Ryzen 5 5600X vs. Ryzen 7 5800X vs. Ryzen 9 5900X vs. 5950X: GPU Scaling Benchmark

Today we're starting a new benchmark serial looking at the residual between CPU and GPU performance. The offset chapter of this serial will focus on AMD's Zen 3 processors using a range of GPUs belonging to different tiers.

Actually, you may recall this is something we've done before, going back to 2022. The first installment featured the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 2070 Super, Radeon RX 5700 and RX 580, and the CPUs included the Core i9-9900K, Ryzen 9 3900X and Ryzen v 3600. Since then, an entirely new generation of CPUs and GPUs have been released. This won't be quite the aforementioned as nosotros're testing Zen 3 at present, but in the next articles we'll add Intel CPUs so perhaps we'll wait at older CPUs, too.

In this performance review nosotros want to see how the Ryzen v 5600X, Ryzen vii 5800X, Ryzen nine 5900X and R9 5950X compare in games using the GeForce RTX 3090, RTX 3070, Radeon RX 5700 XT and 5600 XT, using Ultra and Medium graphics quality presets at 1080p, 1440p and 4K.

So you might be wondering why do this testing, what's the point of testing these CPU and GPU combinations? This is an extension of the testing shown in our day-one CPU reviews. In the CPU review the intention is to compare CPU gaming performance and therefore the focus is on CPU-limited testing by using a flagship GPU such as the RTX 3090 at a low-ish resolution such as 1080p.

This is ideal for showing which CPUs are truly faster for gaming, at least in the current range of games we test with, though it's too mostly a proficient indicator of performance for the years to come likewise.

That said, it can be a little flake misleading if yous're using that data every bit a buying guide, especially when comparing CPUs in different price ranges as the gains shown in the review won't necessarily interpret to your setup as it'south probable you'll be using a more affordable GPU -- a more sensible GPU. You probably won't just play CPU demanding games either, so the thought of this follow upward piece is to provide you lot with a more complete motion picture of CPU and GPU performance.

At present, all of the data we're about to look at is based on an average of iii runs and quite incredibly that means each game saw at least 288 benchmark runs to tape the data, so in total we're looking at around 1,700 benchmark runs to make this content and that explains why it's been extremely time consuming in our schedule for the past two weeks.

Nosotros should notation, we're not expecting these results to exist particularly exciting or unexpected, but nosotros felt like starting with Zen 3 fabricated the virtually sense as this information volition serve every bit an fantabulous foundation for calculation 10th and 11th-gen Core processors, equally well equally older CPUs. Then this should develop into an interesting criterion serial.

As for the exam organization, each CPU has been tested using 32GB of DR4-3200 CL14 memory in a dual-channel, dual-rank configuration on the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme and cooling them is the Corsair iCUE H115i Elite. As well loading XMP, no other changes accept been made to the BIOS for testing. Let's get into the results...

Benchmarks

Starting with Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p using the ultra quality preset we find that the game is entirely GPU limited with these new Zen 3 processors, fifty-fifty the 6-core/12-thread 5600X is able to extract maximum performance from the RTX 3090 here.

Reducing the quality preset to medium pushes frames rates higher up the 113 fps seen with the ultra preset and now we are seeing some variation in the performance. The 5950X for example is now up to 22% faster than the 5600X and we see adequately consequent scaling as the core count and frequency increases.

That said, this is only seen with the RTX 3090, dropping downward to the RTX 3070 sees the game become largely GPU limited, in that location is still some variation in the 1% low performance, but we're talking at most a six% discrepancy. Once we drop downwards to the 5700 XT all CPUs are seen delivering the verbal same level of functioning.

Naturally moving to 1440p with the ultra quality preset still sees the game entirely GPU limited, even with the RTX 3090, so permit'due south move on to check out the medium quality preset.

Hither nosotros're seeing up to a x% improvement in performance when going from the 5600X up to the 5950X, and this is seen when comparing the 1% low data using the RTX 3090. But once we drop down to the RTX 3070 the game is 100% GPU limited with no gamble for the CPU to brand a functioning difference. Basically if you have an RTX 3070 or slower and play games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p using only medium quality settings, it actually doesn't matter which Zen 3 CPU y'all have, functioning will be identical.

That being the case obviously we're seeing no divergence in performance at 4K using the ultra quality settings and really information technology's but the RTX 3090 that is able to evangelize a somewhat playable feel under these atmospheric condition anyway.

Dropping down to the medium quality preset certainly improves GPU performance but for the most role nosotros're withal GPU limited. That said we are seeing up to a 5% variation in one% low functioning with the RTX 3090, so the higher cadre count CPUs are helping to deliver a slightly smoother experience, though it'due south hard to say if you'd always be able to find.

What near esports titles that run at hundreds of frames per second? How much difference is there between the various Zen 3 processors? Here nosotros take Rainbow Six Siege results at 1080p using the ultra quality preset and at that place's actually non much to talk about. Of class, this isn't a core heavy game, so providing the cores themselves are very fast, having half-dozen is more than enough and we're seeing that with the Ryzen v 5600X.

With the medium quality preset which sees the GeForce RTX 3090 pushing out almost 600 fps on average we meet little to no deviation in functioning betwixt the CPUs tested. The 5600X is upward to 5% slower with the RTX 3090, but we're still talking most 460 fps for the 1% depression and 582 fps on average. So for virtually all esports titles using competitive quality settings something like the 5600X is going to exist more than sufficient.

Jumping up to 1440p with the ultra quality preset sees the game become entirely GPU limited, and then information technology actually doesn't affair which Zen 3 processor you use, all will be able to get the most out of fifty-fifty the RTX 3090.

The same is true fifty-fifty with the medium quality preset, all four CPUs pushed the RTX 3090 to just over 440 fps on average, so once again information technology really doesn't matter which of these CPUs yous utilise for gaming with a title like Rainbow Six Siege, frame charge per unit performance is going to be basically the aforementioned, if not the aforementioned.

As expected at that place's no real difference in performance betwixt the various Zen three CPUs at 4K, we're talking well-nigh a three% variation in functioning at well-nigh.

The same is true when using the medium quality preset at 4K, in fact nosotros're seeing at well-nigh only a 2% variation in performance.

Horizon Zero Dawn isn't a very CPU demanding game and I've found in the past you'll be GPU express fifty-fifty at 1080p with an RTX 3090 using any modern Intel or AMD CPU. That existence the case yous might retrieve it's not a suitable game for this kind of test and while a case for that tin can certainly be fabricated, I experience information technology's important to include new triple A titles that like near games, aren't express by CPU performance, at least within reason.

Here nosotros're looking at no more than than a 5% difference in performance between the lowest and fastest Zen three processor when looking at the 1% low performance with an RTX 3090.

Using lower quality settings, in this case the medium preset, we find that at that place is some variation in the results with the higher-end GeForce GPUs. That said we're still just talking about a four-5% deviation between the fastest and slowest Zen iii CPUs. So one time we drib down to the 5700 XT the margins evaporate entirely.

Jumping upward to 1440p using the ultra or ultimate preset as information technology's called in the game we encounter virtually no divergence betwixt these CPUs, even with the RTX 3090.

There is some difference at 1440p with the medium quality preset, only even with the RTX 3090 we're only talking about upward to a six% margin betwixt the 5600X and 5950X.

Naturally at 4K there's nil to speak of in the way of operation margins, all 4 CPUs delivered the same or nearly the same performance with all four GPUs.

The same was too true using the medium quality preset, there is some small variation with the RTX 3090, only really zero worth talking about.

SoTR is a very CPU demanding championship, much more than and then than most games. Tomb Raider heavily utilizes the CPU and non but one or two cores, but tin can spread the load quite evenly across many cores. The game plays just fine with the 5600X, but in some more extreme instances it does exit functioning on the table, like what we're seeing here at 1080p with the RTX 3090.

The 5950X was upward to 11% faster than the 5600X when comparing 1% low performance with the RTX 3090 and 7% with the RTX 3070, in fact nosotros're even seeing a five% increase in 1% depression performance with the 5700 XT.

The margins grow quite considerably when lowering the visual quality settings to medium as the 5950X is up to eighteen% faster than the 5600X and quite interestingly that was seen with the RTX 3070, though we're only talking nigh a 7% divergence when comparing the boilerplate frame charge per unit. It'south worth noting that once we dropped downwardly to the 5700 XT that all 4 Zen iii processors delivered the aforementioned level of functioning.

Increasing the resolution to 1440p virtually eliminates the performance differences seen previously equally nosotros're looking at no more than a 4% margin betwixt the fastest and slowest CPUs tested. That was of course seen with the RTX 3090, in one case we driblet downwardly to the RTX 3070 that margin is reduced fifty-fifty further to just two%.

Using the medium quality preset at 1440p we see a small uptick in 1% depression functioning with the RTX 3090 as we increase the CPU core count, only fifty-fifty and so we're merely talking about an 8% improvement when going from the 5600X to the 5950X. Then with the RTX 3070 no real performance deviation is seen.

As we've found previously the 4K resolution is just too extreme even for the RTX 3090 and as a upshot here we're heavily GPU bound, leaving no room for the CPU to influence performance past even a few frames.

The aforementioned is as well true at 4K when using the medium quality preset, despite pushing over 100 fps on boilerplate, performance is virtually identical across the board.

Moving on to Watch Dogs Legion and this is another new triple A title that'southward a lot similar Horizon Cypher Dawn in the sense that information technology's not very CPU demanding, again assuming you lot have a reasonably modern CPU.

Testing at 1080p with the ultra quality settings shows very little difference in functioning between the various Zen 3 processors. In fact even with the RTX 3090 we're just looking at a nine% performance uplift for the ane% low performance when going from the 5600X up to the 5950X. Given the 5950X clocks around 7% college and packs more than twice equally many cores, I'd say that'southward a very mild operation gain indeed.

The 1080p medium results are quite interesting as we appear to be running into a single thread type limitation with the Zen 3 architecture. This is made evident by the performance from the 5700 XT right up to the mighty RTX 3090 which is all similar, suggesting a strong CPU clogging here and it'south clearly not core related.

As y'all might have expected, jumping upwardly to 1440p with the ultra quality preset we see no difference in performance between the various Zen iii CPUs, even with the RTX 3090, then a hard GPU clogging here.

Even with the medium quality settings nosotros're nevertheless looking at a strong CPU bottleneck with the RTX 3090 and of form anything slower.

Equally you could accept no uncertainty guessed the 4K ultra data is again heavily limited by the GPU, in fact we're looking at identical performance across the board.

The same is also true of the 4K medium results, doesn't thing which of these Zen 3 CPUs yous use, performance will exist identical.

Typically, Assassin's Creed titles are very CPU demanding and Air-conditioning Valhalla is not an exception, though if you have a CPU every bit capable every bit the 5600X, then that's all y'all'll need. Previous Assassin'due south Creed titles were known to break quad-core CPUs (4-cores/4-threads), but they've always played well on 12-thread processors.

Using the medium quality settings we still find that the game is largely GPU limited, nosotros also find a weird scenario where the 5700 XT performs better than the RTX 3070 and not much slower than the RTX 3090. This would typically suggest a CPU limitation and while that's possible at the high-end, it'southward not due to a lack of CPU cores.

Scaling is more than what you'd expect to meet at 1440p with the ultra quality settings and conspicuously we are looking at a strong GPU limitation for all tested hardware configurations.

The aforementioned is truthful with the medium quality nowadays at 1440p so here it doesn't matter which of these Zen three CPUs you utilise.

Then of form we discover the same GPU limited performance at 4K using both the ultra and medium quality presets.

Performance Summary

Nothing shocking in that location, for the virtually office there'south footling difference in terms of gaming performance between these four Zen 3 based processors, merely as we constitute in our day-ane content. On boilerplate, the 5950X is just 4% faster than the 5600X with the RTX 3090 at 1080p using the ultra quality settings and we've but seen a similar matter hither, even when using medium quality settings. Actually let's chop-chop summarize the data...

At 1080p using the ultra quality preset we institute that on boilerplate at that place is no performance difference to be seen in modern games when using the RTX 3070, 5700 XT and 5600 XT. Once more, as seen in the mean solar day one review, the 5950X simply offers a ~4% performance heave over the 5600X, and with both delivering smooth functioning in all games, in that location'southward petty reason to go beyond the 6-core/12-thread processor.

Even if you're gaming with lower quality settings, perhaps you're playing competitive titles, information technology still doesn't matter which CPU y'all cull. At most nosotros're looking at a 4% variation in the results with the RTX 3090 and then aught with the RTX 3070 or slower.

Moving up to 1440p using ultra quality settings y'all'll typically not see a difference in performance between the 5600X, 5800X, 5900X and 5950X, certainly nothing worth worrying almost.

It's the same situation using the lower quality medium settings, for the most office even with an RTX 3090 you'll see lilliputian to no performance departure in the latest and greatest titles.

Manifestly there'south piddling point in discussing the 4K information, so here's a quick expect the ultra settings and now an fifty-fifty quicker look at the medium quality results.

What Nosotros Learned

Null world shattering came in after all that testing, but it does help put to rest a few questions nosotros've seen going around regarding lower quality settings, competitive titles, core counts, and and so on. Basically, information technology doesn't matter how fast your graphics card is, yous can go right upwardly to a GeForce RTX 3090 and you lot'll cede nothing past using a Ryzen 5 5600X. This applies whether yous're playing esports titles using competitive quality settings, like what we saw in Rainbow Vi Siege, or the latest and greatest AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077.

It doesn't matter how fast your graphics card is, you lot can become right up to an RTX 3090 and you'll cede nothing past using a Ryzen 5 5600X.

This testing while quite boring will pave the style for some really interesting comparisons with older Ryzen CPUs and, of form, Intel CPUs, and that'due south something nosotros programme to invest a lot of time in over the coming months. For example, it will be really interesting to see how the Zen+ range scales as we await cadre count will play a more substantial role in that location, given the private cores are slower.

Something we did discover interesting when looking at the competitive gaming bending is the GPU comparison. In Rainbow Half-dozen Siege we were looking at well over 200 fps at all times with a Radeon RX 5600 XT, 216 fps for the 1% low and 279 fps for the average frame rate. This proves that for esports gaming you often but need a very basic graphics card and not a RTX 3060 Ti or improve. For many of yous, it won't be news to hear that competitive gaming is often more about the CPU than it is the GPU, fifty-fifty for games similar Telephone call of Duty, Battlefield Five and PUBG.

On a side note, we often discover information technology a bit strange when readers announced to become upset that we don't oftentimes test CPU operation in titles like Rainbow Six Siege or Fortnite using competitive quality settings, but instead use a high-end GPU at 1080p with ultra quality settings. They debate this isn't how gamers play these games and therefore the results are useless, but nosotros totally disagree with that.

For instance, nosotros've simply seen here that the 5600X paired with a Radeon RX 5600 XT is good for well over 200 fps at 1080p using competitive-blazon quality settings. Even so, our normal CPU test method which would use an RTX 3090 at 1080p saw all four CPUs push over 500 fps. And so naturally if your GPU tin can render 500 fps using your desired competitive quality settings, the CPU in question volition exist able to reach that. Fifty-fifty if the ultra quality settings halved the frame rates you're notwithstanding looking at effectually 260 fps on boilerplate. We guess the lesson here is that sometimes you need to read a petty further into the results to get the answers you're afterward.