The Ryzen 9 3800X is set to become AMD’s next top-of-the-line processor for the general consumer market, and according to the latest information it could once again mark an important turning point.
During the last few years, the market of general consumer processors has experienced some very important moments and very beneficial for the consumer. For example, the arrival of the Sandy Bridge architecture represented a huge leap in terms of gross performance, so much so that this generation still offers excellent performance.
The introduction of HyperThreading technology in the Pentium with Kaby Lake and the increase of the Core i3 and Core i5 to four and six cores also deserve a mention, but it was the Ryzen processors in its first generation version that democratized the configurations of six and eight cores.
With this background we can better understand why we said that the Ryzen 9 3800X could mark a new milestone in the history of consumer CPUs, and that according to an early listing of an online retailer said processor will have 16 cores and 32 threads, and can reach the 4.7 GHz speed in turbo mode.
Chiplets with more cores, and more frequently
The Ryzen 9 3800X will be based on the Zen 2 architecture. We have already talked about it in previous articles, so we invite you to take a look to know all its keys. One of the most important topics is the jump to the 7 nm process and the grouping of CCX units into chiplets of up to eight cores, manufactured in the process of 7 nm.
These chiplets are connected with an I/O chip that integrates the entire communications system, including memory controllers, and is manufactured at 14 nm. Well, the simplification of the silicon pellets that form the chiplets has not only allowed the jump to 7 nm at the technical level, but also has made it economically viable.
More cores and more threads in the Ryzen third generation, but also higher efficiency, higher IPC (performance per clock cycle) and a higher frequency of work. This last one was, precisely, one of the main disadvantages presented by the MCM structure (multichip module) that Ryzen presented in front of Intel’s monolithic core architecture, its lower working speeds.
A Ryzen 7 2700X can work at 4.3 GHz while a Core i9 9900K can maintain 5.2 GHz with a good cooling system. It is a very big difference that obviously is noticeable in the gross performance of each CPU. If you confirm the jump to the 4.7 GHz maximum frequency of the Ryzen 9 3800X the distance will have been reduced, and the differences in terms of performance could end up being nothing.
Six cores as a new entry level
If you look at the chart that we accompany, where the specifications of the entire AMD Ryzen 3000 range appear, we see that there has been a significant change compared to the current generation:
- Ryzen 9 3000 series: 16 cores and 32 wires at a maximum of 4.7 GHz, with a TDP of 125 watts.
- Ryzen 7 3000 series: 12 cores and 24 wires at a maximum of 5 GHz, with a TDP of up to 105 watts.
- Ryzen 5 3000 series: 8 cores and 16 threads at a maximum of 4.8 GHz, with a TDP of up to 95 watts.
- Ryzen 3 3000 series: 6 cores and 12 threads at a maximum of 4.3 GHz, with a TDP of up to 65 watts.
The Ryzen 7 2000 series processors have 8 cores and 16 threads, the Ryzen 5 2000 add 6 cores and 12 threads and the Ryzen 3 1000 (there is no Ryzen 3 series 2000 in general consumption, only the Ryzen 3 2300X for the OEM channel). With 4 cores and four threads, so the differences are very marked, and very important. A couple of years ago it would have been unthinkable that the processors with 6 cores and 12 threads would end up being basic range, but it will soon be a reality.
We do not have details about the price that these new AMD processors will have, but we can imagine that they will not be far from the current level. Then we give you an estimate of the approximate prices of each model, and we remind you that your announcement is expected for the first or second quarter of 2019. They will be compatible with motherboards AM4 chipset series 300, 400 and 500.
- Ryzen 9 3800X: Between 450 and 500 dollars.
- Ryzen 7 3700X and 3700: Between 350 and 400 dollars.
- Ryzen 5 3600X and 3600: Between 200 and 250 dollars.
- Ryzen 3 3300X and 3300: Between 100 and 150 dollars.
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