreme.

Best mATX: Asus TUF Gaming B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi) –  The TUF Gaming series continues to deliver with its digital camouflage aesthetic, excellent build quality, and best-in-class USB connectivity for $180.

Best mini-ITX: Asus ROG STRIX X570-I Gaming – Competitive VRM design for X570 ITX and massive USB connectivity on the rear I/O. If you’re thinking of grabbing a 5800X, there is no better option for SFF systems on the market!

The post 5 Best Motherboards for the Ryzen 7 5800X appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

So, you think you want to build a decent PC? 

Well, you probably do, especially if you’re reading this article.

However, what might not be so clear is whether you should build a Ryzen-based rig or use one of the more recently-released Intel chips. With the new Zen 4 chips not due out until the second half of 2022, the latest offerings from AMD have now been on the market for well over a year. 

With that said, they still pack some punch. Today, we’re going to see how the i5-12600K, which is around a year younger than its counterpart, stacks up against the Ryzen 7 5800X. 

We’ll be comparing the specs, affordability, feature set, power consumption, and the benchmark results of both chips, before making a recommendation which will hopefully make it clear exactly where you should be putting your cash.

Specifications

1. Specification Comparison

The 12600K has ten cores and sixteen threads, while the 5800X has around 20% fewer cores (eight) and the same number of threads (sixteen). Working in AMD’s favour, though, is the fact that it does have a smaller processor manufacturing node, meaning that there is a shorter distance between transistors (7nm, as opposed to the 10nm distance on Intel’s new chips).

The 5800X also has a significantly larger L3 Cache, and lower TDP. This is all good news for the Ryzen line, but Intel – having the newer product on the market – have made the wise decision to include support for DDR5 and LPDDR5 in their Alder Lake range. And, while the 12600K definitely draws more power between these two, it also is capable of a higher boost clock speed.

Verdict: Despite all of the good intentions of AMD to make a much more energy-efficient chip here, the fact that Intel have the more powerful product (on paper, at least), and have included support for the next generation of memory, makes it hard to justify picking the 5800X (except, maybe, for gamers particularly concerned about their ecological footprint).

2. Price & Availability

The 12600K, as with most of Intel’s processors right now, is only available on Amazon via third-party sellers. When we last checked, the cheapest you’ll be able to find it for is $349, which is around 16% higher than its list price.

The 5800X paints a much more appealing picture for buyers, being readily available at a discount of just over 21% ($427.99). Also working in the favour of this Ryzen chip is the fact that it will be compatible with many older motherboards (those with AM4 sockets), while anyone picking up an Alder Lake CPU will also find themselves an extra couple of hundred dollars down due to the need for a new LGA 1700 board.

Verdict: The fact that buying a 12600K means having to deal with scalpers is off-putting. Having to buy a brand-new motherboard with it will only compound that. On the other hand, the 5800X could actually save you a significant amount of cash, especially if you already have an AM4 mobo. So, if money is a serious factor you need to consider, go with the 5800X.

3. Included Features

The 12600k belongs to the Alder Lake line, which brings with it some very interesting new features. Perhaps the most notable of these is the Golden Cove architecture, which has been designed from scratch and combines two different types of cores (“Performance Cores” and “Efficiency Cores”). In theory, this allows for better scaling in power-consumption according to how the PC is being used.

Additionally, DDR5 and LPDDR5 compatibility provide a significant head start for Intel’s offering. AMD have now announced that their AM5 chips will support the next generation of memory, but their release has now been put back to at least “2H 2022” (so expect them in the summer at the earliest).

And, as with the other chips in their ‘K’ range, the 12600K comes with an integrated GPU (the UHD 770). While it’s modest – much more modest than a good dedicated GPU, and significantly lower-powered than the iGPUs of the Ryzen’s ‘G’ series – it does provide a fall-back option that the 5800X does not. If you do choose to rely on the 770 while shopping for a more powerful graphics card, we’d advise you to temper your expectations; it’s absolutely fine for Rocket League and other eSports games, but it’s not going to provide impressive visual results by most measures.

The 5800X, being part of Ryzen’s newest generation of chips, has a much less eye-catching list of features this time around. However, one of the most talked about inclusions on this chip is the entirely new architecture design which takes the emphasis off of the Infinity Fabric. This is due to the Core Complex Dies (CCD) now being able to hold eight cores rather than four; consequently, AMD have significantly lowered the need for IF as each of the eight cores can access the 20MB L3 Cache without any inherent latency. Their higher-end chips still support IF (for example, on 12-core chipsets), but there’s no need for one in this case.

Verdict: Intel have really outdone themselves with their latest generation of chips. By taking a much more forward-thinking approach, their support for PCIe 5.0, DDR5, and LPDDR5 has given them the much stronger feature-set on paper. If your main concern is whether or not your CPU can support the latest technologies, it’s hard to recommend against the 12600K.

4. Power Efficiency

One of the most interesting shifts Intel have made is to redefine the power consumption of their Alder Lake processors. Rather than using the TDP definition, they’ve now moved to two separate terms; the first is PBP (which stands for “Processor Base Power”), and the other is MTP (“Maximum Turbo Power”). What they have kept fairly quiet is that these chips can scale up their power toward the MTP without the user really being aware of it.

The 5800X has a base TDP of 105W, which is a 16% decrease compared to the 12600K’s base clock. Even when overclocked, any AM4 chip won’t be able to pull more than 142W, which is still lower than the MTP of Intel’s chip (150W).

Verdict: Again, AMD have always done a good job of making their chips power efficient. With the latest Ryzen line, this has continued to be the case, and the 5800X is capable of providing staggering gaming performance while using significantly less juice than its competitor. Definitely worthy of consideration for any eco-minded gamers out there. 

5. Benchmark Comparison

To get the best possible understanding of how these two chips stack up against each other, we’ll be pulling the benchmarking results from several different sources. These should help us to not only understand which chip has better processing capabilities on paper, but also how that actually carries through into real-world usage.

The first source we’ll look at will be UserBenchmark, which attempts to compute and analyse “millions of benchmarks”. Their results tend to be good for getting a rough overview of what to actually expect from these chips. 

Based on their generated report, the 12600K appears to be the vastly superior product. It outshines the AMD in just about any area most gamers are likely to be concerned with; things like faster single, dual, quad, and octa-core speeds (whether at base clock or overclocked). The 5800X, on the other hand, has slightly better memory latency and looks to be more energy efficient.

Thankfully, we can also get some actual game-performance scores, thanks to Tom’s Hardware. Their comparison of the two CPUs (as well as the 5900X) allows us to see exactly how they each handle some of the most demanding titles on the market today.

The first of these is Horizon Zero Dawn, which was tested at 1080P with the Ultra graphics preset. In that test, the 5800X was the marginal victor with an average FPS of 178.7; ever so slightly beating the 12600K, whether it was paired with DDR4 (176.4 FPS) or DDR5 (176.5 FPS).

With the resolution bumped up to 1440P, something a little interesting happens. The 5800X still churns out a perfectly good 153.3 FPS on average, but the 12600K with DDR5 now out-performs it with an average of 154.4 FPS. However, pair the 12600K with DDR4 and you’ll see a fairly inconsequential drop to 152.3 FPS.

One of the most startling gaming tests was their comparison of both chips while running Microsoft’s Flight Simulator at 1080P and Ultra settings. In that matchup, the 12600K with DDR4 pulled a very impressive average of 143 FPS. Switch that memory to DDR5, though, and there is a somewhat severe reduction of just under 19 FPS. The 5800X sits more-or-less right between them, with 135.6 FPS on average.

Likewise, the Red Dead Redemption 2 comparison (at 1080P with the Ultra preset) had somewhat surprising results. The 5800X managed an average of 171.9 FPS, beating the 12600K with both DDR4 (162.1 FPS) and DDR5 (160.1 FPS) RAM.

With results like these, it’s a good idea to bring in a third set of benchmarking results. For that, we looked at CPU Monkey, which looks at the results of benchmarking utilities like Cinebench and Geekbench, allowing readers to easily compare them.

In almost every single Cinebench test, the victory went to the 12600K. Sometimes this was by a fairly narrow margin (like 1% with Cinebench R15), while it grew to as large as 15% in others (R23 Single-Core, R23 Multi-Core, and R20 Multi-Core). The one W for the 5800X was the Cinebench R15 Multi-Core test (where it was the better-performing chip by 1%). 

Even in the Geekbench Single and Multi-Core tests, the 12600K was the clear victor (by 12% and 7%, respectively).

Verdict: It was very surprising to look at these results. Based on Cinebench, Geekbench, and User Benchmark scores, you could hardly be blamed for expecting the 12600K to be the superior CPU. However, it looks like the 5800X has genuinely better real-world performance, despite being limited to DDR4 memory.

6. Verdict

Consumers looking to put together a workbench machine should look no further than the 12600K. The Cinebench and Geekbench scores alone were enough to settle our minds in this regard, and the fact that this chip can also support the latest and greatest technologies is just another reason to invest in it. It might be more expensive initially, but we have a feeling that its longevity is going to make it a worthwhile investment.

For gamers, both of these chips will do a great job. However, the clear winner is absolutely the 12600K. While some of its wins over the 5800X were a little marginal, we feel that future titles are going to make much better use of DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 technology. Again, the initial overheads of getting set up with the processor are going to be higher, but we have a feeling that it’s going to be well worth it if it means you can get an extra year or two out of your machine.

If you’re only looking for a general use machine, we’d recommend going with the 5800X. It’s still going to churn out impressive performance during heavy multimedia editing work and gaming, and the cost (especially when you factor in the more affordable motherboards) make it an absolute no-brainer.

The post Intel Core i5-12600K vs AMD Ryzen 7 5800X: Which is Best Value? appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

The next batch of AMD Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs is finally upon us after the initial launch saw AMD’s available units sell out within minutes. And though this launch was disappointing to many, it did allow reviewers to thoroughly test these processors, and release benchmarks that can help us make a more educated assessment in regards to which CPU is best for each intended purpose.

A somewhat controversial topic, when it comes to comparing the recently announced Zen 3 processors, has been gaming. This controversy is related to the fact that all four Ryzen 5000 Series processors seem to perform similarly when it comes to framerate benchmarks, with only slight differences between each model. What makes this an impressive feat for the Ryzen 5600X, which is the least expensive of the Zen 3 lineup, is that it performs similarly to the Intel’s flagship i9-10900K, at almost half the cost. If one were to add the additional value that an AMD Radeon RX GPU would add to any Ryzen processor, with their mutual use of Smart Access Memory, then this benchmarked framerate becomes even more remarkable.

Despite knowing that predicting the distant future is practically impossible, what we can foresee is that game developers are much more likely to optimize their titles based on both AMD’s CPU and GPU capabilities and features, as both new-generation consoles – the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 – utilize these AMD hardware components. Therefore, this lead that AMD processors and graphics cards hold over their Intel and Nvidia counterparts, may very well increase as time passes by; and, as developers continue to optimize their games to the potential of these processors, the hardware demands that these games will have will also see an equivalent increase. So, the current six cores and twelve threads that are currently necessary to run any game perfectly fine, may become outdated in just a few years’ time.

What differentiates AMD’s current Ryzen CPUs with their previous generation, Zen 2, processors, is Zen-3’s new CCX (Core Complex) architecture – which has doubled in size. Previously, each CCD (Core Chiplet Die) could hold up to four CCXs, and each CCX could contain four cores and 16 MB of L3 Cache. Now, a CCD only needs to hold two CCXs, as each can now contain eight cores and 32 MB of L3 Cache. Because these CCXs are not required to communicate with each other through AMD’s IF (Infinity Fabric) to gain access to all 32 MB of L3 cache, each core can reach much higher single-core speeds; which gaming applications are more dependent on. Hence why we see such a significant generational leap between the Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs, in terms of framerate output. Additionally, because games are not reliant on multi-core performance, a single CCX is more than enough for processing games, even at a high level. Out of the currently four announced Ryzen 5000 Series processors, two models have a single CCX: The Ryzen 5 5600X, and the Ryzen 7 5800X.

The price difference between these two CPUs is of the order of 50%, so choosing which processor to invest in can be a tough choice to make. To better assess whether or not the Ryzen 7 5800X’s specifications justify its cost – when compared to the Ryzen 5 5600X – we will analyze their features, power efficiency, benchmark performance, price and availability, and come to a conclusion on which Zen 3 CPU provides the best value for gaming, and other applications.

Ryzen 5600X vs 5800X – Specifications

	Ryzen 5 5600X	Ryzen 7 5800X
Design
Processing Node	TSMC 7 nm FinFET	TSMC 7 nm FinFET
Cores	6	8
Threads	12	16
Level 3 Cache	32 MB	32 MB
CCX Capacity	8 Cores 32 MB L3 Cache	8 Cores 32 MB L3 Cache
Base Clock Speed	3.7 GHz	3.8 GHz
Boost Clock Speed	4.6 GHz	4.7 GHz
Chipset	AM4	AM4
PCIe Version	4.0 x16	4.0 x16
TDP	65 W	105 W
Stock Cooler	Wraith Stealth	-Not Included-
Price	299	449
Launch Date	5th November, 2020	5th November, 2020
Availability	Amazon.com	Amazon.com

Specification Comparison

Both CPUs feature an identical interface: an AM4 chipset, PCIe 4.0 x16 compatibility, 3,200 MHz DDR4 dual channel system memory, and a TSMC 7 nm FinFET processing node. Of course, there is a clear advantage for the Ryzen 7 5800X in terms of specifications, in that it has two additional cores and four additional threads; though still sharing the same 32 MB L3 cache that the Ryzen 5 5600X’s cores can access. Other than that, the Ryzen 7 5800X’s cores also operate at a base, and boost, clock frequency that is 100 MHz faster than the equivalent Ryzen 5 5600X speeds – which is not a significant amount, but can still translate to a minor boost in performance. The main aspect in favor of the Ryzen 7 5800X’s specs, is that it has a full-capacity CCX, with a core and thread count that is equivalent to what can be found in both new-generation consoles.

Price & Availability

But when speaking of these new-generation consoles, it must be pointed out that the Ryzen 7 5800X, alone, costs almost as much as either one of them. This is also the argument in favor of the Ryzen 5 5600X. This CPU may cost 50% more than the previous generation Ryzen 5 3600X, but it still offers the best price for performance ratio (TechSpot) of all four initially launched Zen 3 processors. Not only that, but it is also the only Ryzen 5000 Series model that includes a stock cooler. Of course, the stock cooler isn’t the greatest, but for someone looking to build a new PC on a budget, and cares little about overclocking their CPU, the Wraith Stealth can provide sufficient cooling, and overall additional value to the CPU’s price. The previous generation Ryzen 7 3800X also did include a stock cooler, in the form of the Wraith Prism: A respectable cooler that perhaps could have been included in the price of the $50-more-expensive Ryzen 7 5800X.

In terms of availability, neither of these two CPUs can currently be found, as AMD’s initial stock disappeared almost instantly. An AMD executive now mentions that they shipped “tons of units”, but demand greatly exceeded their supply. Still, no matter how high the demand was, it should not take a few minutes to completely sell out of a new series of four different CPU model… but we digress. Currently, it does look like the Ryzen 5 5600X holds a much higher market share (UserBenchmark) than the Ryzen 7 5800X, and chances are it will be the more popular choice between the two. This also means that it is more likely to sell out at a faster pace, and therefore be more difficult to find in comparison to the Ryzen 7 5800X when they re-release.

Included Features

All Zen 3 CPUs are set to include AMD’s StoreMI technology, which pairs frequently used files on an HDD with an SSD cache, for quicker load times, boot times, and system responsiveness. It does so by mirroring these files to the SSD, and redirecting the operating system to use the mirrored files.

Additionally, AMD Ryzen Master Utility will be bundled, which is a software application that can be used for system monitoring and overclocking for both Ryzen CPUs and Radeon GPUs if available.

Finally, if you are planning to purchase one of AMD’s new RDNA 2 Radeon RX 6000 Series GPUs, then the Zen 3 Ryzen CPU will also utilize Smart Access Memory, which creates an expanded data channel, incorporating both CPU and GPU memory in order to remove the GPU memory ceiling via the utilization of PCIe bandwidth. Effectively, this feature increases the overall framerate output of the GPU by up to 11%, across multiple gaming titles.

Power Efficiency

Another aspect which makes the Ryzen 5 5600X, even more, cost-efficient than it already is, especially versus the Ryzen 7 5800X, is its incredibly low 65 W TD: which is 40 Watts less than the TDP of the Ryzen 7 5800X. This 38% power efficiency is especially remarkable, given the gap in actual performance between the two CPUs.

Benchmark Comparison

To get a complete picture of how the Ryzen 5 5600X fares against the Ryzen 7 5800X, we must not just compare their single core capabilities, but also their multi core performance as well.

TechSpot provides us with Cinebench R20 scores for both CPUs, and the Ryzen 7 5800X unsurprisingly outperforms the Ryzen 5 5600X, with a score of 5,982 to its 4,462. It also outperforms the equivalent 8 core 16 thread i7-10700K by 997 points. The single-core Cinebench R20 scores are a bit closer, as the Ryzen 5 5600X has a score of 600, versus the 625 score of the Ryzen 7 5800X. Minor discrepancies are also found in the gaming benchmarks, where, in the average of the 11 games that were tested, the Ryzen 7 5800X outperforms the Ryzen 5 5600X by only 6 FPS (211 FPS vs 205 FPS); while both outperform the Intel i7-10700K (200 FPS), and trail only slightly to the i9-10900K (213 FPS) by 2 and 8 FPS respectively.

Where the Ryzen 7 5800X falls significantly behind to the Ryzen 5 5600X, is its price to performance ratio. Even for multicore performance, the Ryzen 7 5800X trails by 10.7% in cost-per-frame, while for gaming performance it trails by 31.5%… But both CPUs fall behind the Ryzen 5 3600 in both categories as well. The main issue with reports that display a price to performance ratio, is the fact that the threshold of performance one seeks from a component is not taken into account. For example, if someone is shopping for a CPU that can be paired with a Radeon RX 6800 XT to consistently maintain a framerate above 120 FPS for 1080p gaming, then no matter how price efficient the Ryzen 5 3600 is, it will not suit their baseline needs.

This is also the aspect that needs to be considered for the Ryzen 5 5600X. Will it continue to process such high framerates, as the graphical capabilities of new-generation games progress? On the other hand, for the Ryzen 7 5800X, we must ask:  Is it worth its price, considering it only costs $100 less than the Ryzen 9 5900X?

Verdict

Both the Ryzen 5 5600X and the Ryzen 7 5800X do delivery an amazing level of performance for their price –but if pure value is what you seek, then nothing beats the Ryzen 5 5600X – especially when it comes solely to gaming. Not only does it perform on a high level, but it even achieves an average framerate that is within 3.75% of the what Intel’s flagship i9-10900K is capable of, while costing far less, and requiring almost half the amount of thermal power. 

If the intended purpose of your PC build is not just gaming, then the additional cores and threads of the other Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs will come into use for tasks like streaming and content creation. 

This is where the Ryzen 7 5800X should shine, but it is difficult to argue in its favor when the Ryzen 9 5900X is always an option. For $100 more, the Ryzen 9 5900X offers four additional cores, eight threads, and double the L3 cache. Given especially that the Ryzen 7 5800X does not include a CPU cooler, its value really suffers in comparison to the Ryzen 9 5900X. For streaming and gaming on the same PC, the Ryzen 9 5900X is surely the wiser choice, as is the case for running multicore dependent workstation applications, like video editing. 

The only argument that can be made against the Ryzen 5 5600X, is that it might not hold up very well in the near future, whereas the Ryzen 7 5800X may fare much better later down the line. Admittedly, this argument is fairly weak, considering that PC hardware is meant for immediate use, and should not be based upon a theory that may not even come true. For gaming and streaming, the Ryzen 9 5900X appears to provide more value for its cost than the Ryzen 7 5800X, and will surely continue to do so as time progresses. Perhaps the smartest choice would be to wait for the announcement of a Ryzen 7 5700X: A CPU that will cost less and potentially have a 65 W TDP like its Ryzen 3000 Series predecessor. Of course, it is difficult to tell if and when any such announcement may occur, so waiting might ultimately be futile. For now, and for the vast majority of users, the Ryzen 5 5600X is the way to go.

The post AMD Ryzen 5 5600X vs Ryzen 7 5800X: Which CPU is Best Value? appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

We’ve had a few days with our Zen 3 Ryzen 5800X and the bulk of that time has been spent investigating the impact of RAM speed on this new architecture. Since its inception, the Zen design has shown impressive performance scaling with RAM Speed. This a function of the design of the CPU itself.

In short, the CPU cores are connected to the rest of the PC via an interconnect chip known as ‘infinity fabric’. The speed this chip is running at is instrumental to the overall performance of the CPU. Luckily, AMD has an open attitude towards allowing users to tweak settings to their heart’s content, so all of this is adjustable in BIOS. The optimum settings involve ensuring that the RAM speed matches the Infinity fabric frequency 1:1. With these two clock speeds in sync, memory access latency is reduced and you enjoy a performance boost.

Previous Zen 2 RAM Investigation Summary – will Zen 3 continue the trend?

In our previous Zen 2 Ram Speed article we demonstrated the clear performance benefits of increased RAM speed with optimum performance at 3600 and 3733Mhz, and infinity fabric at 1800 and 1866Mhz respectively (note that DDR ram being Double Data Rate, it reports speeds at twice the actual clock frequency). Once you exceeded the ability of the Infinity fabric to match RAM speeds 1:1 however things broke down with increased latency costing performance despite the improved speeds.

The benchmark tests that showed clearest scaling were 3DMark Timespy, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Rainbow 6 Siege’s FPS also showed strong correlation with RAM speed. 

RAM Speed Scaling on a Zen 2 CPU, the Ryzen 3600. 

In this investigation we focussed on the following questions: 

• Firstly, does Zen 3 improve our ability to lift Infinity Fabric speeds to match faster RAM?
• Secondly, does Zen 3 performance scale with RAM speed in the same way we’ve become accustomed to?
• Finally, can we use this information to make any recommendations about the best RAM for your Zen 3 system?

Overclocking RAM on Zen 3

Overclocking on the Zen 3 platform proved relatively straight forward. Using our Patriot Viper 4400Mhz memory kit, which comprises Samsung B-Die Ram with CL19 timings, we were quickly able to establish that our Ryzen 5800X was stable at 4000MHz with Infinity Fabric (Fclck) at 2000MHz. 4066MHz was not stable. We were able to tighten timings down to CL 16-16-16-34 at 4000MHz. From there we established representative RAM profiles across a spectrum of speeds to emulate widely available RAM kits. 

Zen 3 RAM Synthetic Test results: CineBench R20 and Timespy

Honing in on the benchmarks that matter we again showed that Cinebench is not a reliable indicator of performance linked to RAM: Our scores varied little with RAM speed. 

Note that the scale starts at 5000 Points: The difference between these results is small enough not to cause concern, and it’s not possible to consider this a ‘trend’ in performance owing to the marginally lower scores at higher speeds. Cinebench R20 appears almost oblivious to the RAM speed of the System with even 2133MHz not causing a significant performance deficit.

TImespy is a Dx12 based benchmark with a portion dedicated to CPU performance in isolation. It’s those scores we’re concentrating on here.

In Zen 2 we saw a strong positive trend with RAM speed from 2133MHz to 3733MHz, and we observe the same here on Zen 3: Slower RAM is a serious detriment to performance, with 3600MHz yielding much higher results. However, increasing speeds into the realms of 3800 and 4000MHz sees little if any improvement in performance with 4000MHz CL18 close but slightly behind 3600MHz and 3800MHz. Tightening timings to CL16 sees performance slacken to just under 12000 points: A very interesting results given what we thought we knew about infinity fabrics speed and its relationship to CPU performance. We don’t know the reason for this given that all things being equal these tighter timings should increase performance, or at the very least not harm it. 

Moving onto key gaming benchmarks, we looked at Rainbow 6 Siege and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Both of these titles demonstrated the benefits of faster RAM on Zen2 and again showed the negative impact once the 1:1 infinity fabric to memory clock ratio was broken.

Zen 3 RAM Gaming Benchmarks: RAM Speed vs FPS

1. Rainbow 6 Siege

Here we again see the same performance scaling to 3800MHz, followed by a slight tailing off as RAM speed climbs higher. Tightening timings at 4000MHz helps a little. Despite maintaining a 1:1 infinity fabric ratio throughout, we’re seeing a similar but less pronounced softening of performance past 3800Mhz just as we did on Zen 2.

2. Shadow of the Tomb Raider

This game again uses DX12 and has a comprehensive benchmarking tool which gives us interesting insight into the factors affecting the game’s performance. Specifically, it breaks down performance into ‘CPU game’ and ‘CPU render’ as well as GPU performance and indicates how GPU limited the benchmark is. All tests were conducted at 1080p medium on a GTX 1080 Ti but even that induced a GPU limitation due to the prodigious speed of the Ryzen 5800X. Due to the benchmark independently reporting CPU frame rates it can be eliminated as a factor.

We once again see a similar trend here with peak performance at 3800Mhz, and then a slackening at 3933Mhz and 4000MHz. From 3600-4000Mhz performance is in the same ballpark with variances that aren’t going to be material in the real world. Note that none of these will impact gaming at normal settings: You will be GPU limited at FPS below these numbers in this detailed AAA title. 

Conclusion: 3600MHz is still the best RAM for AMD’s Ryzen CPUs

We can now set about answering the questions we posed at the outset:

Zen 3 does allow us significantly higher Infinity Fabric clocks, and with it higher viable memory overclocks. This is exciting for overclockers because of the potential performance gains it brings.

However moving on to the second question, we do not see straight forward linear scaling until the break down of infinity Fabric Clocks as we did with Zen 2: In this instance, performance tails off even with a 1:1 infinity fabric ratio despite faster ram with tighter timings and lower latencies. In the real world, these slight variances won’t be noticeable, but similarly, we are not seeing anything like the scaling from 3600MHz-4000MHz as we get from raising Ram speeds from 3200MHz – 3600MHz.

Finally, we can now make confident recommendations on the basis of these results, which are in line with those obtained by experienced overclockers: 3600MHz RAM is still the best option for Ryzen CPUs. To arrive at this conclusion we can consider firstly that performance plateaus or even tails off after that. Secondly, there is the cost and availability of RAM. Since 3600MHz became the ‘sweet spot’ for Zen 2 Manufacturers have produced a number of fantastic RAM kits and prices have dropped due to a glut of RAM supply. To obtain RAM significantly faster than 3600MHZ prices jump from around $80/16GB for 3600MHz CL16, to $100 or more for 4000MHZ CL18 which as our investigation above shows will be marginally slower on Zen 3. Finally, investigations by Gamers Nexus indicate that dual-rank DIMMs may be slightly faster, making a 32GB kit in 2x16GB Configuration at 3600MHz likely to be ideal for most people.

With all of this in mind, we make the following recommendations for RAM for Zen 3 builds in 2021:

RAM Recommendations for Zen 3 Builds

Award	Design	Model
Best All-round RAM Kit for Zen 3 Builds		G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB DDR4-3600 CL16
Best RAM for Zen 3 Gaming Builds		Crucial Ballistix 16GB DDR4-3600 CL16
Best Enthusiast RAM Kit for Ryzen Zen 3		G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-4000 CL16
Best RGB RAM for Ryzen Zen 3		G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 CL18
Best 64 GB RAM Kit for Ryzen Zen 3		Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x32GB DDR4-3200 CL16

Best All-round RAM Kit for Zen 3

Combining all that we have learnt so far about Zen 3 Memory performance, the G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB DDR4-3600 CL16 kit hits all the bases. Using 2 dual-rank 16Gb Sticks with 3600MHz frequency and tight 16-19-19-39 timings mean you’ll be as close to optimized as one click can get you just by enabling the A-XMP profile. 32GB RAM provides ample for productivity, the most demanding games and light creative work such as video editing. At $150 it’s reasonably priced for 32Gb, exactly double the cost of the 16Gb equivalent. This is the RAM kit we’re confident meets the needs of almost everyone looking to take advantage of the prodigious power of the Zen 3 CPUs for gaming and general use. 

Best RAM for Zen 3 Gaming Builds

Crucial is Microns commercial brand and the Ballistix 16GB DDR4-3600 CL16 kit uses Micron E-Die RAM chips to deliver the performance sweet spot at a very attractive price. 16GB is still ample for almost all games and general use and multitasking. It’s been available for some time at the $75 price point making it a very worthwhile purchase and the best value of all the popular 16GB kits. The 3600MHz speed enjoys widespread compatibility with Zen 3 CPUs, whilst the quality of the E-Die chips lend themselves to tweaking and overclocking for even more performance if the mood takes you. If not the embedded A-XMP profile will ensure reliability and stability at the rated speeds. It is a 2x8GB stick for dual channel operation and any RAM kit you consider should be a dual-stick kit because of the large performance benefit that brings. The kit ships with discreet black anodized heat spreaders that integrates well with most builds but it is also available in white or red if that better suits your preferences. With this kit just $10 more than the most basic of RAM kits from less well-established brands we see no reason to opt for anything else. 

Best Enthusiast RAM Kit for Ryzen Zen 3

If you want to explore the limits of memory overclocking on Zen 3 then there’s no substitute for the Samsung B-Die RAM that makes up this kit, the G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB DDR4-4000 CL16 – our recommended RAM kit for enthusiast Zen 3 builds. It’s very fast RAM with tight timings at the speed, and whilst it may not work optimally with the A-XMP profile applied there’s huge scope for manually tweaking timings and exploring optimizations. B-die kits can range from $100 to $500 or more depending on binning but it’s certainly not worth getting a top tier binned kit unless you’re intent on challenging world OC records. If you want to find out for yourself exactly what makes Zen 3 run sweetest, this is the kit for you. 

Best RGB RAM for Ryzen Zen 3

We’ve got a soft spot for a set of four RAM sticks with synchronized RGB here at Premiumbuilds and the G.Skill Trident Z Neo DDR4-3600 CL18 kit certainly scratches that itch. The core specifications are solid with 3600MHz and CAS latency of 18 so your CPU will operate with a near optimum 1800MHz infinity Fabric Clock. G.Skill offer a very useful reverse QVL list so it’s easy to ensure compatibility with your chosen motherboard. The RGB can be controlled via any of Gigabytes RGB Fusion, Asus Aura Sync, MSi Mystic Light or Asrock Polychrome software so it integrates well with the rest of your RGB and doesn’t require stand alone software. The RGB elements are beautifully detailed and this kit will lend some real visual flair to your build. 

Best 64 GB RAM Kit for Ryzen Zen 3

If your primary concern is the quantity of RAM – be it for a video edit workstation or scientific computation – then the Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x32GB DDR4-3200 CL16 kit is an excellent choice. Our benchmarks show minimal performance penalties at 3200MHz – RAM latency simply doesn’t impact tasks like rendering in the same way as it does gaming – but this is still 3200MHz RAM with CAS latency of 16 and performs well enough for AMD to showcase their new top tier GPU’s using RAM of this specification. Corsair are a long-standing brand and their LPX line is ubiquitous so obtaining matched RAM for future expansion won’t be a problem. Corsair also offer a 3600MHz LPX kit but supply is patchy and with a CAS latency of 18 the actual memory latency is nearly identical to this kit. If you need to pack as much RAM as possible then sacrificing a little speed for cost and capacity makes sense which is why this kit is a great buy. 

Benchmark Notes

The tests were conducted using the Premiumbuilds test bench, which comprises a Ryzen 5800X, MSI B550 Mortar Motherboard using AGESA 1.1.0.0 Patch C BIOS. RAM used was the Patriot Viper PVS416G440C9K 4400Mhz Samsung B-die Kit. PBO was activated but no manual CPU overclocking was undertaken. Timings under test were as follows

The post Zen 3 RAM Speeds: An Analysis of the Best RAM for Zen 3 appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

AMD’s RDNA2 launch announcement has put the cat amongst the pigeons in the upper end of the GPU market. Finally, Nvidia has competition on their hands. The entry-level RDNA2 GPU is the Radeon RX 6800. This GPU promises to equal or better the RTX 3070 in 1440p and 4k gaming performance but offers double the VRAM with 16GB instead of 8GB. Retailing at $579 the RX 6800 offers compelling performance for the money. We’re excited that GPUs capable of high FPS 1440p gaming is attainable for less than $600.

In this build guide, we’ve assembled a parts list that seeks to maximise the performance and longevity of the system based around the Radeon RX 6800. We’ve taken care to ensure that the PC will last well into the future without requiring upgrades or expansion. We’ve done this by choosing the current best in class CPU, optimised RAM and 2TB of NVME SSD storage. This PC will provide a top-notch gaming experience for the foreseeable future but packs enough punch to double as a versatile workstation and general-purpose PC as well. Its ideally suited to high FPS 1440p gaming or running a 1440p ultrawide monitor for an enthralling AAA gaming experience. It’s well capable of 4K gaming if you want to bring PC gaming to the living room TV or a dedicated 4K monitor. Let’s run through the parts selection.

Best RX 6800 Gaming PC Build – Our Recommendations

CPU

We’ve opted for AMD’s 8 core part in the new Zen 3 line up for this build, the Ryzen 7 5800X. This CPU has a 3.8Ghz Base clock and boosts to 4.7GHz with ‘Power boost Overdrive’ meaning it has excellent gaming performance. AMD has boasted of a huge leap forwards with their revised Zen 3 Architecture. They’ve enhanced the Cache access for the 8 cores and reduced the latency of the interconnect between cores – traditionally a big performance barrier in the Zen layout. All of this adds up to a CPU that will outperform any current intel CPU in gaming, whilst 8 cores and 16 threads meaning it is both adept at productivity tasks and multitasking but also set to last the course as programmes become more demanding in future. Finally, the RDNA2 announcement offered a few more compelling reasons to opt for an AMD CPU. Combined with the B550 motherboard ‘Smart Memory Access’ gives the CPU broadband interconnect with the GPU VRAM dramatically enhancing framerates at 1440p and 4K. AMD Claim a benefit of 5-10% using this technology, certainly worthwhile. Secondly this CPU is fully PCIe 4.0 compliant allowing faster communication with both the primary GPU and a PCIe 4.0 SSD in future. Overall the $449 Ryzen 5800X is a rock-solid core for this PC and represents best in class technology at a reasonable price point.

CPU Coolers

The Ryzen 5800X isn’t particularly hot running or hard to cool. We’ve chosen a great looking and reliable tower cooler with some added RGB highlights to match the case. This tower cooler – the ID-COOLING SE-234-ARGB, uses 4 heat pipes, and a quiet 120mm PWM tan to draw heat away from the CPU. Its 200W cooling capacity is more than enough for the 105W power draw of the 5800X. It’s simple to install and includes AM4 compatible bracketry. Meanwhile, black anodising and an addressable RGB shroud compliments the styling of the motherboard and case to give your PC a cohesive aesthetic. If you’re not a fan of the RGB, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black edition is an equally capable and more discreet looking cooler at the same price. 

Motherboard

MSI has released a strong line up of B550 motherboards in support of Zen 3 and this mid-range Gaming Edge model hits the sweet spot of performance, features and price. The 10+2 phase power supply circuitry is more than capable of supporting the Ryzen 5800X at full speeds and there are heavy-duty VRM heatsinks to help draw heat away from the components. The MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge WiFi motherboard incorporates Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth for versatile connectivity but also has a 2.5GB Ethernet port powered by a Realtek chipset. The ALC1200 Audio codec is mid-range but allows for excellent audio output and there’s optical SPDIF as well as five 3.5mm audio outputs. It supports PCIe 4.0 and AMD’s ‘Smart Memory Access’ technology to boost the performance of the RX 6800 GPU. Finally, it has a discreet black aesthetic in keeping with the rest of the build.

Memory

RAM prices have dropped consistently in 2020 and 32GB is now a sensible choice for a high-performance PC build. Our own investigations have shown 3600MHz RAM to be the sweet spot in terms of performance and value on Zen 2 CPU’s. Because Zen 3 CPU’s retain the same IO die and ‘infinity fabric’ as Zen 2 we’re confident that 3600MHZ speed will remain the best value option for Zen 3. Whilst this RAM has slightly slower CL18 timings it’s clock speed that really impacts performance by synchronising the CPU’s infinity fabric and RAM frequencies. This 32Gb Team T-FORCE Dark Za Memory Kit comes with a QVL supported one clock A-XMP overclock profile to get it running at optimal speed so you can be confident of compatibility. The Anodised black heat spreader matches the black aesthetic of the motherboard. In 2x16GB configuration you benefit from dual-channel operation and also leave 2 RAM slots free should you ever need to upgrade capacity in future. 

Storage

Games are getting ever-larger and we don’t want to under specify SSD space for a versatile and powerful PC. That’s why we’ve opted for the Adata Swordfish NVMe SSD in 2Tb capacity. At $200 this is a remarkable value. Whilst it is a mid-range SSD with 1,800MB/s read and 1,400MB/s write it’s plenty fast enough for general use and gaming and it will even handle occasional video editing and other storage punishing tasks with ease. We haven’t chosen a PCIe 4.0 SSD because the much higher cost is rarely justified and the benefits of the additional theoretical speed really aren’t made out for most users. The Adata Swordfish, therefore, strikes the best balance of price, performance and 2TB capacity. It ships with a 5-year warranty and 960Tb total endurance rating as well as inbuilt AES 256 bit encryption.

PC Case

The Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital is an excellent value case including 3 RGB fans and a mesh front panel for optimal airflow. It’s a mid-tower ATX design so it offers plenty of space for components and upgrades but remains more manageable than a full ATX tower. The tempered glass side panel showcases the components within whilst a full suite of dust filters keeps everything clean. Front panel connectors include 2 USB 3.0 sockets and the usual headphone and microphone jack. Build quality is excellent with a PSU shroud, sliding Hard disc trays and good cable management features like tie-down straps and cable channels integrated into the design. A single additional 120MM fan in the top rear position will act as exhaust whilst preserving the 3 fan aesthetic of the front of the case. This Case is a pleasure to build in and look at and provides the airflow to keep everything running cool and quiet.

Power Supply

The total power draw of this system is around 450W peak and we’ve selected a good value and well-specified Power supply to meet these demands. The Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro is a semi-modular design meaning the ATX and EPS cables are permanently connected, whilst you add additional cables to power accessories as required. This build will make use of 2 additional PCIe Cables only to keep the wiring clean and simple. 650W capacity allows headroom for transient loads and also future expansion with a more powerful GPU or additional drives and accessories. It has a quiet operation with a high-quality fan. The PSU uses Japanese capacitors and ships with a 7-year warranty so you can be confident it will last the lifetime of this PC. We’ve been using this Power supply in the Premiumbuilds test bench and have been impressed with its resilience and consistent operation so we have no hesitation recommending it for this build. 

1440P Monitor Recommendation

The RX 6800 is a high-performance GPU and demands a monitor that’s up to task. The Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQ is a 165Hz 1440p IPS panel that benefits from Freesync. The high resolution of this monitor allows sharp images and more detail, really maximizing the power of the GPU for stunning visual fidelity. Meanwhile, it’s able to keep pace with a GPU and CPU that excel in generating fast-paced gameplay. The IPS panel ensures razor-sharp response times and no motion blur, the perfect combination for serious gamers. The panels color accuracy and quality are well regarded in reviews. If you’re planning to make the most of this latest round of GPU’s you really do need a monitor that displays their full potential and the Asus VG27AQ certainly meets the standard. 

Ultrawide Monitor for RX 6800 Alternative

If you’re looking to exploit the power of the RX 6800 for the ultimate AAA gaming experience, or want sims like MS Flight or racing sims to really shine then we’d recommend this 34” ultrawide from LG, the Ultragear 34GK950F-B. The Ultrawide experience wraps around you filling your peripheral vision and immersing you in gameplay. Almost all titles are fully compatible and whilst the previous generation of GPUs required you to spend nearly $1000 to properly drive this demanding resolution we’re now seeing GPUs at under $600 that absolutely excel. This 144Hz panel uses AMD’s Freesync 2 to eliminate screen tearing, smooth framerates and maintain immersion. The IPS panel ensures great colour accuracy and response times. This is a high-end monitor and comes with an integrated USB Hub and a sturdy and ergonomic stand. Reviews praise its image quality and response times. We highly recommend this monitor if you want to take full advantage of the power of the Radeon RX 6800 GPU. 

The post $1800 RX 6800 Gaming PC Build for High-FPS 1440p Gaming appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

After the long-awaited announcement and (questionable) release of Nvidia’s RTX Ampere 3000 Series GPUs, AMD has now announced their gaming-centric Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs – which are set to launch in just a couple of weeks. Given the recent release of gaming-focused GPUs and CPUs; as well as other factors like the optimization of DDR4 memory, which has peaked in terms of cost for performance, the release of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs, or the power of the flagship AM4 compatible X570 motherboards, there really has never been a better time to build a PC. When it comes to gaming, we also have to consider that Microsoft and Sony are in the processing of releasing their new-generation consoles, so not only is the PC gaming hardware available for a max-performance setup, but there will also be next-gen games releasing in the near future, that will make proper use of these high-end components.

The reason we mention that the new Zen 3 CPUs are gaming-optimized, is due to the fact that the upgrade of this new generation is purely focused on reducing inter-core latency, and increasing single-core and single-thread performance. AMD’s Ryzen processors have a unique architecture, in which they place a set of cores within what they call a Core Complex (CCX), and multiple of these complexes can exist within the Core Chiplet Die (CCD); communicating with each other via the use of AMD’s Infinity Fabric (IF) – which will inevitably also increase the internal latency, as they would have to communicate through this additional medium. Zen 2 Ryzen processors could fit up to four cores and 16 MB of Level 3 cache within a single CCX, but Zen 3 Ryzen processors can fit double the amount; which is eight cores and 32 MB of Level 3 cache. This means that Zen 3 processors will have a far lesser need to communicate through these core complexes, even when multiple of them are available. Multiple CCXs can only be found in the two flagship Zen 3 CPUs: The Ryzen 9 5900X and the Ryzen 9 5950X.

It’s due to this new layout of cores and L3 cache that allows us to ask the question of whether or not any CPU above the Ryzen 7 5800X is actually worth its cost for gaming – and if so, under what parameters. The benchmarks displayed by AMD during their Zen 3 launch presentation only included the performance of the Ryzen 9 5950X and the Ryzen 9 5950X; with these benchmarks displaying how these two CPUs compared with their chief competitor, the Intel 10^th generation i9-10900K, and with their previous generation counterparts, in terms of gaming and (a few) content creation applications. These benchmarks, of course, show a significant generational leap between Zen 2 and Zen 3, as well as a performance boost in framerate in comparison to Intel’s i9-10900K. Still, considering how the gaming performance difference between the Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 9 5950X was so minute, it makes one wonder if the reason why AMD did not show the benchmarks of the Ryzen 5 5600X and Ryzen 7 5800X, is because of how close their performance would be to that of their higher-end models – while still costing much less.

Sitting in the middle of these four announced CPUs, the Ryzen 7 5800X and the Ryzen 9 5900X are separated by a price difference of $100, while the CPU below them, the Ryzen 5 5600X costs $150 less than their price range, and the Ryzen 9 5950X costing $250 above their price range. This is a subject in which AMD has been catching plenty of criticism, as they have increased the price of these Zen 3 CPUs by $50-$100, in comparison to the launch price of their Zen 2 counterparts, despite keeping the same number of cores, threads, processing node, cache and compatibilities. Especially considering how the Ryzen 5 5600X saw a dramatic increase in price of 50%, when compared to the Ryzen 5 3600X, and how the other three CPUs no longer include a Wraith Prism stock cooler, makes these criticisms quite justified.

On the other hand, its hard to blame AMD for their decision to increase prices, when they really no longer have any meaningful competition in terms of CPU performance. Intel used to hold the title of “best gaming CPU manufacturer”, but even still they were far behind in terms of overall value, due to their double-sized processing node, low L3 cache storage, lesser multi-core performance, and their inadequate power efficiency. Adding to that the fact that their latest 10^th generation processors required a new LGA1200 compatible Z490 motherboard, simply exacerbated the price to performance deficit Intel has to AMD.

If you are eager to pre-order one of AMD’s new Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 series CPUs, but are stuck between whether to get the Ryzen 7 5800X or the Ryzen 9 5900X, then this article will help you choose which CPU is best for your needs, as we will analyze their specifications, and any currently released benchmarks by AMD, in order to assess  which CPU holds better value for different utilization purposes.

Ryzen 9 5900X vs Ryzen 7 5800X: Specifications

Ryzen 9 5900X

The first CPU announced, to kick off the AMD Zen 3 announcement, was the Ryzen 9 5900X. This CPU comes equipped with 12 cores, 24 threads, and a massive 64 MB Level 3 cache. That means that this processor will have two CCXs: One with 8 cores, 16 threads, and 32 MB of L3 cache, and the other with 4 cores, 8 threads, and 32 MB of L3 cache – pretty much the full specifications of the Ryzen 3 3300X, but with double the cache. The operating frequency of the R9 5900X clocks at 3.7 GHz, while the boost clock speeds it can reach start at 4.8 GHz. The processing node is identical to the previous generation Zen 2 CPUs; as is the TSMC 7 nm FinFET, the PCIe 4.0 and AM4 compatibility, and the DDR4 RAM system type support, with base speeds of up to 3,200 MHz. Despite these high-end specifications, the R9 5900X has a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of only 105 watts, which is excellent for its level of performance. The MSRP of this processor is $550, and is set to release on November the 5^th.

Ryzen 7 5800X

Much like its more expensive Ryzen 9 counterpart, the Ryzen 7 5800X also has the same fabrication node, PCIe 4.0, RAM, and AM4 compatibility, as well as the same TDP of 105 W. Where this CPU differs, is that it has a single, maxed out, CCX, which includes 8 cores, 16 threads, and an L3 cache of 32 MB. It has an operating speed of 3.8 GHz, that can be overclocked to at least 4.7 GHz. The Ryzen 7 5800X will launch with an MSRP of $450, and will not include a Wraith Prism stock cooler like its previous Zen 2 iteration.

Specification Comparison

The only significant differences in specifications between these two CPUs, is the fact that the Ryzen 9 5900X makes use of a second CCX (with 4 cores, 8 threads, and a 32 MB of L3 cache) that is completely absent from the Ryzen 7 5800X. Additionally, the Ryzen 7 5800X trades 100 MHz in boost clock speed, for 100 MHz in base operating speeds. Other than that, and of course the price, the two CPUs are identical.

When it comes to benchmarks, what we have to work with is what AMD displayed during their launch presentation, which includes how the Ryzen 9 5900X fairs against both the Intel i9-10900K and the Ryzen 9 3900X, as well as how it compares to the Ryzen 9 5950X by induction – though the latter CPU is more telling of how the Ryzen 9 5900X will fare against the Ryzen 7 5800X.

When it comes to Cinebench, the Ryzen 9 5900X scores 633, while the $250 more expensive Ryzen 5950X scored a 640… Which does not seem proportionate to its additional cores, threads, and price. Next, when we compare the gaming benchmarks, we see that in half the titles displayed, the Ryzen 9 5950X outperformed the Ryzen 9 5900X by 4%-6% (Total War: Three Kingdoms, Ashes of the Singularity) but for the other two games, the Ryzen 9 5900X actually held better scores by 1%-2% (Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry: New Dawn). What this shows us is that having multiple CCXs can actually become redundant, as games will hardly be able to surpass the eight core and 16 thread specifications of a single CCX – something not likely to change in the near future, as this is also the core and thread limitation of the new-generation consoles. This means that, ultimately, the Ryzen 7 5800X will have identical, or at least very similar, performance to the Ryzen 9 5900X in terms of gaming and other single-core dependent applications – which seems to be the reason why AMD did not show any benchmarks for the R7 5800X, as the results may have overshadowed those of their flagship models.

Where the Ryzen 9 5900X will surely surpass the Ryzen 7 5800X, is its multicore dependent workstation loads, as those extra cores, threads, and L3 cache will display a gap similar to that between the previous generation Ryzen 7 3700X and Ryzen 9 3900X.

Verdict

No matter what Ryzen 5000 series CPU you are looking to buy, the fact that you are considering purchasing one in the first place implies that you are interested in PC gaming, single-core performance heavy workloads, or perhaps a mix between content creation or gaming. Multi-core specialized workstations will hardly see much, if any, improvement in comparison to the Ryzen 3000 series CPUs, so the Zen 3 processors will most likely not be worth their cost.

Gaming

When it comes purely to gaming, it is difficult to argue in favor of the Ryzen 9 5900X. The second CCX it contains, with the 4 cores and 32 MB L3 cache, will hardly come to use, as the single maxed out CCX of the Ryzen 7 5800X is more than enough to cap the CPU’s performance for current generation games – and chances are it will continue to be more than enough even for years into the next generation of consoles – since it shares the same limitations with the XSX and PS5. Especially considering that the $100 extra cost found with the Ryzen 9 5900X can be put to use for a high-end CPU cooler, like a Noctua NH-D15, which is absent from both these CPUs. If you want to buy the best money can buy for the accompanying bragging rights, or generally care little for performance-value ratios, then neither of these two CPUs should be considered, as only the Ryzen 9 5950X fits those parameters. All in all, if meant purely for a gaming build, we recommend the Ryzen 7 5800X.

Workstations

Those that would favor the Ryzen 9 5900X, are those that have to deal with applications that require single-core performance, where the 8-core ceiling found in gaming does not apply. Of course, in those cases, the R9 5950X would be the better option, but there is a significant price differential of $250 between it and the R9 5900X. Additionally, for those that enjoy gaming and multi-core performance for content creation (but with emphasis on gaming), they could perhaps find more value from the Ryzen 9 5900X, as content creation is where those additional cores, threads, and L3 cache can become useful. When it comes to gaming, paired with content creation related applications like video editing and streaming, we recommend the Ryzen 9 5900X.

The increase in price for the Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs could be detrimental to the sales of certain models, and the Ryzen 9 5900X appears to be in a dead zone between the Ryzen 7 5800X – which is looking to be the best gaming performance CPU for its cost – and the Ryzen 9 5950X: The most powerful workstation CPU out of all Zen 3 processors. The saving grace for the Ryzen 9 5900X is its price, which allows those that want to purchase a hybrid gaming/workstation build to have a decent middle-ground option – but it is looking like the Ryzen 7 5800X (or Ryzen 7 5700X, if it is released) will be a much more popular choice between these two processors.

The post Ryzen 9 5900X vs Ryzen 7 5800X: Which are the Key Differences? appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

It is quite rare that a new CPU generation hits around the same time as a new GPU generation. We’re of course talking about AMD’s Ryzen 5000 and Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series which both push the boundaries of gaming performance to never before seen levels. The leaps in both processor and graphics performance warrant a great time to build a PC for the next 3 years+ depending on the specs you’ll be getting. Today we will be recommending a high end build around the $2000 price point which packs the highest levels of gaming performance at the end of 2020.

You heard it right, this build can achieve an average of 30 to 35% better FPS than the previous best $2000 gaming build which featured a Ryzen 7 3700X and an RTX 2080Ti; that’s a huge leap at the same price point and consumers like you and me can now enjoy it. The new Ryzen 7 5800X series is an enthusiast’s dream with gaming performance levels exceeding even the Core i9 10900K. These gains on the Ryzen 5000 series come from the huge 19% uplift in IPC, single core performance and core to core latency improvements. In short terms, the 5800X is a beast that sets a new standard in gaming performance.

On the graphics side, we got the RTX 3080 which is the newest effort from Nvidia to push the boundaries of high resolution and high refresh rate gaming performance. With an overall FPS uplift of around 30% above the outgoing RTX 2080Ti model which was the previous top performing single GPU on the market, the RTX 3080 establishes itself as one of the most thought after GPUs at its $700 launch price.

The Ryzen 7 5800X and the RTX 3080 are the highlights of this build but we’re going to follow up with the surrounding components in order to offer you a strong build in all other areas such as storage, cooling and memory capacity. Here’s the specs needed for the system:

Ryzen 7 5800X Gaming Build – The Parts List

CPU: Ryzen 7 5800X

AMD used their October 8th presentation to give us a rather detailed look at their Ryzen 5000 portfolio with the Ryzen 7 5800X launched as the single 8 core / 16 thread model and available on November 5th on shelves worldwide. Their performance improvements surprised everyone and thanks to the architecture overhaul, gaming FPS is a great advantage on the Ryzen CPUs which now are marketed as the best gaming CPUs out there with a 5% or higher margin when compared to competing Intel CPUs. This is a great achievement because gaming performance was still lagging behind the Intel CPUs for the past three Ryzen generations.

Not anymore though. Its safe to say consumers are warmly welcoming this gaming performance uplift with the new Ryzen 5000 series. The Ryzen 7 5800X for example welcomes a 25% average advantage over the outgoing Ryzen 3000 XT models which happened due to the 19% IPC performance uplift and latency optimizations; such a leap in one generation just for gaming performance is impressive and we foresee a very high demand for the new CPUs.

In this build, we still could’ve used a last generation CPU such as the Ryzen 7 3700X and the price would’ve been around $150 cheaper but if we’re going to build a highly capable build that can demolish any resolution at high refresh rates, then there’s no better pairing than that of the Ryzen 7 5800X and RTX 3080 thanks to their stunning performance and good performance per dollar. We’re not going to say this build is affordable for everyone but instead, we’re going to say that bleeding-edge performance has gotten much cheaper with these two new generations of high-performance processors and graphics cards.

CPU Cooler: Dark Rock Pro 4

The Ryzen 7 5800X keeps the 105W TDP of his predecessor, the Ryzen 7 3800X and thus, is as easy to cool. All the CPU coolers that did a great job cooling the latter will up to the task with the 5800X. For a $2000 build that’s aimed at the enthusiast gamer we’d like to recommend one of the best air coolers on the market. The Dark Rock Pro 4 is a dual tower air cooler built using beQuiet!’s solid mantra of “no compromise silence and performance”. You can expect silent utilization during any load and ample rooms for overclocking if you are tweak-happy with the processor.

The heat sink consists of a huge dual tower design with seven 6 mm heat pipes while using 2 x SilentWing fans, one 135 mm and one 120mm, that are virtually inaudible during both idle and load environments. The great combination of performance, quality, value and design makes the Dark Rock Pro 4 an exception offering at its $90 retail price. Mounting this huge cooler is made easy by the simple instructions and the ample room you have in the Lian Li LANCOOL II-X case that we’re featuring in this build.

Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (WiFI)

The gamer inside you will not need the extensive extra features of a very high-end X570 motherboard and this is why the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus Wi-Fi is such a great fit for this gaming build. Its VRM design is shared with the much more expensive Maximum XI Hero motherboard and at this price point, its one of the most capable motherboards that can run any Ryzen 5000 chip even with heavy overclocking thanks to its strong hardware features.

With a stellar BIOS layout and frequent updates, you’ll feel like the X570 will leave nothing to be desired. Features include the PCIe 4.0 standard which will aid our RTX 3080 and storage device to stretch their wings, 14 Phase VRM, 128GB 4400MHz support through the 4 RAM slots, 2x M.2 slots one of which is passively cooled and a great Realtek ALC S1200A Audio CODEC. The TUF is also pretty generous with its I/O; the 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1 x Type-C) + 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and 8x SATA 6Gb/s ports are most likely enough for any gaming enthusiast or streamer out there. For new AMD builders getting ready for their first gaming machine, the TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi is a great option that doesn’t break the bank and offers all the key features and configurability of AMD’s AM4 platform.

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16

With DDR4 slowly approaching the end of its life and thanks to the high level of competition in the memory market, we can afford to splurge towards the 32 GB of RAM. Many would argue that 16 GB is enough for a gaming build and that is very true with mainstream and high end builds; you are not going to exceed 10-12 GB of memory usage in any of the latest titles but you are going to cut it close with the 16 GB. If you’re one of those PC users that like to keep open tons of applications or browser tabs or even someone who would like to use their PC as a rendering and editing machine then 16 GB would induce a bottleneck into this great gaming build and we would like to avoid it at all costs. It’s very cheap to do so with the extra 16 GB of high-performance system memory.

This build is also crafted to last you for many years and 32 GB of RAM will surely take care of your needs for its full lifetime. The low 8.889 memory latency of this G.Skill DDR4-3600 CL16 RAM kit will also aid overall performance and snappiness of your system and will pair well with the Ryzen 7 5800X. If you like tweaking then you will be able to tune this memory kit’s clocks and CAS latency to even higher performance levels in order to bring even more improvements to the Infinity Fabric speed of the Ryzen CPU. The Dual Channel (2 sticks) nature of this RAM kit is also mandatory in order to benefit from the full bandwidth of the AM4 platform. We like this kit very much thanks to its performance and affordability but you can also check our articles on different RAM kits if you’d like more options to choose from at different price points.

Storage

Its mandatory that such a fast gaming system will need to run on a solid piece of storage in order for you to enjoy lag free application opening, installations and game loading. We will be going with a storage combination between a very fast PCIe 4.0 NVME device in the form of the Sabrent Rocket 4.0 500 GB and a 1 TB Crucial P1 M.2 in order to have the OS and most frequently used applications on the main Sabrent device while the more rarely used apps and general file storage can sit on the Crucial P1. This way, we are ensuring great speeds and enough capacity without breaking the bank. If these two devices don’t offer enough capacity for your needs then feel free to upgrade to bigger M.2 sizes.

Storage 1: Sabrent Rocket 4.0 500 GB M.2-2280 NVME

The OS drive will be powered by the Sabrent Rocket 4.0, a rather new drive that uses the Phison E12s controller, a 96 layer TLC flash by Micron and the new PCIe 4.0 interface in order to ensure snappiness and a performance edge to your transfers and file access. The DRAM chip is there to offer a massive performance uplift for random writes; it brings a very fast temporary storage for the drive’s internal mapping tables so that it doesn’t slow down during sustained load. The device is also very hard to throttle because even though it heats up, the slow downs are well masked and avoided by the inclusion of a copper foil over the M.2 drive that acts as a heat spreader thus handling the extra heat. Sabrent is claiming this foil helps the drive run at max speed 4 times longer than without it.

Storage 2: Crucial P1 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME

We will also be using a very popular M.2 drive that may be not as fast as the Sabrent but it offers a very good value for capacity. The Crucial P1 provides excellent value for people that need very fast and cheap storage. The only occasion where this drive slows down is when you’re doing transfers bigger than 50 GB at a time because of its limited QLC cache. That will happen almost never in everyday use and besides that, the drive is lightning fast; it features speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s read and 1,700MB/s write – much faster than your usual SATA SSD. If you are in need of even more capacity on your system then a 2 TB version of the Crucial is also available at a very competitive price.

Graphics Card: RTX 3080

The RTX 3080 delivers very impressive performance especially when it comes to higher resolutions like 4K. The generational improvement over the RTX 2080 Super and top-end RTX 2080 Ti is very welcome for people that want to experience more with more graphically intensive games and Ray Tracing. Real-time ray tracing is running smoothly on a single RTX 3080 and what’s more impressive is that the card is around 25% better in rasterization when compared to the RTX 2080Ti while being a lot cheaper, at $699 launching price. Third-party cards may retail for a slightly more expensive price though.

This card is an excellent performer in any of the new Triple-A, VR and eSports titles and does it at a respectable but slightly high TDP of 320W – this is why we’ll be including a great PSU to go with the build; we want to ensure your system and gaming experience won’t be affected by any spikes in power consumption. Nvidia has set the bar very high for AMD to catch up with their new RX 6000 series but until then, the RTX 3080 is the card to have for gamers if you can get one. With its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory, any current title should be able to run at max settings without the worry of going over the max memory.

Thanks to the Ryzen 7 5800X in the system, the RTX 3080 will be able to spread its wings and perform very well not only in 4K but also in 1440p or even 1080p high refresh rate games where previously, many CPUs would bottleneck such a high performing graphics card.

PC Case: Lian Li LANCOOL II-X

The Lancool II belongs to Lian Li’s mainstream lineup but there are lots of impressive features about it. The chassis is designed from scratch in order to ensure easy building, cable management and maintenance, the aesthetics are very nice with premium looks and the thermal characteristics are great with the additional included fans in our build. Lian Li has managed to pack a lot from their more expensive lineups in a design and feature set that doesn’t look like its compromising much. They have taken every popular priority that consumers are asking for in a high-end case and stripped everything else that is rarely needed. For the $90 retail price, the case is definitely fit to home a high end build such as the one we’re designing.

This ATX case also comes with a lot of extra features that are cost options. Hot swappable drive bays, USB Type C I/O and a vertical GPU mount are some of them with a ton of additional accessories and customization possible. The stock configuration is easy to build in thanks to its dual-hinge doors, many tie-down points and PSU shroud. The cooling for the case is not great when using just the three included fans and that is why we’re going to use a third party pack of Cooler Master SickleFlow 62 CFM 120 mm fans. You can do a setup with intake fans at the bottom and front and exhaust fans at the back and top in order to ensure equal pressure and sufficient airflow for your components. The additional three fans are not mandatory but you’ll obtain a much cooler and silent system if you decide the $49 on the additional fans.

Ultimately, we are big fans of how Lian Li has built the Lancool II-X as a fantastic blend between aesthetics, price and performance and that is why we’re sure it will go very well with the rest of the components in this build.

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G1+ 750 W 80+

The total max power draw of this Ryzen 7 5800X gaming PC build sits around 450 to 550W during a 100% CPU and GPU utilization under render loads. That is a very rare occurrence but we’ve prepared the build for that with the EVGA SuperNOVA G1+ which is a very high tier PSU from a world class trusted brand. The PSU can easily handle any power swings during the diverse loads you’re going to put the system through and will do it silently and stress-free.

Being a fully modular power supply, the G1+ will allow you to just use the cables that you really need for this build. Building this way you’re going to leave the case uncluttered and ensure a more easy way to do maintenance or upgrades on your full build; storage, RAM swaps or regular cleaning has never been easier with such good cables and case layout. Their cables also have a premium bend feel to them and thanks to their dark sleeving, you can arrange them inside the Lian Li case in order to obtain a very clean look. The RTX 3080 graphics card comes with a bundled 12 pin power connector that you can use for the PCIe cables but EVGA also takes care of this with their own version of the 12 pin connector. If your G1+ has been manufactured before the RTX 3000 series then EVGA will send you the added 12 pin connector for free; this is proof that EVGA cares about the latest needs for their customers.

The G1+ ranks S tier (the highest tier) in popular PSU ranking lists for its excellent protections against surges and excellent build quality; at the $120 price point, we’re finding the G1+ perfect for this enthusiast gaming build and any upgrades that you may be inclined to add in the future.

Bottom Line

Let’s focus a little on the price you’ll be paying for this build and the performance you are extracting from it. Less than 1 month ago, $2000 would have got you a Ryzen 7 3700X & RTX 2080Ti PC which indeed offered a great amount of performance but now, with the Ryzen 7 5800X & RTX 3080 overall performance at this price point is an estimated 30 to 35% better; this is a huge leap in value for money in just one CPU & GPU generation and its why we’re so excited for this build. The most amount of money in this build is going towards the CPU & GPU which amounts to ~$1150; before this, the 3700X + RTX 2080Ti would amount to a whopping ~$1500. The $300 saved from past generation’s components to the 5800X + RTX 3080 was used to spec the build with more high-end additional components such as the X570 motherboard, beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 air cooler and greater storage performance.

The build offers class-leading gaming performance at any resolution and refresh rate. If you are looking for a monitor to pair this build with, our colleagues have drafted a list of the best monitors for such a Ryzen 7 5800X + RTX 3080 build. We are thrilled to recommend this build as the best $2000 gaming PC that you’ll be able to build at the end of 2020 and if you have any additional questions, we’re happy to answer in the comment section below; the FAQ can also help you with more general questions. Happy building!

The post $2100 Ryzen 7 5800X Gaming PC Build for 2021 appeared first on PremiumBuilds.

With AMD launching the new Ryzen 5000 series last week, we came to the realization that AMD is not going to include stock coolers with most of their new CPUs. This is a shame since almost all of the Ryzen 3000 CPUs came with a suitable included cooler that could be used daily at specification clocks and could be kept as a backup in case you upgraded to a much better CPU cooler. The included cooler was a guarantee that you could get your system up and running at once without the need to factor in the price of a third party cooler.

The whole Ryzen 5000 series with the exception of the 6 core Ryzen 5 5600X which still has an included cooler, now needs an aftermarket cooling option. Today we will be focusing on the 8 core Ryzen 7 5800X CPU with a TDP of 105W; our cooler choices also won’t be limited to just the 5800X because of the similar TDPs of Ryzen 5900X and 5950X. So if you find a CPU cooler that is in your budget and that you really like then chances are big that you’ll be able to get it for other CPUs such as the Ryzen 9 5900X or 5950X thanks to the similar TDP of these processors.

How do we choose a suitable CPU cooler?

We first start by looking at the necessary TDP rating in order to cool that chip and follow it up with socket, motherboard and RAM clearance compatibility. We will be recommending the best-priced CPU coolers in a few price ranges in order for you to safely run and even overclock the 5800X to the desired performance levels. Warranty length and silent utilization are top concerns for us but we’ll also keep a sharp eye on quality and value. How do we choose a suitable CPU cooler for the Zen 3, Ryzen 7 5800X processor?

Best Coolers for Ryzen 7 5800X (& 9 5900X / 5950X) – Our Recommendations

Best Overall Air Coolers for Ryzen 7 5800X

1. Noctua NH-U12A

This air cooler, the NH-U12A, is one of Noctua’s latest products and it’s a single tower configuration that looks almost identical to their popular NH-U12S model but with few. Noctua’s reputation is based on amazing performance, exceptional quality and very silent utilization, as they stand out as one of the premium PC cooling manufacturers. They are great at revising and evolving every one of their cooling solutions and in this case, the U12A is an evolution of the U12S that brings a pair of the newly designed NF-A12x25 fans that support a fan speed range of 450 – 2000 RPM and a max airflow of 60 CFM.

The advantage of the NH-U12A over the flagship NH-D15 is the size difference. While the NH-D15 is a much larger tower cooler which should provide a decent performance gap between the two with its 2 x 140mm, the Noctua NH-U12A is equal in performance and noise levels in a broad range of performance testing, including overclocking. Their newest NF-A12x25 fans are most likely responsible for this great result.

If you’re interested in getting one of the most powerful air coolers on the market that provide silent utilization, astonishing quality and 100% compatibility with the rest of the build components, there’s almost no competitor to the NH-U12A if you can afford the $100 price tag. It’s common for people who once buy a Noctua cooler to never switch to a different brand.

Here’s a list of specs if you’re interested in buying the NH-U12A for your next CPU cooling solution for the Ryzen 7 5800X.

• Dimensions: 128 x 125 x 112
• 120 mm fans | 450 – 2000 RPM (PWM)
• 60 CFM max airflow
• 22.6 dbA operating noise
• Premium NT-H1 thermal paste included
• 6 years warranty
• Launch Price: $99.90

2. beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4

The Dark Rock Pro 4 is one of many products from beQuiet! that is engineered and built using their solid “no compromise silence and performance” mantra. They are widely considered on par with Noctua, the other German giant, in regards to quality, attention to detail and performance evolution. The Dark Rock Pro 4 is one of their flagship cooling devices, and it’s not that hard to realize how impressive the cooling experience is going to be.

Here’s a list of specs if you’re interested in buying the beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 for your next CPU cooling solution.

The DRP 4 sports a huge dual fan, dual-tower design with seven 6 mm (diameter) heat pipes and a combination of 2 SilentWings fans; one 135mm and one 120mm. The DRP4 is an exceptional offering thanks to the good combination of quality, performance, value and attention to detail they bring to the market. In testing, the DRP4 has situated itself among the top-performing air coolers in both noise and thermal challenging situations. The only slight downside that we can see with this dual tower design is the space needed inside your case. You should check your case dimensions and RAM clearance before getting the Dark Rock Pro 4.

Here’s a list of specs if you’re interested in buying the beQuiet! Dark Rock Pro 4 for your next CPU cooling solution with the Ryzen 7 5800X.

• Dimensions: 162.8 x 136 x 145.7
• 120 mm fans & 135 mm fans | 600 – 1500 RPM (PWM)
• 22.1 – 24.3 dbA operating noise
• Included thermal compound (paste)
• Black aesthethic coating
• 250W TDP rating
• 3 years warranty
• Launch Price: $89.90

Best AIO Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800X

ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280

With one of the best values on the market, this AIO (all in one) cooler is outperforming or matching other liquid coolers that are up to double its price. While other AIOs are focusing on flashier features and software, the Arctic LF II 280 has more of an industrial feel to it; it’s well-engineered and delivers silent cooling performance without a lot of the bells and whistles you will be forced to pay into with other products. This cooler is certainly aimed at people who value performance and acceptable noise levels higher than they value RGB, flashy screens or other aesthetics. The thicker housing dimensions at 317 x 138 x 38 allow it to use lower RPM in order to maintain the same CFM at lower fan speeds and thus, improved noise levels. Its fully sleeved tubes contain all the cables and wiring thus giving you a cleaner and less cluttered look.

The Liquid Freezer II 280 may be the only CPU cooler that you need for a long time. It outperforms coolers such as the Corsair H115i Platinum and the NZXT Kraken X62 in load and overclocked load environments while staying silent as a premium air cooler at around 27 dB; that is virtually inaudible. With a simple installation thanks to the wiring being hidden inside the tube sleeve, a slight drawback is that you can’t monitor the exact RPM of the fans because the pump and VRM fan are linked together. That is really not a deal-breaker when considering how many things this AIO does right and that is why it earns a high recommendation from us.

Lets take a look at some of the most important specs:

• Pump dimensions: 98 x 78 x 53
• Radiator dimensions: 317 x 138 x 38
• 2 x 140 mm fans | 200 – 1700 RPM (PWM)
• 450 mm tubing length
• 72.8 CFM max airflow
• Included thermal compound
• 2 years warranty
• Launch price: $89.99

Best Budget Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800X

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition

With the slight price hike of the new Ryzen 5000 series and the lack of stock cooler inclusion, some consumers will just want a trusty air cooler that can handle the Ryzen 7 5800X at stock and also allow for some overclocking headroom; basically a stock cooler replacement without breaking the bank. It would be very hard to argue with the great value the Hyper 212 BE keeps bringing at its $29.99 price point. Thanks to it being an old model that has been refined over and over again, it is the undisputed king of budget cooling. Don’t be fooled by the ‘budget’ label that we put on it because this cooler is more than able to cool the Ryzen 7 5800X with very acceptable temps and still allows for overclocking. In fact, the Hyper 212 BE has been proven better time and time again than any stock cooler AMD used to include with their CPUs, including the Wraith Prism.

Performance is not something to wonder about but the Hyper 212 will have the ability to tame the Ryzen 7 5800X with no problems, even during 100% load. The Black Edition’s philosophy is to get the most quality cooling possible in a small and simple package; its what it does best, sometimes managing to outperform even some higher-priced liquid coolers during overclocked load. The dark coating is a welcome change from the original 212 since it makes it look more premium and cleaner. The price point of this air cooler is reasonable enough to just get and forget about it and this is why it earns its place in our recommended budget cooler category.

Here are some of the important specifications the you need to know:

• Dimensions: 158.8 x 125.5 x 50.8 (79.5 w/fan)
• 120 mm fan | 650 – 2000 RPM (PWM)
• 42 CFM max airflow
• Dark coating
• Included thermal paste
• 2 years warranty
• Launch/Retail price: $29.90

Best Low Profile Coolers for Ryzen 7 5800X SFF Builds

Noctua NH-L9a-AM4

The last cooler for the 5800X that we’re going to showcase is a great fit for the consumers that are looking for a smaller footprint build. Being size limited by the compactness of the case, CPU coolers need to do the most with the smallest area possible and this is where the Noctua NH-L9a excels. Its targeted towards people that want to build a HTPC or a Mini ITX portable build to take it everywhere with them; a small footprint is key for these builds. It packs 64 aluminum fins forming a dense heat sink with two 6mm copper heat pipes in nickel coating. Like you’ve probably known already, Noctua has become synonymous with impeccable quality, excellent customer service and class leading quiet cooling performance, traits that are most important in a small form factor build.

Don’t even think for a second that a cooler with such a small footprint would not be adequate for the cooling requirements as this cooler performs very well from noise to performance perspective. The recommended TDP for this cooler is 95W but it can easily be extended to the 105W TDP of the Ryzen 7 5800X if your small case has adequate cooling. If you’re someone that’s excited to build in such a small factor we can assure you that cooling solutions exist for you, starting with this Noctua CPU cooler that is incredibly potent for how small and silent it is. It earns our recommendation for use in cases such as the popular In Win Chopin.

Here are the specs of this little SFF CPU cooler:

• Dimensions: 114 x 92 x 23 (37 w/fan)
• 92 mm fan | 600 – 2500 RPM (PWM)
• 33.84 CFM max airflow
• 23.6 dbA operating noise
• Included premium NT-H1 thermal compound
• Retail price: $39.90

Closing thoughts

The Ryzen 5000 series has recently hit the market and will hit shelves on November 5th. The list of cooling devices that have been previously working well with the Ryzen series hasn’t changed a lot thanks to the impressive efficiency and performance of these chips. Performance numbers and thermals haven’t yet been disclosed by AMD but with the same TDP as many of the Ryzen 3000 series processors, we could formulate the recommendations for CPU coolers of different types, sizes and price points.

The AMD Wraith stock cooler can only be found on the Ryzen 5 5600X CPU while the Ryzen 7 5800X will need a third party heat sink in order for you to get it up and running. Regardless of which level of cooling performance you may need, there CPU coolers above are great options to choose from and will be compatible out of the box as we have pointed out. The Hyper 212 BE is the perfect stock cooler replacement, while the more expensive Noctua and beQuiet! devices will be able to unleash the full power of this new high performance chip. If you’re willing to try water cooling, there’s probably no better first AIO than the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 with its industrial feel and high efficiency in both performance and noise levels.

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The short and clear answer to this question, yes. AMD launched their entire Ryzen 5000 product stack on October 8th and used the live stream event to show consumers what we should be expecting with each Ryzen tier. Among the four CPUs launched, the Ryzen 7 5800X is the new 8 core part boasting some remarkable generational improvements in single-core, multi-core and interconnect latency. Numbers suggest it may well be the best 8-core processor the market has ever seen in both gaming and workstation environments.

One of AMD’s big focuses with the Zen 3 Vermeer CPUs was a complete overhaul of the architecture in order to greatly improve core to core communication, branch prediction and cache access in order to be much faster in latency-sensitive applications. They have been already providing the best multi-core performance at each and every price point so they improved their architecture by optimizing many on-die components; together with the manufacturing process enhancements, they are claiming a whopping 19% IPC performance uplift as an average in all tested applications. This metric is the most important variable in single-core speed calculation since it is not coming with additional power draw like increasing the clock speed does; its much harder but always better to optimize the IPC of a CPU instead of just boosting its clock speed and hope for the best.

Why you would ask? Because manufacturing processes become exponentially more power-hungry and inefficient if they are run well above their efficient range. Think of how Intel is trying to push their clock speed further and further with each new generation without actually providing any meaningful IPC improvements; their CPUs are becoming more and more inefficient and power-hungry with minimal performance uplift.

The core to core latency has also been essentially halved (by AMD’s presentation numbers) by switching from a 4 core CCX (Core Complex) to an 8 core CCX design. As you probably already knew, the first three Ryzen generations, 1000 series, 2000 series and 3000 series have all been manufactured using one or multiple 4 core CCXs. That means a 16 core CPU would use 4 x 4 CCX, a 12 core would use 4 x 4 CCXs with a few defect cores disabled on each CCX and so on. This approach has been a great advantage for AMD thanks to improved yields, ease of manufacturing and cheaper prices for consumers. The Ryzen 5000 series has switched from a 4 core CCX to an 8 core CCX thus severely decreasing core to core latency. There’s no CCX to CCX communication for the Ryzen 7 5800X since it only has one CCX with the fully enabled 8 cores. The 5800X is the new best gaming octa-core CPU out there and for the slightly steeper price of $449 it may well be one of the best overall gaming CPUs, decimating the entire Intel lineup in the process.

Ryzen 5 5800X vs Ryzen 7 3700X: Specification Comparison

The following table shows a head to head comparison between the outgoing Ryzen 7 3700X model and the newly released Ryzen 7 5800X processor.

We can see that the two are still very similar on the surface with hardware differences that wouldn’t suggest a lot of improvement but that couldn’t be more far from the truth. The new Ryzen 7 5800X is architecturally redesigned and it takes a completely new route on how cache and inter core communication is made. If we were to look at specs, we can see a 5% improvement in base clock speed and a 6% improvement in boost clock speed. For people judging processor performance by its clock speeds, this is definitely not the full picture because the Ryzen 7 5800X has very strong cores that can do many more instructions per one cycle that before; 19% more over Ryzen 3000 to be exact.

This puts AMD into a position where their cores are 20 to 25% faster than cores from their competition, Intel. Because of this, we need to judge the performance of the 5800X through real world benchmarks and not through just clock speed; for example, a 4.2 GHz 5800X will be approximately be just as fast as a 5.1 GHz Intel Core 10900K because of the big IPC difference. We don’t know the full picture yet and we are waiting for the review embargo to lift but these are the performance metrics that we can extract from the details we got at launch.

Should you buy the new Ryzen 7 5800X?

Market and community information make us believe that a lot of people have waited a lot of time for a worthy upgrade. With Intel showing very little growth in performance and architecture optimizations over the past years and AMD still being slightly slower in gaming environments, some people just couldn’t justify the need to switch to a new CPU. With the release of the Ryzen 5000 series we can finally see gaming performance moving forward by a significant margin. This additional gaming performance comes with all the Ryzen benefits as before; low power consumption, efficient use, great chipsets/motherboard ecosystem are all still true with the 5000 series.

If you’ve been following AMD as the budget alternative over Intel then you’ll be surprised to realize that the 5000 series has been priced a little higher than the previous Ryzen 3000 generation, in line with Intel’s Comet Lake S pricing. We are going to go forward and say that there’s little to no reason to choose Intel Core chips instead of Ryzen. Also, the 5800X seems like it will be one of the best gaming performers in their lineup thanks to its single CCX design for the full 8 cores. A few months ago, one could make an argument about the gaming performance crown still being held by Intel but that’s no longer the case. AMD may have raised prices by $50 across their lineup and the performance is there to justify it across the board, in any workload.

So if you’re someone who already belongs to the Ryzen ecosystem, your upgrade path will be easy and familiar with the Ryzen 7 5800X. Older boards will still get the BIOS updates needed to run the new processors, except the 300 series boards which may or may not work based on how likely your motherboard’s vendor is to provide a BIOS update. The previous Ryzen 7 3700X 8 core is now seeing big discounts and is arguably better value to buy than the new 5800X; that always happens when a new generation hits the market but if you want to be an early adopter of the new 8 core then you’ll be greeted with a big performance leap.

The Ryzen 5000 lineup stormed the market with incredible generational performance leaps and a price to match. Time will tell if these new chips will be received well but we think they definitely should. Stay tuned for more upcoming coverage and builds with the Ryzen 5000 series!

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