AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Ryzen 9 5950X: Which should you buy between the current- and previous-gen AMD’s flagship desktop CPU? In this post, we’re going to compare the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Ryzen 9 5950X to see which of these two CPUs is the new king of AMD’s flagship processor.
These two CPUs were already expensive since they are high-end models, however, the latest Ryzen 9 7950X demands a new AM5 motherboard and DDR5 memory which further makes it more expensive.
Price and Availability
Currently, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU that was released in November 2020 is cheaper. With the launch of the Ryzen 7000 series, previous Gens are now enjoying discounts. On Amazon, the Ryzen 9 5950X is priced at $550. In comparison, the newly announced Ryzen 9 7950X is priced at $699, making it the most expensive here.
In terms of their availability, the Ryzen 9 5950X is widely available for purchase. While its successor, the newly announced Ryzen 9 5950X will start selling on September 27th, 2022. You can use the box at the bottom of this post to purchase either of these CPUs.
Socket Compatibility
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Ryzen 9 5950X belongs to different CPU sockets. The former belongs to socket AM5, and the latter to socket AM4. This means the newer Ryzen 9 7950X won’t be compatible with the AM4 socket motherboard.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Ryzen 9 5950X
In other words, you’ll have to upgrade your motherboard to AM5 and memory to DDR5 before you can make use of the Ryzen 9 7950X.
Performance
Both the Ryzen 9 7950X and the Ryzen 9 5950X have similar Core and Threads count (16-cores and 32-Threads). However, the latest Ryzen 9 7950X has a higher base and boost clock frequency of 4.5 GHz and 5.7 GHz respectively, making it speedier than the Ryzen 9 5950X.
The performance test favors the Zen 4 CPU. On Geekbench, the Ryzen 9 7950X scored 2217 points in a single-core test and 24396 points in a multi-core test, while the 5950X had 1689 points in a single-core and 16508 multi-core. Thus, in comparison, the new AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 31% faster in single-core and 47% faster in multicore than the Ryzen 9 5950X
Additionally, gamers would also benefit from the AMD EXPO technology that helps to enhance gaming performance by 11% on all Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. The Ryzen 9 7950X flagship CPU is faster and has a larger cache capacity than Ryzen 9 5950X.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs Ryzen 9 5950X: Verdict
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is good but the new Ryzen 9 7950X is better. The latest Zen 4 CPU has a larger cache capacity, higher base and boost clock speeds, and supports AMD EXPO Technology that enhances the gaming experience by 11% over the Zen 3 CPU.
However, the best is not cheaper but more expensive. The Ryzen 9 7950X is not for those on a tight budget. But if you can afford it with its upgrading system to make it compatible, then it’s worth upgrading to.
