CPUs compared

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

  • The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X launched $200 lower ($549 vs $749).
  • Same socket (AM4): both fit the same motherboards, BIOS permitting.
  • The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 4 more cores (16 vs 12).
AMD

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

16 cores · 4.7 GHz · AM4 · DDR4-3200

Launched at $749

Search on AmazonWill it fit my PC?
AMD

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

12 cores · 4.8 GHz · AM4 · DDR4-3200

Launched at $549

Search on AmazonWill it fit my PC?

Specs side by side

4 of 10 differ, marked. Speed isn't compared here: we only list specs we can source.

SpecAMD Ryzen 9 3950XAMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores16 cores, 32 threads12 cores, 24 threads
Boost clockUp to 4.7 GHzUp to 4.8 GHz
L3 cache64 MB64 MB
Power (TDP)105 W105 W
Built-in graphicsNoNo
SocketAM4AM4
PCIePCIe 4.0PCIe 4.0
Official DDR4 speedDDR4-3200DDR4-3200 (DDR4-2667 with 4 modules)
SegmentDesktopDesktop
LaunchedNov 25, 2019Nov 5, 2020

Which motherboards take them

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

AM4 boards with these chipsets:

  • X570
  • B550
  • A520
  • X470
  • B450
  • X370
  • B350
  • A320
  • X300
  • A300

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

AM4 boards with these chipsets:

  • X570
  • B550
  • A520
  • X470
  • B450
  • X370
  • B350
  • A320
  • X300
  • A300

Outlined: those boards may need a BIOS update before the CPU works.

Sources

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

  1. Wikipedia: List of AMD Ryzen processors · CC BY-SA 4.0

AMD Ryzen 9 5900X

  1. Wikipedia: List of AMD Ryzen processors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Specs last checked Oct 19, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.