AMD has been working laborious to spice up gross sales of Zen 5 CPUs since their launch two months in the past. After a number of generations of thrilling Ryzen CPU launches, this one has been way more disappointing. Since Zen 5’s debut, we have acquired a brand new model of Home windows with AMD-specific optimizations, numerous BIOS updates, new energy profiles, alleged reminiscence enhancements, and value cuts. All of this has come collectively to make Zen 5 higher… or has it?
Earlier this month, we compared the Zen 5-based Ryzen 7 9700X with the two.5-year-old Ryzen 7 5800X3D throughout a spread of video games utilizing Home windows 11 24H2, together with the most recent AGESA code from AMD.
In abstract, the 5800X3D was solely barely slower than the 9700X, which is spectacular for a Zen 3 processor. Nevertheless, this is not precisely a shopping for advice for the reason that 5800X3D is now not extensively obtainable.
You possibly can nonetheless discover the 5700X3D for round $200, which is an distinctive deal, although it solely is smart if you happen to’re already on the AM4 platform. In any other case, the newer Ryzen 7 7700X, which may nonetheless be discovered for as little as $245, presents a extra related possibility.
The 7700X and its non-X version have posed a big problem to the 9700X, largely as a result of aggressive discounting and, after all, the underwhelming Zen 5 efficiency.
The 9700X launched with an MSRP of $360, which at first look looks like a pleasant low cost from the $400 MSRP of the 7700X – till you understand the 9700X actually ought to have been referred to as the 9700, being a 65W half, it ought to have been priced at $330, particularly contemplating it does not embrace a cooler just like the 7700 did.
However, as standard AMD bought there in the long run, discounting the 9700X shortly after critiques went dwell. You’d suppose they’d have led with that, particularly after several similar missteps prior to now, however okay. Even with the low cost, the 7700X stays obtainable for between $245 and $290, making it a robust competitor, however at $330, the 9700X turns into extra interesting.
Serving to the attractiveness of the 9700X could be higher gaming efficiency, and AMD is hoping the Home windows department prediction optimizations will ship simply that. So at the moment we’re evaluating the 9700X with the 7700X and 7700 non-X in quite a lot of video games utilizing the most recent Home windows construct (24H2) and the most recent AGESA 1.2.0.2 BIOS revision.
We can’t be enabling the optionally available 105W TDP mode for the 9700X, as that is much like enabling PBO. As an alternative, we have included the 7700 for a 65W Zen 4 vs. 65W Zen 5 comparability. We’re additionally not testing on an X870E motherboard since X870E and X670E are essentially identical – X870E simply mandates USB4 assist through a third-party controller. So, for all sensible functions, X870E and X670E are the same chipsets, simply with totally different labels.
Moreover, DDR5-8000 assist is not unique to Zen 5; it will possibly additionally run on Zen 4, offered you may have a motherboard that helps it. Regardless of AMD’s declare that X870 motherboards are perfect for DDR5-8000 reminiscence, many cannot deal with it reliably, failing stress assessments inside an hour. We’ll be releasing an in depth evaluate on this within the coming weeks, as soon as we have accomplished testing each X870 and X870E motherboard.
So, with a small value reduce, BIOS updates, and a brand new model of Home windows 11, how does the gaming efficiency of the 9700X stack up in opposition to the 7700 and 7700X?
Take a look at System Specs
| CPU Motherboard Reminiscence |
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| AMD Ryzen 7 9700X AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D AMD Ryzen 7 7700X AMD Ryzen 7 7700 G.Talent Trident Z5 RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30 Gigabyte X670E Aorus Grasp [BIOS F33b] DDR5-6000 [CL30-38-38-96] |
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| AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D MSI MPG X570S Carbon MAX WiFi [BIOS 7D52v 1B] G.Talent Ripjaws V Sequence 32GB DDR4-3600 CL14 DDR4-3600 [CL14-15-15-35] |
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| Graphics Card | Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC Version |
| ATX Case | Antec Flux Professional |
| Energy Provide | Kolink Regulator Gold ATX 3.0 1200W |
| Storage | TeamGroup T-Pressure GE PRO M.2 PCle Gen5 NVMe SSD 4TB |
| Working System | Home windows 11 |
| Show Driver | GeForce Sport Prepared Driver 565.90 WHQL |
To seek out out, we have up to date our evaluate information. Whereas this is not a 40+ recreation benchmark, we have centered on a 14-game benchmark, primarily based on titles we’ll be utilizing for our upcoming Zen 5 X3D and Intel Arrow Lake critiques. Let’s dive in.
Benchmarks
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
First up, we have now Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the place the 9700X averaged 161 fps, making it 4% quicker than the 7700X and seven% quicker than the 7700. Whereas this is not a unprecedented consequence, it is higher than what we have come to anticipate from Zen 5. This efficiency can be much like the 5800X3D, although it is slightly over 20% slower than the 7800X3D.
The Final of Us Half 1
Testing with The Last of Us Part 1 reveals the 9700X main the 7700X by a mere 2%, whereas being lower than 1% quicker than the 7700. We’re speaking a couple of distinction of fewer than 3 frames at over 170 fps, so it is secure to conclude that the 9700X, 7700X, and 7700 all ship basically the identical efficiency on this case.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Though Home windows 11 24H2 dramatically boosts efficiency in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, we discover that Zen 4 and Zen 5 scale pretty evenly. The truth is, with the official launch of this working system, Zen 4 components had been a number of frames quicker. Total, the efficiency is shut sufficient to be thought-about similar.
Hogwarts Legacy
The 24H2 replace additionally improved efficiency in Hogwarts Legacy, with the 9700X averaging 125 fps, only a single body quicker than the 7700X and 4 frames forward of the 7700, marking a 3% enchancment.
Assetto Corsa Competizione
Assetto Corsa Competizione stays a significant outlier, because it was in our unique evaluate. Right here, the 9700X is ready to match the 5800X3D extra intently because of the bigger L1 cache, leading to a efficiency increase of round 20% in comparison with the Zen 4 fashions with out 3D V-Cache. Nevertheless, this vital uplift is an outlier and is not mirrored in most different video games we have examined.
Remnant II
In Remnant II, the 9700X performs nicely, averaging 126 fps, beating the 7700 by 13% and the 7700X by 10%. This can be a stable consequence and stands out in comparison with many of the different titles examined thus far.
Homeworld 3
Subsequent, in Homeworld 3, the 9700X delivers efficiency similar to the 7700X, averaging 93 fps. That is only a 3% enchancment over the 7700 non-X and much like the 5800X3D. Nothing significantly thrilling right here.
A Plague Story: Requiem
In A Plague Story: Requiem, we once more see very related efficiency throughout the 9700X, 7700X, and 7700, with the 9700X simply 4% quicker than the 7700 on common.
Counter-Strike 2
The 9700X is barely extra spectacular in Counter-Strike 2, averaging 526 fps, which is a 6% enchancment over the 7700X, although solely 2% quicker than the 7700.
Starfield
As famous in our preliminary evaluate, the 9700X stays underwhelming in Starfield, managing simply 102 fps, whereas the 7700 achieves 111 fps, making the Zen 4 half 9% quicker.
Warhammer 40,000: House Marine 2
Within the newly added, CPU-demanding Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, the 9700X delivers related efficiency to the 7700/7700X, averaging 108 fps. That is only a 2% enchancment over the 7700 non-X, in step with the margins seen in many of the different video games.
Hitman 3
In Hitman 3, the 9700X performs comparably to the 7700. Whereas total efficiency is powerful, relative to Zen 4, it is nonetheless considerably underwhelming.
Watch Canine: Legion
The 9700X was barely quicker than each the 7700X and 7700 in Watch Canine: Legion, however solely by as much as 3%, which implies the outcomes are practically similar.
Star Wars Outlaws
Lastly, in Star Wars Outlaws, the 9700X as soon as once more delivers efficiency similar to the 7700/7700X, averaging 128 fps in our benchmark.
Efficiency Abstract
Lastly, here is the common information, calculated utilizing the geomean. Throughout the 14 video games examined, the 9700X was simply 2% quicker than the 7700X, which is barely down from the three% margin present in our day-one evaluate utilizing a barely totally different vary of video games.
When evaluating 65W components, we see that the 9700X is 4% quicker than the 7700, which is fairly near that “Zen 5%” we have all come to anticipate. That is disappointing given all of the discuss improved Zen 5 efficiency, but additionally hardly shocking.
Aspect-by-Aspect: 9700X vs 7700
Here is a more in-depth take a look at how that 4% margin is derived, with large wins in ACC and Remnant II. If we take away the ACC consequence, which we all know to be an outlier, the 9700X finally ends up simply 2% quicker than the 7700.
However even at 4%, they’re very evenly matched. The one poor consequence for the 9700X could be seen in Starfield, although one would possibly argue that positive factors of 5% or much less are additionally very poor for a brand new CPU technology after two years.
What We Discovered
So there you may have it… and sadly nothing has actually modified, at the least relative to Zen 4. With out query, Zen 5 has improved since launch. It is slightly cheaper now, and because of the Home windows optimizations, it is now quicker – simply not quicker relative to Zen 4. The truth is, we actually query simply how a lot of this uplift is as a result of supposed “Ryzen Department Prediction” optimizations.
It appears extra doubtless that safety mitigations rapidly patched into Home windows 11 harm efficiency, and 24H2 addresses these mitigations in a extra optimized method, which is why we have additionally seen some efficiency enhancements for Intel.
Regardless of the case, it is true: Ryzen processors have seen efficiency enhancements in video games with 24H2. Some video games noticed huge positive factors, others gentle positive factors, and a few no positive factors in any respect. However total, they’re quicker – and once more, we won’t stress this sufficient – these positive factors additionally apply to Zen 4, and even Zen 3 in some instances.
As issues stand at the moment, for gaming, you possibly can anticipate anyplace from a 2% to perhaps 5% efficiency acquire for the 9700X over comparable Zen 4 components, relying on the video games used. So if you happen to can snag a 7700X for $245, which is the going fee on Amazon, you’d clearly go for that, given it is round 25% cheaper than the 9700X. That mentioned, it does seem as if inventory is drying up over within the US, as main retailers corresponding to Newegg are at the moment bought out.
In different markets like Australia, you are having to pay round $600 AUD for the 9700X, whereas the 7700X could be had for just below $500 AUD. That is a couple of 20% saving to go along with the Zen 4 half, and we’re, after all, quoting the native foreign money right here – so dollarydoos.
Due to this fact, till we attain some extent the place components just like the 9700X are priced across the present asking costs of comparable Zen 4 fashions, there’s not a lot to get enthusiastic about. And even then, it is a business-as-usual scenario. As a result of as we have beforehand famous, if you happen to desired this degree of CPU gaming efficiency and had been keen to spend $330 to amass it, you could possibly have simply purchased the Ryzen 7 7700 again in January 2023, virtually two years in the past now, whereas it price as little as $250 firstly of this yr.
That is a wrap as we get again to benchmarking. Now we have loads of CPUs we have to get up to date information for, so we will use it to gauge the efficiency of upcoming components from each AMD and Intel. Maintain a watch out for our upcoming Arrow Lake desktop CPU evaluate.
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