AMD Ryzen 7 9700X vs Ryzen 7 5800XT – How do they compare?

AMD finally released the 9700X from its new generation plus the addition of some oddities that belong to the 5000 series. This is the showdown you never knew you needed, Zen 5 vs Zen 3, which one is best for you? It seemed a little odd that AMD would release new 5000 series CPUs nearly 4 years after their debut, but here we are. AMD meant it when it said it was going to keep AM4 relevant for as long as possible, despite its 9 years in use, it’s not time for AM4 to die just yet.

These CPUs are vastly different both physically and on paper, but they do each hold their own advantages, and one may pull in a win where raw power isn’t the utmost priority. But the power of Zen 5 is undeniable, and it’s almost hard to imagine choosing something over it.

If AMD announcing the release date of the 9000 series has got you in a pre-ordering mood, then you can check out our where to buy on the 9700X or the 5800XT respectively. We have listed all the retailers for the US and UK that we expect pre-orders to take place.

AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

Cores

8

Threads

16

Boost clock speed

5.5 GHz

Base clock speed

3.8 GHz

L3 Cache

32 MB

TDP

65 W

Platform

AMD Socket AM5

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AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT

Cores

8

Threads

16

Boost clock speed

4.8 GHz

Base clock speed

3.8 GHz

L3 Cache

32 MB

TDP

105W

Platform

AMD Socket AM4

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Specification comparison

On paper, the specifications aren’t that different and that may lead you to believe the CPUs are actually pretty similar in terms of performance, but that isn’t the case. Because of the sheer performance benefit of Zen 5 over Zen 3, the cores are far more valuable in the 9700X, and they can surpass those of the 5800XT despite being equal in number.

This is why generation is so important, the same number of CPU cores can produce a vast performance difference when they belong to greater generations and the IPC uplifts they bring.

Cores and threads

The cores in the 9700X are vastly different than the 5800XT, as we may have mentioned by now, with the former belonging to the Zen 5 architecture and the latter Zen 3. That’s two generations separating these two CPUs from each other. The IPC (instructions per clock) uplift that Zen 4 had over Zen 3 was 14%, and now we get a further 16% from Zen 4 to Zen 5. If that doesn’t mean too much to you, allow me to explain:

Zen 5 is built on the 4nm manufacturing process, and Zen 3 on 7nm. This means that the transistors (Little yes/no logic gates that cumulatively make decisions) are much smaller, meaning you can pack more into the same space. The 7nm process transistors in the 5800XT are much larger, which means you can fit fewer onto the CPU die. That puts the 5800XT at a disadvantage in terms of raw processing power.

This paired with the clock speed uplift (which we will explain shortly) gives the 9700X a double whammy of proficiency over the 5800XT. But even if both of these CPUs operated at the same core speed, the cores are more valuable and pack more power in the 9000 series CPU, so it would still perform better.

Clock speed

What’s interesting to see is the base speed of these two processors is the same (this is the minimum guaranteed speed the processors will run, not the real base speed, the real base speed is 100MHz) Which is 3.8GHz. The boost speed is where we see a sizable uplift in performance (0.7GHz more than the 5800XT)

This is a slightly complicated subject, so I’ll try to keep it simple. Clock speed is the number of cycles a CPU completes every second, cycle refers to the CPU instruction cycle, because of the IPC metric we discussed earlier, each one of the cycles in the 9700X contains more decision-making transistors, making them more valuable and more powerful than the cycles in the 5800XT.

So not only are the cores in the 9700X being cycled more often, but the cores also pack more of a punch in terms of pure processing power. This is why, even with the same number of cores, the 9700X will outperform the 5700X every time.

Cache

AMD has upped its game in the CPU cache department compared to the previous generation, it boasts “double cache data bandwidth” in the press packet and it shows. In that same packet, AMD states that the 9700X outperforms the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in gaming workloads, a feat even the 7000 series struggled with. This is only possible with a few tweaks to the old cache.

Why is cache so important? Well, the cache is used for quick access to data during computations, and there are three levels to cache, two levels are core specific, and the third is shared, the largest cache is the 3rd level and it is the slowest. But still far faster than reading system memory every time data is needed.

Both of the CPUs have the same amount of L3 cache, which makes sense given the fact that they have the same number of cores, one is just much faster than the other.

TDP and PPT

The Ryzen 9 9700X has a much lower TDP and is overall, despite being more powerful, the more efficient processor. The TDP is the highest amount of thermal energy the CPU will produce measured in Watts, operating in normal conditions. The PPT is slightly different, and that is the total amount of power that the motherboard will allow to the CPU through the voltage rails.

In both cases, the 9700X uses the least amount of power, with only an 88W PPT according to Techpowerup. So that means it is both the most powerful and the most efficient CPU, which isn’t too shabby.

Price predictions

AMD took its time to confirm the pricing of its new generation of processors. There we finally got to see that the 9700X came out to be $359. While the 5800XT came in at a price of $249, giving you a difference of around $110. But that excludes the price of the platform itself and the costs with that, let alone thinking of AM4 being a bit of a dead end platform now.

Graphical capabilities

Only the Ryzen 7 9700X has any sort of graphical capability, the RDNA 3-based iGPU has great potential if the way the 7000 series’ iGPU performed is anything to go off. WePC saw the 7000 series RDNA 2-based iGPU get over 130FPS on a benchmark map in CS:GO and that was with RDNA 2. So imagine what the 2 RDNA 3 compute units in the 9000 series can do. Especially with the variable 400 – 2,200MHz GPU clock.

The Ryzen 7 5800XT doesn’t have any graphical capabilities, so don’t pick one up expecting to run a full PC on it.

How do these CPUs compare generationally?

We’ve already discussed how these CPUs are different, and the differences the Zen 5 cores hold against the Zen 3 cores. But what we haven’t explored is the platform.

On the one hand, we have the 9700Xm which sits on the newest AM5 platform introduced just 2 short years ago, this platform offers the latest and greatest technologies that AMD has to offer its users. This includes, of course, support for all the latest processors, better connectivity, and later PCIe generations. Specifically, we’re talking PCI Gen 5 storage, and PCIe Gen 5 GPU connectivity, USB4, and more.

AM4 is old, almost 9 now, so you won’t be finding the latest and greatest on any AM4 motherboards anytime soon. With that being said I’m still on AM4 and plan to be for some time yet, the platform is fine and it does what it’s meant to. But I don’t know if it’s the best answer to investing in this platform right now as a new builder.

AMD told us in an interview that they have no plans to get rid of AM4 just yet, but how long can that really last? I doubt it’ll last as long as the projected support for AM5, which should see it last until 2027 at least.

Alternatives to the 9700X and the 5800XT

If neither of these CPUs tickles you at all, you can explore some options from Team Blue, benchmark leaks have already suggested that the 14900K is already on par with the 9950X, so we can assume the 9700X might be hovering around 14600K territory. We have also included a choice AM4 X3D CPU as an alternative to the 5800XT, in case you want to go pure gamer.

Which CPU is best for you?

The newer CPU of the two, the Ryzen 7 9700X is the obvious choice if you want power efficiency, raw performance, or updated features. It’s amazing the true power that Zen 5 has managed to bring over previous generations like Zen 3. The IPC uplifts alone are enough to blow the Ryzen 5000 series out of the water. If you need a CPU to hammer the multi-core workloads and serve as a daily productivity driver then you’re looking at the best CPU for the job. If you want a pure number cruncher, you may have to head a little higher up the 9000 series food chain.

But these CPUs were never meant to compete with each other, they are meant for a completely different market. Although they do sit similarly in their respective generations you can see that more clearly when you analyze the specifications.

The Ryzen 7 5800XT is the high-mid ground of the 5000 series, with plenty of SKUs already within the 5000 series, I worry about oversaturating the generation. This CPU sits between the 5800X and the 5900X and offers more choice to the user regarding the 5000 series. But I think this is more about reducing wastage CPU die-wise. This CPU would be ideal if you’re currently on the 3000 series, and want to upgrade your CPU, but don’t have enough in the kitty to take you to AM5.

I asked fellow PC Guide experts, Sebastian and Ussamah, about their opinion on the two CPUs, here’s what they had to say:

So, this time, it’s the Zen 5 mid-range vs. the Zen 3 mid-range, and the difference in architecture is all you need to know who will emerge victor in this battle. While the Ryzen 7 9700X and 5800XT might share some similarities like the core count, threads, and cache, the fact that the 9700X has smaller processes powering it means the 5800XT can’t go toe-to-toe with it in terms of performance and efficiency and that is the bottom line.

The 7nm process technology handicap of the AM4 platform becomes apparent. That said, it might be a sliver of hope for people on the AM4 platform looking for an option to upgrade without having to spend hundreds of dollars on the AM5 platform. So, if you can afford the shift, then by all means, the 9700X is the way to go, as that platform is supported till 2027.

Ussamah Mehmood

Both Ryzen 7 CPUs seemingly would occupy the same space in the line-up, sort of in the centre. Mixing both value and performance, they provide a good choice for gaming and productivity, but there are some other factors to consider.  Mainly that they are on different platforms and so offer a variation to choose from.

Obviously the newer platform 9700X gets AM5 support with the latest hardware. But also the processes have improved and so you get a lot more efficiency and performance out of it. But the 5800XT comes in with a great value to those looking to upgrade their AM4 performance without having to splash on a new system and prolonging the whole system.

Sebastian Kozlowski