AMD recently released the 3900XT. So how does the new central processing unit stack up against older third-generation AMD Ryzen 9 CPUs, the 3900X and 3950X? You can find out in this comparison guide between the three products.
Quick Summary
The new AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT matches the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X in terms of maximum boosted cock speed. With that said, the 3950X still comes with more CPU cores, threads and cache. So we still recommend getting the Ryzen 9 3950X if you want the best performance, especially for multitasking and more complicated CPU usages.
Although slower than the 3900XT and 3950X, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X does come with a cooler. If you don’t have a suitable cooling solution, and don’t mind the slightly weaker performance, then the 3900X may provide the best value out of the three.
If you want to get the 3900XT or 3950X but don’t already have a compatible cooler, then we recommend taking a look at Corsair’s H115i RGB Platinum AIO Liquid CPU Cooler.
If you are interested, you can purchase any of the aforementioned products on Amazon with the following links:
- AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
- AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT
- AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
- Corsair H115i RGB Platinum AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
3900X vs. 3900XT vs. 3950X Comparison Chart
| AMD Ryzen 9 3900X | AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT | AMD Ryzen 9 3950X | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 12 | 12 | 16 |
| Threads | 24 | 24 | 32 |
| Base Clock | 3.8 GHz | 3.8 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Maximum Boost Clock | 4.6 GHz | 4.7 GHz | 4.7 GHz |
| Total L1 Cache | 768 KB | 768 KB | 1 MB |
| Total L2 Cache | 6 MB | 6 MB | 8 MB |
| Total L3 Cache | 64 MB | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Total GameCache | 70 MB | 70 MB | 72 MB |
| Architecture | Zen2 | Zen2 | Zen2 |
| CMOS | TSMC 7nm FinFET | TSMC 7nm FinFET | TSMC 7nm FinFET |
| PCI Express Version | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Default TDP / TDP | 105 W | 105 W | 105 W |
| System Memory Type | DDR4 | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| System Memory Specification | 3200 MHz | 3200 MHz | 3200 MHz |
| System Memory Channels | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Thermal Solution | Wraith Prism (with RGB LED) | Not Included | Not Included |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon. | Check price on Amazon. | Check price on Amazon. |
CPU Cores
The new Ryzen 9 3900XT has the same amount of CPU cores as the Ryzen 9 3900X. The 3950X still has the most cores out of this group of 3rd gen AMD central processing units, however. You can find the full breakdown below.
- Ryzen 9 3900X: 12
- Ryzen 9 3900XT: 12
- Ryzen 9 3950X: 16
Threads
The Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen 9 3900XT have the same amount of threads, which is less than the Ryzen 9 3950X. You can find the number of threads for each CPU below.
- 3900X: 24
- 3900XT: 24
- 3950X: 32
Base Clock
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT has the same base clock as the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X actually has a lower base block than the other two products in this comparison guide. You can find the base clock specifications below.
- AMD Ryzen 9 3900X: 3.8 GHz
- AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT: 3.8 GHz
- AMD Ryzen 9 3950X: 3.5 GHz
Maximum Boost Clock
Thanks to the improvements AMD made to the 3900XT, the new CPU has a faster maximum boost clock than the 3900X. It is at the same speed as the 3950X. You can find the boosted clock specs below.
- Ryzen 9 3900X: Up to 4.6 GHz
- Ryzen 9 3900XT: Up to 4.7 GHz
- Ryzen 9 3950X: Up to 4.7 GHz
Cache
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT has the same amount of total game cache as older AMD Ryzen 9 3900X. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has a higher L1, L2 and total cache than the other two CPUs. You can find the full breakdown of allotted cache below.
Total L1 Cache
- 3900X: 768 KB
- 3900XT: 768 KB
- 3950X: 1 MB
Total L2 Cache
- 3900X: 6 MB
- 3900XT: 6 MB
- 3950X: 8 MB
Total L3 Cache
- 3900X: 64 MB
- 3900XT: 64 MB
- 3950X: 64 MB
Total GameCache
- 3900X: 70 MB
- 3900XT: 70 MB
- 3950X: 72 MB
Architecture
Like the Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen 9 3950X, the Ryzen 9 3900XT is built on Zen2 architecture.
CMOS
All three products in this versus guide use TSMC 7nm FinFET.
PCI Express Version
The PCI Express Version for all three third-generation AMD CPUs are PCIe 4.0 x16.
Default TDP / TDP
The thermal design power (or TDP for short) for the central processing units is 105 W.
System Memory Type
All three CPUs use DDR4 as the system memory type.
System Memory Specification
The system memory specifciaiton for the third-generation AMD Ryzen 9 is 3200 MHz.
System Memory Channels
The CPUs utilize dual-channel system memory.
Thermal Solution
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900X comes with the Wraith Prism (with RGB LED) for cooling.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X do not include any cooling solutions, so you will need to find your own cooler if you don’t have one already. AMD recommends a liquid cooler with a radiator that is at least 280 mm for both products.
If you are looking for a compatible CPU cooler, then we recommend check out the Corsair H115i RGB Platinum AIO Liquid CPU Cooler, which you can find on Amazon with this link.
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