AMD Ryzen 9 9950X review

Our VerdictFor productivity and content creation workloads, the Ryzen 9 9950X is second to none in the desktop market. It’s no slouch in gaming but if that’s all your PC is used for, then there are far cheaper options to go for that perform just as well.

Our Verdict

For productivity and content creation workloads, the Ryzen 9 9950X is second to none in the desktop market. It’s no slouch in gaming but if that’s all your PC is used for, then there are far cheaper options to go for that perform just as well.

ForPeerless multithreaded performanceEco mode works well in CPU-heavy tasksRuns cool for a 170 W chipAgainstMixed gaming results in Eco modeZen 4 is much better value for money

ForPeerless multithreaded performanceEco mode works well in CPU-heavy tasksRuns cool for a 170 W chip

AgainstMixed gaming results in Eco modeZen 4 is much better value for money

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3 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆$649$589.99View$649$599View$629.99ViewWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

3 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆

☆☆☆☆☆

$649$589.99View$649$599View$629.99View

$649$589.99View

AMD Ryzen™ 9 9950X 16-Core,…

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$649$589.99

$589.99

$649$599View

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16-Core…

Target

$649$599View

$649$599

$599

$629.99View

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X - Ryzen 9…

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To understand why, you need to delve into the guts of the two CCDs (Core Complex Dies) that nestle next to the IOD (Input/Output Die) underneath the heatspreader.

The architectural changes are too many and too complicated to go through in detail right here—you can always check out our deep dive on theZen 5 architectureif you want the low-down—but it suffices to say that everything AMD has changed results in notably better performance, depending on the application.

As we saw with theRyzen 5 9600X,Ryzen 7 9700X, andRyzen 9 9900X, the Zen 5 architecture can offer some substantial gains, especially in productivity and content creation tasks, though the outright improvement in gaming is somewhat understated.

Ryzen 9 9950X specs(Image credit: Future)Cores:16Threads:32Base clock:4.3 GHzBoost clock:5.7 GHzL3 Cache:64 MBL2 Cache:12 MBUnlocked:YesMax PCIe lanes:24Graphics:Radeon GraphicsMemory support (up to):DDR5-5800Processor Base Power (W):170Maximum Package Power (W):230Recommended customer price:$699/£609.99

Ryzen 9 9950X specs

(Image credit: Future)Cores:16Threads:32Base clock:4.3 GHzBoost clock:5.7 GHzL3 Cache:64 MBL2 Cache:12 MBUnlocked:YesMax PCIe lanes:24Graphics:Radeon GraphicsMemory support (up to):DDR5-5800Processor Base Power (W):170Maximum Package Power (W):230Recommended customer price:$699/£609.99

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor

Cores:16Threads:32Base clock:4.3 GHzBoost clock:5.7 GHzL3 Cache:64 MBL2 Cache:12 MBUnlocked:YesMax PCIe lanes:24Graphics:Radeon GraphicsMemory support (up to):DDR5-5800Processor Base Power (W):170Maximum Package Power (W):230Recommended customer price:$699/£609.99

However, in those chips, differences in clocks and power limits mask the true potential of Zen 5. As you’ll soon see, when it comes to pitching the Ryzen 9 7950X against the Ryzen 9 9950X, the benchmark results are almost entirely down to the architectural differences between Zen 4 and Zen 5.

Unlike the lower tier models, AMD hasn’t reduced the power limit for the 9950X and, like its predecessor, it’s configured to have a TDP of 170 W and a peak package limit (PPT) of 230 W. That’s a far cry from the 105 W TDP for theRyzen 9 3950X, AMD’s first 16-core processor for the desktop market, and at face value, seems to be just as power hungry as Intel’s Core i9 14900K (which is nominally rated at 125 W TDP, 253 W).

Paper numbers never tell the full story, though.

To performance test the Ryzen 9 9950X, I used our CPU benchmark suite updated for 2024, with the CPU housed in anAsus ROG Crosshair X670E Heromotherboard and an AMD-supplied 2201 BIOS.

Image1of4(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Image1of4

(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor

Only a mega-expensive AMD Threadripper or Intel Xeon would likely achieve better results.

Cooling was another Asus product, a ROG Strix LC III 360 mm AIO, and in line with AMD’s recommendation that DDR5-6000 is still the sweet spot for Ryzen chips, a dual channel 32 GB CL32 kit was employed. Lastly, we’ve gone from using anRTX 3080to anRTX 4070, to provide a more real-world overview of the chips.

Let’s start with what the Ryzen 9 9950X is best at and that’s productivity, content creation, rendering, video editing, and so on. As you can see, it’s not just good at it, it’s the best CPU for these tasks full stop. Only a mega-expensiveAMD ThreadripperorIntel Xeonwould likely achieve better results.

That said, it’s only notably better in certain applications than the Ryzen 9 7950X. In the multithreaded Cinebench test, the 9950X is 15% faster than the 7950X and 16% better in Blender. However, the 9950X’s lead over its predecessor is 8% in Handbrake and just 5% in the photo editing benchmark.

This is all pretty much in line with AMD’s performance claims when itannounced the Ryzen 9000-serieswith the launch of the Zen 5 architecture, so I’m not criticising the 9950X for having varied results in our tests—that’s just the nature of how it all works.

The same is true of the chip’s gaming performance. As with all of the Zen 5 chips I’ve tested, there’s nothing wrong with how the Ryzen 9 9950X runs gaming workloads—compared to theCore i9 14900K, it generates 3% lower average frame rates, although the 1% lows are further behind, being 5% and 8% down respectively.

PCG test rigMotherboard:Asus ROG Crosshair X670 HeroCooler:Asus ROG Strix LC III 360RAM:32 GB Lexar Thor OC DDR5-6000Storage:2 TB Adata XPG Gammix S70PSU:MSI MAG AB50GL 850 WOS:Windows 11 23H2Chassis:Open platform w/ 3x 140 mm fansMonitor:Acer XB280HK

PCG test rig

Motherboard:Asus ROG Crosshair X670 HeroCooler:Asus ROG Strix LC III 360RAM:32 GB Lexar Thor OC DDR5-6000Storage:2 TB Adata XPG Gammix S70PSU:MSI MAG AB50GL 850 WOS:Windows 11 23H2Chassis:Open platform w/ 3x 140 mm fansMonitor:Acer XB280HK

That’s close enough to not really be noticeable in real-time gaming, and our other game tests put the Ryzen 9 9950X on par or slightly ahead of the Core i9 14900K. Naturally, this is how it will be across the myriad of other games out there, where some will favour AMD, and others will work better with Intel chips.

One aspect of all of this that strongly leans in AMD’s favour is power consumption. Recording the average CPU package usage inBaldur’s Gate 3and the multicore test in Cinebench provides clear evidence for this: where the Ryzen 9 9950X consumed 129 W and 196 W in those two tests, the Core i9 14900K demanded 177 W and 271 W—that’s 37% and 38% more power.

(Image credit: Future)

A photo of an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X processor

That last aspect was also a bit of an issue with the Ryzen 9 9950X, whereMetro Exodus EnhancedandTotal War: Warhammer 3both took large hits to the 1% low figures when the chip was limited to 105 W. Fortunately, the other games worked absolutely fine and the 9950X still outperformed all of the other tested processors in content creation applications with this power limit.

Buy if…✅You want the best desktop chip for content creation:The Ryzen 9 9950X beats everything else, including the Core i9 14900K, when it comes to multithreaded workloads.✅ You want a cool office:Enable Eco mode and enjoy a big drop in heat output, for very little loss in performance.

Buy if…

✅You want the best desktop chip for content creation:The Ryzen 9 9950X beats everything else, including the Core i9 14900K, when it comes to multithreaded workloads.✅ You want a cool office:Enable Eco mode and enjoy a big drop in heat output, for very little loss in performance.

Don’t buy if…❌ You want good value for money:At $699, the Ryzen 9 9950X is very expensive and the last-gen Ryzen 9 7950X is much better value.

Don’t buy if…

❌ You want good value for money:At $699, the Ryzen 9 9950X is very expensive and the last-gen Ryzen 9 7950X is much better value.

So, taking all of the above into consideration, it’s clear that the Ryzen 9 9950X is the best desktop CPU you can buy—it’s not the outright fastest when it comes to gaming, but it’s more than good enough in this respect, and it’s multithreaded performance is second to none. It also doesn’t use huge amounts of power and it’s very easy to cool.

But none of this comes cheap. At $699, the 9950X has a $50 lower MSRP launch price than the previous model, the Ryzen 9 7950X, but one can pick up that chip for$523 on Amazonat the moment. That makes the new Zen 5 chip 34% more expensive than the Zen 4 one but as you’ve seen, it’s not 34% faster in any of our tests.

This is a problem that all new processors have to contend with, of course, but in the case of the Ryzen 9 9950X it does mean it’s not particularly good value for money. I’m certain that some applications will really favour the new architecture but unless one is specifically looking for a CPU for such specific workloads, then you might as well save yourself over $170 and get the last-gen Ryzen 9 7950X.

And if all you care about is PC gaming, then avoid the Ryzen 9 9950X altogether, as there are better and cheaper options, such as the Ryzen 7 9700X and still the mightyRyzen 7 7800X3D.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X: Price Comparison

3 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆

☆☆☆☆☆

$649$589.99View$649$599View$629.99View

$649$589.99View

AMD Ryzen™ 9 9950X 16-Core,…

Amazon

$649$589.99View

$649$589.99

$589.99

$649$599View

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16-Core…

Target

$649$599View

$649$599

$599

$629.99View

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X - Ryzen 9…

Walmart

$629.99View

$629.99

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

The Verdict84Read our review policyAMD Ryzen 9 9950XFor productivity and content creation workloads, the Ryzen 9 9950X is second to none in the desktop market. It’s no slouch in gaming but if that’s all your PC is used for, then there are far cheaper options to go for that perform just as well.

The Verdict

84Read our review policyAMD Ryzen 9 9950XFor productivity and content creation workloads, the Ryzen 9 9950X is second to none in the desktop market. It’s no slouch in gaming but if that’s all your PC is used for, then there are far cheaper options to go for that perform just as well.

84Read our review policy

AMD Ryzen 9 9950XFor productivity and content creation workloads, the Ryzen 9 9950X is second to none in the desktop market. It’s no slouch in gaming but if that’s all your PC is used for, then there are far cheaper options to go for that perform just as well.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

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